The ancient civilization of the Aztecs, ten facts from the life of the tribe. Where did the ancient Aztecs live?

the name "Aztecs" was coined

Many people know that the Aztecs were very fond of chocolate, sacrificed to their pagan gods a large number of people and were eventually defeated by the Spaniards. In eyes modern people they are presented as a warlike barbarian people, largely because of the number of people they have killed.

However, despite popular belief, they also had their own culture. Social Aztec formation was incredibly complex, and education, family and creativity played a big role in their society. Even their system of slavery was well developed and not at all like what people imagine when they hear about slavery.

In short, although at first glance they look like psychopaths, Aztecs not so simple. Below you can find ten interesting facts about the Aztecs, which will allow you to better understand their history and way of life.

10. Creativity

Despite the seeming wildness Aztecs They were very creative people. The Aztecs were fond of sculpture and pottery, as well as artistic painting. They developed artistic symbols that were applied to the Aztec warriors in the form of tattoos describing their achievements. They also loved poetry.

Aztecs engaged in team sports, in particular, one of the most popular sports among them was the Mesoamerican ball game. The game used a rubber ball, which was quite an advanced item for their time, and matches were played on a field called Tlachtli. The main task of the game is to throw the ball through a small stone ring, but it was a very difficult game. The ball was not supposed to fall to the ground, and the players could only touch it with their heads, elbows, knees and hips.

9. Compulsory schooling

Although the Aztecs and placed great emphasis on the fact that parents themselves should properly educate their children, they also had compulsory schooling for all children. Schools were different for boys and girls, and were also divided according to the belonging of students to different castes.

The children of the upper classes attended the Calmecac school, where they learned from the priests history, astronomy, the arts, and how to rule. The boys of the lower castes studied at the Cuicacalli school, in which they were prepared for military service. Girls were sent to separate schools, and most of the education consisted of teaching household chores such as cooking and weaving.

8. Struck by disease

Many people think that the Spaniards defeated the Aztecs with the help of their superior military forces, but this is far from the truth. In fact, the first attacks of the Spaniards were successfully repelled, and they had to retreat quickly. The Aztecs had a good chance of defeating the Spaniards, and in general the war was fought on an equal footing.

We can safely say that if it were not for the smallpox that the Aztecs caught from Europeans, and from which most of their population, including leaders, died, then the Aztecs unlikely to lose in a war against the Spaniards. The influence of European diseases was devastating - it is estimated that about twenty million Mexicans died in just 5 years from diseases brought by the Spaniards.

7. Wrong name

The Aztecs are known to all of us under this name, but in fact they never called themselves that. The Western peoples who coined the name "Aztec" most likely took it from the name Aztlan (Aztlan) - a mythical area in northern Mexico, in which the ancestors of the Aztecs allegedly lived in the 12th century. However, the Aztecs themselves called themselves Mexica (Mexica), from where the name of the country Mexico then came from.

6. Advanced documentation system

The Aztecs had their own language called Nautl (N'ahuatl), whose alphabet was a type of pictographic writing. The knowledge of how to record information was known only among priests and specially trained scribes. Recordings were made on paper made from tree bark or deer skins. They usually wrote with the help of coals, after which the notes were given a different color using vegetable juice and other materials.

The Aztecs kept tax records, historical documents, kept information about religious sacrifices and other ceremonies in writing, and even wrote poetry. Sometimes they collected the notes into makeshift books, which they called codices.

5. Burial customs

We all know the stories about what happens when something is built on former location Indian burials, Aztecs did not worry when they had to build something on the graves of their ancestors. Moreover, the Aztecs quite often buried their ancestors either directly under their house, or at least next to it.

If the deceased Aztec belonged to the upper strata of society, he was usually cremated. The Aztecs believed that cremation would help change the soul of a deceased warrior or ruler, and thus they would quickly get to their version of paradise. Sometimes the Aztecs would kill a dog and bury or cremate it with a human to help with the journey through the afterlife.

4. Sale of children

The sale of their children by the poor Aztecs was not considered something unusual in their society. And everything was not limited to children, the poor sometimes sold themselves into slavery. In many cases, when someone became bankrupt and saw no other way out, selling children into slavery brought them some income, and if the child worked well and hard, they could eventually buy themselves out of slavery. Some remained slaves for most of their lives, which is not surprising, since being a slave in Aztec society was not so bad. Slaves could marry, have children, and even own their own piece of land.

3. Polygamy

Aztec men were allowed to marry multiple wives, but there were a few strict rules associated with such relationships. The first wife a man married was considered his "main" wife and was the only one with whom he performed the wedding ceremony. The rest of the wives were "minor", but they were officially recognized in the documents.

Although the first wife was considered the most important, a man had to treat all his wives with equal respect. The man was considered the head of the family, but women still had enough influence in relationships and were well treated in Aztec society. Additional wives contributed to the wealth of the family and were considered a sign high position in society, which allowed them to be highly respected in society. Divorces were allowed in some cases, but adultery on either side of the marriage was punishable by death.

2. Slavery

Slavery in Aztec society was different from the European system and operated according to different rules. The children of slaves were not automatically enslaved, and slaves were allowed to own anything—even their own slaves. If a slave got into the temple, they were released, they were also released if they managed to escape from their master and step on human excrement. If a slave tried to run away, only his master or his relatives could chase him. Slaves could even buy their freedom. The Aztec slavery system was unique and more like indentured bondage than the modern concept of slavery.

1. Human sacrifice

Although the most common theory about Aztec sacrifices says they were simply performing rituals dedicated to pagan gods, anthropologist Michael Harner believes otherwise. According to Harner's estimates, Aztecs about 20,000 people were sacrificed annually. The people who were sacrificed were often eaten during the ritual. Harner suggested that cannibalism disguised as sacrifice was due to insufficient meat in the Aztec diet. The fact that the Aztecs ate each other due to protein starvation, of course, has not been proven, but signs of the existence of cannibalism are hard to miss.

The Incas, Aztecs and Maya are mysterious tribes that have disappeared from the face of the earth. Until now, scientific excavations and all kinds of research are being carried out in order to study their life and the reasons for their disappearance. In this article we will talk about one interesting tribe. The Aztecs lived in the 14th century in what is now Mexico City.

Where did they come from

The number of this Indian people was about 1.3 million people. The homeland of the Aztecs, according to legend, was the island of Aztlan (translated as "country of herons"). Initially, the members of this tribe were hunters, but then, having settled on the ground, they began to engage in agricultural and handicraft work, although it was a rather warlike tribe. The Aztecs, in order to start leading for quite a long time, were looking for suitable lands. They did not act at random, but in accordance with the instructions of their god Huitzilopochtli. In his opinion, the Aztecs should have seen an eagle sitting on a cactus and devouring the earth.

This happened

Despite the strangeness of this sign, after 165 years of wandering around Mexican soil, the Aztecs still managed to meet this mysterious bird with unusual behavior. At the place where this happened, the tribe began to settle down. The Aztecs named their first settlement Tenochtitlan (translated as "fruit tree growing from stone"). Another name for these lands is Mexico City. Interestingly, the Aztec civilization was created by several tribes. Scientists believe that at least seven tribes who spoke related languages ​​took part in this, the most common of which was Nahuatl. Now it and similar dialects are spoken by more than 1 million people.

Bottoms and tops

Can the Aztec civilization serve as an example for the modern organization of society? Equality fighters would certainly not like the Aztec division into aristocrats and plebeians. Moreover, members high society had the very best. They lived in luxurious palaces, wore magnificent clothes, ate delicious food, had many privileges, and held high positions. The plebeians worked the land, traded, hunted, fished and lived poorly in special quarters. But after death, everyone got an equal chance to get into underworld, the abode of the goddess of death Mictlan, or go to better world. Since warriors in the Aztec world enjoyed special respect, those who died on the battlefield could accompany the sun from sunrise to zenith, as well as those who were sacrificed. Women who died in childbirth received the honor to accompany the sun from zenith to sunset. "Lucky" can be considered those who were killed by lightning or drowned. They ended up in a heavenly place where Tlalocan lived.

Fathers and Sons

The tribe referred to in this article paid great attention to the education of children. Until the age of 1, they were brought up at home, and after that they had to attend special schools. Moreover, both boys and girls, although the latter, most often, having married, sat at home and looked after the household and children. Commoners were trained in craft skills, military affairs. Aristocrats studied history, astronomy, social science, rituals, and government. The children of members of high society were not white-handed. They worked in public works, cleaned in temples, and participated in rituals. Honor, respect and various privileges awaited the elderly.

Aztec culture

No wonder this lost civilization attracts attention even today. The Aztecs were excellent craftsmen, so buildings, sculptures, stone and clay products, fabrics, and jewelry were of high quality. The Aztecs were especially distinguished by the ability to make various products from bright feathers of tropical birds. Aztec mosaics and ornaments are also famous. The aristocrats were fond of literature. Many of them could compose a poem or write an oral work. Legends, tales, poems, descriptions of the rites of this people have survived to this day. Paper for books was made from the bark. The calendars that this tribe created are also interesting. The Aztecs used a solar and ritual calendar. In accordance with the solar calendar, agricultural work and religious work were carried out. It consisted of 365 days. The second calendar, which includes 260 days, served for predictions. The fate of a person was judged by the day on which he was born. Until now, many treasure hunters dream of finding Aztec gold. And they lived in their time very richly. This is evidenced by the stories of the Spanish conquerors. They say that the rich Aztecs, especially in the capital Tenochtitlan, ate and slept on gold. Golden thrones were set up for their gods, at the foot of which there were also golden ingots.

Aztec religion

People from this tribe believed that there were several gods who controlled the forces of nature and the fate of people. They had gods of water, maize, rain, sun, war and many others. The Aztecs built huge, ornate temples. The largest was dedicated to the main deity Tenochtitlan and was 46 meters high. Rites and sacrifices were held in the temples. The Aztecs also had an idea of ​​the soul. They believed that its habitat in a person is the heart and blood vessels. The pulse beat was taken as its manifestation. According to the Aztecs, the gods put the soul into the human body even at the time when he was in the womb. They also believed that objects and animals possess souls. The Aztecs imagined that there was a special connection between them, allowing them to interact on an intangible level. The Aztecs also thought that every person has a magical double. His death led to the death of man. As a sacrifice, the Aztecs offered their own blood to their idols. To do this, they performed the rite of bloodletting. In general, the Aztecs brought human sacrifices in huge quantities. It is a known fact that 2,000 people were sacrificed during the consecration of the Great Temple. The Aztecs thought about the end of the world and believed that a large amount of blood could appease the gods and maintain world balance.

The Aztec civilization perished because of the greed of the Spaniards. It happened at the beginning of the 16th century, but the imagination is still excited by the life story of a tribe that disappeared from the face of the earth. Whether Aztec gold brings happiness, everyone will decide for themselves.

The Aztecs are an Indian people who lived in the center and partly in the south. American continent before the capture of Mexico in 1521 by the Spanish conquistadors. Their ancient history is the search for a permanent home for many years. They wandered with a group of other tribes through the territories of many modern states Latin America. Until they stopped near the current capital of Mexico. The concept of the Aztecs also includes the military-political community of the tribes and city-states of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan.

Aztec civilization, brief description

This "troika" established a strict and sometimes barbaric rule from northern borders modern Mexico to Guatemala between 1400 and 1521. At the same time, skillful management of the economy made it possible to create one of the oldest and even almost “capitalist” civilizations.

When the concept of "civilization" is written or pronounced, for many it is associated with some unique achievement in the life of the people. In fact, this term refers to a certain period, stage, in the development of a particular society: savagery - barbarism - civilization. Each period must meet certain scientific criteria.

Among the important criteria of civilization is the existence of a class society in relation to ownership of the means of production, the social division of labor. Further, there should not be huts, but stone cities, the presence of their own language and writing, other important phenomena of life.

Among the Aztecs, in addition to their own means of communication, the second were several Indian languages. The Aztecs used them in communication with other peoples. The Aztecs still use their variations in everyday life.

The Aztec people were considered admirers of creativity expressed in words. Books were written in pictograms; tree bark served as paper. Basically, they outlined the life of power, priests, a list of tribute collections, various registers. If the Spanish conquistadors had not destroyed most of the books, then mankind would have known the Aztecs better.

The information of one navigator and invader of Mexico, B. Castillo, about the history of the country is invaluable. In particular, about the peoples of this group. In it, for the first time, Europeans learn information about tenochki (named after the leader Tenoch). That was the name of the tribe that lived in the city of Texcoco, while the neighboring tribes called it the Aztecs. The slave system flourished in the cities. But local slavery was different from European.

The slave had property and even his slaves, could redeem himself and become a free citizen of the city. Not only prisoners of war fell into slavery, but also Aztec debtors, as well as the poor who sold themselves and their families. Slaves wore collars and shackles.

The bloodlust of the Aztecs

In the empire of these tribes, barbaric sacrifices continued to be massively cultivated. This relic of a previous period of life is inherent in almost all Latin American civilizations. But the Aztecs in bloodlust surpassed other Indians. Obviously, the neighboring tribes knew about this, so they did not want the Aztecs to settle nearby.

Sacrifices were justified by the religion of the Indians. According to myths, the god spent his blood for the benefit of those who believed in him. Therefore, the Aztecs performed sacrificial rites regularly: they killed both slaves and free people. Blood flowed like a river at mass rituals, because thousands of people lost their lives at the same time. The Aztec chronicles preserved information about these cruel acts. So, in honor of the construction of a high pyramid, 80 thousand people were sacrificed at the same time. While they were still alive, their hearts were taken out and all the blood was drained. Then the priests burned the corpses.

Before the arrival of Europeans, on the territory of present Mexico, many Indian peoples and tribes lived, one of the most interesting and mysterious was the tribe that created the most developed empire of that time (in North America) - the Aztec empire.

Aztec civilization

Aztecs- Indian people in central Mexico. Over 1.5 million people. In Nahuatl, mother tongue Aztecs, the word "Aztec" literally means "someone from Aztlan", a mythical place located somewhere in the north. Modern usage the word "Aztec" as a term uniting peoples connected by trade, customs, religion and language, was proposed by Alexander von Humboldt and borrowed by Mexican scholars of the 19th century, as a means of distinguishing contemporary Mexicans from the indigenous Indian population. The Aztecs themselves called themselves "mexica", "tenochka" or "tlaltelolca" - depending on the city of origin (Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco). As for the origin of the word "mexica" (ast. mexica, from which, in fact, the word Mexico comes), very different versions of its etymology are expressed: the word "Sun" in the Nahuatl language, the name of the Aztec leader Meshitli (Mexitli, Mextli), type seaweed that grows in Lake Texcoco.

The Aztec civilization (XIV-XVI centuries) had a rich mythology and cultural heritage. The capital of the Aztec empire was the city of Tenochtitlan, located on Lake Texcoco (Teshkoko) (Spanish. Texcoco), in what is now the city of Mexico City.

Aztec culture is associated with cultural complex, known as nahua (nahua) due to common language. According to legend, the various groups who later became the Aztecs came to the Anahuac Valley, around Lake Texcoco, from the north. The location of these valleys and lakes is known for certain - this is the heart of modern Mexico City, but it is not known for certain where the Aztec people come from. Legend has it that the ancestors of the Aztecs came from the north, from a place called Aztlán, and belonged to the last of the seven Nahuatlacs("Nahuatl speakers", from the word "tlaca", meaning "man"). According to legend, the Aztecs were led by the god Huitzilopochtli, which means "left-handed hummingbird." There is a well-known legend about an eagle sitting on a cactus, on an island in the middle of a lake and eating a snake - an image from a prophecy that said that it was in such a place that new house. This scene - an eagle eating a snake - is depicted on the Mexican flag.

So, in 1256, the Aztecs stopped on a rock washed by a spring and surrounded by aueuete thickets. It was Chapultepec, then - the forest. Lake Texcoco stretched out before them. By the arrival of the Aztecs, the lands around Lake Texcoco had long been divided among coastal city-states. Recognizing the supreme power of the ruler of the city of Azcapozalco, the Aztecs settled on two small islands and built Tenochtitlan in 1325. Over time it got bigger artificial island, now this place is the center of Mexico City.

According to legend, when the Aztecs arrived in the Anahuac Valley, local population considered them the most uncivilized group, but the Aztecs decided to learn; and they took all the knowledge they could from other nations, for the most part from the ancient Toltecs (whom they might confuse with more ancient civilization Teotihuacan). For the Aztecs, the Toltecs were the creators of all culture, the word "Toltecayotl" was synonymous with culture. Aztec legends identify the Toltecs and the cult of Quetzalcoatl with mythical city Tollan (modern Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico), which they also identified with the older Teotihuacans.

The Aztecs adopted and combined some traditions with their own; among them is the myth of the creation of the world, describing four great eras, each of which ended in a universal catastrophe. Our era - Naui Ollin, the fifth era, the fifth sun or the fifth creation - escaped destruction thanks to the self-sacrifice of the god Nanahuatl, which means "all in wounds" (in Russian it is usually translated "all in buboes"; the smallest and most humble god who suffered from pains caused by a serious illness; he turned into the Sun). This myth is associated with the ancient city of Teotihuacan (literally, “the place of transformation into a god”), which was already abandoned and abandoned at the time when the Aztecs came to the valley of modern Mexico City. Another myth describes the Earth as the creation of two twin gods - Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl. Tezcatlipoca lost his foot during the creation of the world, therefore he is depicted without a foot and with an exposed bone. In some varieties of the cult, Quetzalcoatl is also called the white Tezcatlipoca.

Aztec Empire, like most European empires, was very diverse ethnically; it was more of a unified system of tribute collection than a unified system of government. Although cities under Aztec rule were subject to heavy tribute, excavations show a steady increase in the wealth of commoners after the subjugation of these cities. Trade was conducted even with enemy cities. The only people who defeated the Aztecs, the Purépecha, were the main producer of copper axes. The main administrative contribution of the Aztecs was the system of communications between the conquered cities.

In Mesoamerica, there were no draft animals or wheeled Vehicle and roads were built for walking. Usually the construction of roads was part of the tribute. The roads were constantly monitored so that even women could travel alone; travelers could rest, eat and even visit the restroom every 10-15 kilometers. Also, messengers (Painani) constantly cruised along these paths, keeping the Aztecs up to date with the latest events.

The creation of the Aztec empire led to one of the largest population explosions - the population of Mesoamerica increased from 10 to 15 million people and by the time of the Conquista, the Aztec state occupied the territory from the Gulf of Mexico to Pacific Ocean, from the mouths of the Balsas and Panukodo rivers to the Mayan lands. Separate colonies existed on the lands of Guatemala. On the other hand, the city-state of Tlaxcala in the north of the Pueblo Valley did not submit to the Aztecs.

The most important official of the government of Tenochtitlan, Europeans usually call the Aztec emperor. From the Nahuatl language, the title of the emperor - Way Tlatoani (Azt. HueyTlahtoani) translates approximately as "Great Orator". Tlatoke (act. tlatoque- "speakers") were the aristocracy, the upper class of society. The power of the tlatoani grew with the rise of Tenochtitlan. By the time of Auitzotl's reign, the title "tlatoani" can already be considered an analogue of the imperial one, but, as in the Holy Roman Empire, it was not inherited.

From 1397 to 1487, the empire was headed by Tlacaelel ( Tlahcaé lel from Nahuatl - "brave heart"). He could become tlatoani, but chose to remain in the shade of the jaguar mat. Tlacaelel was a nephew tlatoani Itzcoatl and the brother of Chimalpopoca and Motekusoma Ilhuicamin, and bore the title "Cihuacoatl" (in honor of the goddess Chihuacoatl, the equivalent of an adviser). As it is written in the Ramirez manuscript: "What Tlacaelel ordered was carried out as soon as possible." He was a tough reformer, he created a new structure for governing the country, ordered the burning of most of the Aztec books, claiming that they were all false, and rewrote the history of the Aztecs. In addition, Tlacaelel reformed the religion by placing the tribal god Huitzilopochtli on a par with the ancient gods Tlaloc, Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl. His exploits include (possibly exaggerating) the introduction of the custom of "flower wars" and the establishment of constant human sacrifices so that the Sun continues to move across the sky.

Traditionally, society was divided into two social strata, or classes: the maseualli, or peasantry, and the pilli, or nobility. Initially, the status of the nobility was not inherited, even among the sons pilly had better access to resources and training, so it was easier for them to become pilly. With time, social status began to be inherited. In a similar way, the Aztec warriors became pilly thanks to his military achievements. Only those who took captives in the war could become permanent warriors, and over time, military glory and loot in the war made them pills. As soon as an Aztec warrior captured four or five captives, he was called tekihua, and he could get the rank of Eagle or Jaguar. Later he could get a rank tlacateccatl or tlacochalcatl. To become tlatoani, it was necessary to capture at least 17 prisoners. When a young man came of age, he did not cut his hair until he captured his first captive. Sometimes two or three young men united for this, then they were called yak. If after a certain time - usually three battles - they could not take a prisoner, they became maseually. It was considered a shame to be a warrior with long hair, meaning no prisoners, but there were those who preferred to be maseualli.

Rich military booty led to the emergence of a third class that was not part of the traditional Aztec society - postage or merchants. Their activities were not exclusively commercial, the mailers were also good scouts. The warriors despised them, however, one way or another, they gave them the loot in exchange for blankets, feathers, slaves and other goods.

Slaves, or "tlacothin", also constituted an important class, distinct from prisoners of war. This slavery was also very different from what was observed in the European colonies and had much in common with the slavery of classical antiquity. First, slavery was personal, not hereditary, the slave's children were free. A slave could have personal property, and even his own slaves. Slaves could buy their freedom, and slaves could be freed if they were able to prove that they had been mistreated, or had children by their masters, or were married to their masters. Usually, at the death of the owner, those slaves whose work was highly valued were freed. The rest of the slaves were passed on as part of the inheritance.

Aztec could become a slave as punishment. A murderer sentenced to death could be given as a slave to the widow of the murdered at her request. A father could sell his son into slavery if the authorities declared his son disobedient. Debtors who did not pay their debts could also be sold as slaves. In addition, the Aztecs could sell themselves as slaves. They could remain free long enough to enjoy the price of their freedom - about a year - after which they went to a new owner. This was usually the lot of unfortunate players and old "Auini" - courtesans or prostitutes. Despite the fact that it was possible to drink "pulque" - a fermented drink with a low alcohol content, the Aztecs were forbidden to get drunk before they reached the age of sixty. Violation of this prohibition was punishable by death.

As in modern Mexico, the Aztecs were passionate ball players, but in their case it was "tlachtli" - the Aztec version of the ancient Mesoamerican game "ulama". This game was played with a solid rubber ball the size of a human head. The ball was called "ollie", from which comes the Spanish "ule" (Spanish. hule), meaning rubber. According to other sources, the ball was made of stone, and the game was characterized by extraordinary cruelty - the weight of the ball was so great that it was a big problem to throw it into a special ring located high enough without causing physical damage to yourself. A good "incentive" for the game was the fact that members of the losing team were sacrificed.

Aztec cities usually had two special complexes for this game. Players could hit the ball with their hips. The object of the game was to pass the ball through the stone ring. The lucky player who managed to do this was given the right to take the blankets of the public, so the victory was accompanied by running around, screaming and laughing. People were betting on the outcome of the game. The poor could bet their food, the pilli could bet their wealth, "tekutli" ( owners) could stake their concubines or even cities, and those who had nothing staked their freedom and risked becoming slaves. The ritual ball game ended with the sacrifice of the best player or captain of the winning team (however, according to other sources, the captain and players of the losing team).

in Mesoamerica and South America, during the heyday of the Aztec state, sacrifices were widespread; however, the Aztecs practiced them on a special scale, sacrificing people on each of the 18 holidays of their sacred calendar. It should be noted that a person was not always sacrificed. The offering of animals was frequent, for which the Aztecs bred a special breed of llamas. They also sacrificed things - they were broken in honor of the gods. The cult of Quetzalcoatl required the sacrifice of butterflies and hummingbirds. Self-sacrifice was also practiced, people inflicted wounds on themselves during special ceremonies, performing ritual bloodletting, wore special spikes that constantly injure the body.

Blood was central to the cultures of Mesoamerica. There are many myths in which the gods of the Nahua sacrifice their blood to help humanity. In the myth of the Fifth Sun, the gods sacrifice themselves so that people can live. (All sacrifices are to maintain the energy of the sun, which, according to the Aztecs, gives them life).

All this prepared people for the highest sacrifice - human. Usually the skin of the victim was painted with blue chalk (the color of the sacrifice); then the victim was brought to the upper platform of a huge pyramid. Here the victim was laid on a stone slab, the victim's stomach was cut with a ritual knife (it is difficult to open the chest with an obsidian knife), after which the victim's heart was taken out and raised up to the Sun. The heart was placed in a special stone vessel - kuauchikalli or chak-mool, and the body was thrown onto the stairs, from where the priests dragged it. Sacrifice was considered (and usually was) voluntary, but not in the case of prisoners. If faith was not enough, drugs could be used. Then they got rid of body parts in various ways - the insides were fed to animals, the skull was polished and put on display in zompantli, and the rest was either burned or cut into small pieces and offered as a gift to important people. Recent (2005) archaeological evidence indicates the removal of muscle and skin from some of those found in a large temple complex remains.

There were other types of human sacrifice, including torture. The victim was shot with arrows, burned or drowned. It's hard to keep track here. The Aztec chronicles describe how about 84,400 captives were sacrificed in four days to build the main temple. However, it is not clear how an urban population of 120,000 was able to catch, contain and get rid of such a number of captives, especially considering that Auitzotl sacrificed them with his own hands. This equals 17 sacrifices per minute for four days. Some scholars believe that the number of victims could not have exceeded 3,000 and that the number of deaths was inflated for military propaganda purposes.

The Aztecs led the so-called « flower wars » (Spanish) Guerrasfloridas) - special raids to capture captives, to make sacrifices, which they call neshtlaually - it was a kind of "debt payment to the gods" so that the sun could shine during the next 52-year cycle. The human soul-heart and soul-blood are necessary so that the world does not collapse - this idea underlay the practice of capturing people in subordinate lands, and the population was ordered to meet warriors with flowers in their hands (one of the reasons that gave the name "flower wars").
It is not known whether the Aztecs performed sacrifices before they came to the Anahuac Valley, or whether they absorbed this custom in the same way that they absorbed many other customs and cultures. Initially, the sacrifices were dedicated to Xipe-Totec, a deity of northern Mesoamerica. Aztec records state that human sacrifice began during the reign of Tisok. During the reign of Tlacaelel, human sacrifice became an integral part of the Aztec culture, not only for religious, but also for political reasons.

Little is known about Aztec cannibalism. There are only a few reports of cannibalism since the Conquista, none of which speak of extensive ritual cannibalism. In his book, Juan Bautista de Pomar states that after the sacrifice, the body of the victim was given to the warrior who captured the victim, and then the warrior boiled it so that it could be cut into small pieces in order to offer them as a gift to important people in exchange for gifts and slaves; but this meat was rarely eaten, as it was believed that there was no value in it; it was replaced with a turkey or simply thrown away.

After the capture by the Spaniards, the Aztec civilization practically ceased to exist, cities and temples were destroyed, and books were burned...

After that, the empire collapsed, which is considered the most developed and at the same time cruel in Mesoamerica. In honor of this dubious event, we have collected for you seven moments that made the Aztecs exotic even against the background of other states of the New World.

Initially, the Aztecs were peaceful farmers, but the need forced them to turn into a nation of hired warriors and assassins.

The Aztecs themselves, in their legends, claimed that they originally lived in a place called Aztlán, "the place of the herons." As a matter of fact, the word "Aztecs", which they were called by representatives of other tribes, came from there. The self-name of the people is “mexica”, and it was it that became the basis for the current name of their country - Mexico.

According to the legends of the Aztecs, they lived peacefully and were farmers and hunters until the climate changed and droughts and crop failures set in, after which they took off and began to look for new lands in the south. And there, just recently, the Toltec empire collapsed, and several city-states were desperately at odds with each other for territory and resources. A real post-apocalypse. Naturally, everything good places were busy, and uninvited guests were treated without cordiality, calling them " chichimeca', that is, 'dog children'.

Pushing around from city to city, the Aztecs began to hire themselves to various rulers as a military force, and the townspeople gladly used them, setting them on their rivals. However, they were not allowed to establish permanent settlements. Several decades of such service and constant wars tempered the former tillers and made them strong and cruel warriors. In the end, another grateful employer nevertheless allowed them to settle on an island in the middle of the salt and fresh lake Texcoco.

The islet was small, overgrown with bushes, and there was an abyss of poisonous snakes, so the locals did not settle there. Having settled "dog children" there, they hoped that the newcomers would take a break from the bites. But the Aztecs, on the contrary, joyfully accepted the news of the snake-infested island, because they loved this delicacy. Moreover, their leader, Tenoch, had a prophetic dream that they would find a new home in a place where they saw an eagle holding a snake in its paws. It was this picture that they saw on the snake island.

Already at the height of the empire, the Aztecs protected the city from floods with the help of a sixteen-kilometer dam, which ran from the north to south coast. The Mexicans also built tens of kilometers of excellent roads, on which special stations with messengers were located every eight kilometers, so the news was delivered at an incredible speed for those times (and this despite the fact that the Aztecs did not have horses). And do not forget that all this was done by people who, with rare exceptions, had only stone and bone tools.

The founding father of the empire was a warrior famous for his sexual power

Very important point in those days it was necessary to have a ruler of a representative of one of the dynasties that ruled the cities since the time of the previous empire. Therefore, as soon as the influence of the Aztecs grew a little, they invited Akamapichtli, the son of an Aztec man and a woman from a noble Toltec family. He agreed and almost immediately demanded for himself the younger daughters from each of the twenty Aztec families as wives, which he was granted. The mighty tlatoani set to work and soon his children from these wives became the core of the new aristocracy. Well, besides this, he carried out many reforms, of course. But subjects forget about such things much faster.

Kill so the world does not collapse - the ideal national idea

When things got really good for the Aztecs, and they, in alliance with two more cities, defeated their former overlords, the twin brother of the ruler Montezuma I, Tlacaelel created an ideology that went deep into the roots of Aztec beliefs and at the same time perfectly justified further conquests.

Its essence is that the gods rule the world, and they feed on sacrificial blood and hearts, and if they are not fed, they will die and then the world will collapse. Therefore, in order to save the universe, you need to kill people on holidays, preferably a lot. Moreover, it is best to take them from neighbors - you will not get enough of your own. That is why they need to be attacked, their lands, wealth and women seized, and men sacrificed to the gods. All this for the great mission of saving the world. Excellent campaign program, Tlacaelel is our candidate!

Eagle Knights and Jaguar Knights - the war machine of the Aztecs

Since the Aztecs had to become professional mercenaries, they greatly appreciated military skills and each man was brought up as a warrior. Later, when the state machine had already been built and aggressive campaigns began, a system arose in which it was encouraged not to kill the enemy, but to capture him - after all, he could be sacrificed. Therefore, until the young man brought the first prisoner, he was called the "hairy coyote", and was not allowed to have a haircut.

If he brought one or two, he got the right to wear certain clothes. If he brought four, he could wear a cape made of jaguar skin, and be called a jaguar warrior, or eagle feathers and be called an eagle warrior. Even commoners, who were marked as brave and brought many prisoners, could enter the privileged stratum of the nobility called pilli, as well as receive land and a grain position.

Wooden swords and cotton armor - Aztec weapons

Since metallurgy began to develop only a few years before the fall of the Aztec power, they mastered the use of stone and bone to perfection. If ordinary warriors could be content with wooden maces and spears with obsidian tips, then the warriors from the orders of the jaguar and eagle could also afford more advanced weapons.

Their arsenal included: cotton armor that protects well from arrows, a wooden shield, javelins with a spear thrower that significantly increases the range of the throw, and, most importantly, a macuahuitl - a wooden sword with obsidian inserts. Obsidian blades were inserted into the wooden base, resembling a cricket bat, on both sides.

There was a meter-long one-handed macuahuitl, and there was also a two-meter, two-handed one. A blow with such a weapon, according to the testimony of the Spaniards, could cut off the head of a horse. Well, the most interesting thing is that by the end of the empire, the Aztecs began to appear similarity of a halberd- a spear, under the main tip of which there were additional stone teeth, which, apparently, were used to strike from behind the backs of the first row of warriors.

Sacrifice as a way of life

And, of course, what the Aztecs are most famous for is human sacrifice. And the point here is not that they killed people for ritual purposes, this was done by many peoples and civilizations of both the Old and New Worlds. The fact is that it was the Aztecs who first created the imperial ideology from this, and then, on its basis, the state machine, doing this on an industrial scale.

For example: the Aztecs themselves write in their documents that eighty-four thousand people were killed during the consecration of a new temple in Tenochtitlan. At the same time, sacrifices permeated the entire life of the state, from the bottom to the very top. If a new tlatoani emperor took office, he had to make an inaugural march to a neighboring city, capture prisoners and, sacrificing them, wash his feet in their blood.

For each holiday, their own sacrifices were made, and if for some gods it was enough to tear out the heart from a still living victim, then for others it was necessary to drug it with narcotic potions, throw it into the fire, lightly scorch and then, pulling it out, remove the skin and dance in it.

Warriors loved to take a prisoner, also a warrior, tie him to a stone by the leg, give him a macuahuitl, in which bird feathers were inserted instead of obsidian, and attack him in four. Needless to say, such a prototype of gladiatorial games has become very popular. True, once an ugly story came out: the captured leader of another tribe named Tlahuikol killed more than twenty warriors in such a ritual. After this, the stunned Aztecs had to release him with honors.

The strangest ritual was this: from the prisoners (and according to some information and from their own) they chose the most handsome young man, and not just anyhow, but according to a special list of qualities that has survived to this day. Then he ate for a year best food, lived with the best home, he was taught manners and singing, he was accompanied everywhere by guards, and people fell prostrate before him, as before a god. He was given to wife four women of noble birth, who pleased him. At the end of the year, such a lucky man was taken to the pyramid and killed, sacrificing also his wives and children. Not without ritual cannibalism. After the priests tore out the heart of the demigod, it was dismembered, and the feet and hands were thrown down so that people could literally partake of his flesh, since the victim became sacred.

Such things so permeated the entire culture of the Aztecs that the girls baked cookies made from flour in the form of human hands and feet, thus joining the tradition. Well, do not forget that in addition to religious overtones, sacrifices also had the most banal - intimidation. For this, walls were created from skulls - numerous pointed poles, on which people's heads were strung like beads. Even the Spaniards did not escape this fate - archaeologists found a wall, on which two skulls of Europeans stuck out, and besides them, a horse skull.

Stone wall of skulls - a durable analogue of a real wall of skulls

For all its terrifying cruelty and engineering knowledge, the Aztec empire turned out to be a colossus with feet of clay, because they brought the local population so badly with their policies that when the Spaniards appeared, a huge number of Indians joined them to finally throw off the yoke of the hated Aztecs. The naive Indians thought that later they would live peacefully and happily, but they got an even more terrible host - Spain, and with it oppression, slavery, torture and disease, which killed many times more local residents than from the cruel Aztecs.