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Aztec
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Aztec manuscript illustration showing figures in elaborate costumes dancing in a circle, with two larger deities, Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl, at the center, from Codex Borbonicus. Stone ruins of the Aztec city-state Tlatelolco stand in the foreground, with the Church of Santiago de Tlatelolco and modern buildings visible in the background.
Examine the history of Mexico City, from the Aztecs to the conquistadores
Stone statue of the Aztec earth goddess Coatlicue, featuring a skirt of intertwined snakes and clawed feet, displayed at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Two aged manuscript pages from Bernardino de Sahagun's Siguense veynte y seis addiciones desta Postilla, with handwritten Spanish text and visible stains on the paper. Aztec Ruins National Monument Illustrated page from the Mendoza Codex showing Aztec boys and girls engaged in daily activities and education, with handwritten Nahuatl text and colorful drawings divided into horizontal sections. engraving of an Aztec with cocoa beans and chocolate beverage Aztec sacrifice Illustration of Aztec warriors, wearing traditional armor and shields, defending the temple of Tenochtitlan with drums, weapons, and banners, at the base and top of a stepped pyramid.
At a Glance
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Aztec summary
Aztec manuscript illustration showing figures in elaborate costumes dancing in a circle, with two larger deities, Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl, at the center, from Codex Borbonicus.
Aztec Empire Timeline
Montezuma II
Key People of the Aztec Empire
Illustration of Hernan Cortes, dressed in red and white, meeting Aztec Emperor Montezuma II, who wears elaborate gold and feathered attire, inside a richly decorated room.
Decline of the Aztec Empire
Quizzes
Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza and the Wall of Skulls (Tzompantli). Ruined ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza located in southeastern Mexico. UNESCO World Heritage site.
Exploring Latin American History
Related Questions

Aztec: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

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  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

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Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Modified link of Web site: Yale University - eHRAF World Cultures - Aztecs. Jul 20, 2026
Add new Web site: UEN Digital Press with Pressbooks - HIST-1500: World History – Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500 - The Aztec. Apr 13, 2026
Add new Web site: Joshua Project - Aztec People Cluster. Jan 24, 2026
Add new Web site: Yale University - eHRAF World Cultures - Aztecs. Jul 09, 2025
Modernized language and added cross-references. Jun 02, 2025
Add new Web site: Ancient Origins - Daily Life of the Aztecs: A Blend of Agriculture, Hierarchy, and Culture. Apr 21, 2025
Add new Web site: Live Science - The Aztec civilization: Mexico's last great Indigenous empire. Feb 10, 2025
Add new Web site: Digital Commons at CSUMB - The Effects of Colonization on the Aztecs: Early Colonial Period 1521-1550. Oct 28, 2024
Add new Web site: Arizona State University - Aztecs. Sep 13, 2024
Corrected display issue; modernized spellings throughout. Jul 22, 2024
Add new Web site: San Jos� State University - The History of the Aztecs. May 27, 2024
Add new Web site: Humanities LibreTexts - The Aztec People. Jun 20, 2023
Add new Web site: Khan Academy - Introduction to the Aztecs (Mexica). Apr 10, 2022
Add new Web site: National Geographic - Aztec Civilization. Apr 10, 2022
Article revised and expanded. Aug 12, 2021
Corrected display issue. Jan 04, 2021
Media added. Dec 23, 2019
Corrected display issue. Feb 16, 2017
Add new Web site: World History Encyclopedia - Aztec Civilization. Jul 12, 2016
Add new Web site: History World - History of The Aztecs. Jul 12, 2016
Cross-references added. Apr 16, 2015
Add new Web site: Quatr.us - The Aztec. Nov 07, 2014
Add new Web site: Indians.org - Aztec. Oct 23, 2013
Add new Web site: Buzzle.com - Aztec Culture. Oct 23, 2013
Media added. May 31, 2013
Deleted photograph of an Aztec stone carving that depicted a man and a slave. Oct 03, 2012
Media added. Mar 23, 2012
Add new Web site: Fact Monster - Society - Aztec. Sep 30, 2011
Add new Web site: AllMusic - Semyon Bychkov. Sep 30, 2011
Added new Web site: Naxos Classical Music - Biography of Semyon Bychkov. Feb 10, 2009
Added new Web site: ThinkQuest - Aztecs: Social Structure and Government. Dec 18, 2008
Added new Web site: None. Oct 22, 2008
Added new Web site: Kidipede History for Kids - Aztec Literature. Mar 18, 2008
Added new Web site: History World - History of The Aztecs. Jan 09, 2008
Added new Web site: Pennsylvania Center for the Book - Biography of Joseph Wambaugh. Dec 18, 2007
Added new Web site: Hickoksports.com - Biography of John V. Jr. McNally. Dec 18, 2007
Added new Web site: PBS Online - Pizarro and the Incas: The What if's of History. Dec 05, 2006
Added new Web site: PBS Online - Pizarro and the Incas: The What if's of History. Dec 05, 2006
Added new Web site: World History International - History Of The Conquest Of Mexico, The Aztecs. Aug 04, 2006
Added new Web site: World History International - History Of The Conquest Of Mexico, The Aztecs. Jun 16, 2006
Added new Web site: The Aztec. May 24, 2006
Article revised. Feb 23, 2006
Article revised. Apr 07, 2005
Article revised. Mar 28, 2003
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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