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Remnants of Former Glory: A Look Back at Enigmatic Aztec Civilisation

Sputnik International

Bloodthirsty barbarians or geniuses of agriculture and astronomy? No matter how you look at it, Aztecs and their culture are undoubtedly captivating and... 07.11.2019, Sputnik International

2019-11-07T16:05+0000

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Remnants of Former Glory: A Look Back at Enigmatic Aztec Civilisation

16:05 GMT 07.11.2019

Bloodthirsty barbarians or geniuses of agriculture and astronomy? No matter how you look at it, Aztecs and their culture are undoubtedly captivating and thrilling even to this day, almost 500 years after their decline.

The Aztecs were a Nahuatl-speaking civilisation inhabiting central and southern parts of what nowadays is Mexico. Their civilisation reached its prime in the 14-16th centuries before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors that incorporated once vibrant society into the Spanish Empire.

The Aztecs are famous for their outstanding system of agriculture and irrigation that contributed to their development and might.

They are also notorious for their shocking and gory rituals that include human sacrifice - including heart-extraction.

Make sure not to miss Sputnik's photo gallery showing the cultural heritage of the Aztec Empire in all its glory.

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wolfgang Sauber / Mexico City. Palacio Nacional. Mural by Diego Rivera showing life in Aztec times e.g. religious life in Tenochtitlan.

Remnants of Former Glory: A Look Back at Enigmatic Aztec Civilisation - Sputnik International

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CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wolfgang Sauber /

Mexico City. Palacio Nacional. Mural by Diego Rivera showing life in Aztec times e.g. religious life in Tenochtitlan.

CC BY-SA 4.0 / Hans Hillewaert / Xiuhtecuhtli (cropped photo)Turquoise mosaic mask of Xiuhtecuhtli, the god of fire. Aztec or Mixtec (AD 1400-1521), in the British Museum.

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CC BY-SA 4.0 / Hans Hillewaert / Xiuhtecuhtli (cropped photo)

Remnants of Former Glory: A Look Back at Enigmatic Aztec Civilisation

CC BY-SA 4.0 / Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata / Esculturas en el Templo Mayor (cropped photo)Sculptures in the Templo Mayor, the historical centre of Mexico City

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CC BY-SA 4.0 / Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata / Esculturas en el Templo Mayor (cropped photo)

Sculptures in the Templo Mayor, the historical centre of Mexico City

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Joe Ravi / Tlatelolco Marketplace as depicted at Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. The largest Aztec market was located in Tenochtitlan's neighbouring town, Tlatelolco.

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CC BY-SA 3.0 / Joe Ravi /

Remnants of Former Glory: A Look Back at Enigmatic Aztec Civilisation

© AFP 2023 / Alfredo EstrellaTwo skulls from the Azteca culture are seen during a tour for the media of the "El Colorido de la Gran Tenochtitlan" exhibit at the Templo Mayor Museum in Mexico City on May 18, 2017.

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Remnants of Former Glory: A Look Back at Enigmatic Aztec Civilisation

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Remnants of Former Glory: A Look Back at Enigmatic Aztec Civilisation

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wolfgang Sauber / National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Reconstruction of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan.

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CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wolfgang Sauber /

Remnants of Former Glory: A Look Back at Enigmatic Aztec Civilisation

CC BY-SA 2.0 / Randal Sheppard / Tenochtitlan/Mexico CityTenochtitlan/Mexico City.

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CC BY-SA 2.0 / Randal Sheppard / Tenochtitlan/Mexico City

Remnants of Former Glory: A Look Back at Enigmatic Aztec Civilisation

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Luidger / Tenochtitlan ModellModel of Tenochtitlan

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CC BY-SA 3.0 / Luidger / Tenochtitlan Modell

Model of Tenochtitlan

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Kornemuz / Piedra del Sol (conocido como Calendario Azteca)Aztec Calendar

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CC BY-SA 3.0 / Kornemuz / Piedra del Sol (conocido como Calendario Azteca)

Remnants of Former Glory: A Look Back at Enigmatic Aztec Civilisation

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Ulises.rubin / Templo MayorModern-day descendant of the Aztecs

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CC BY-SA 3.0 / Ulises.rubin / Templo Mayor

Modern-day descendant of the Aztecs

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Sailko / Mixtechi-aztechi, maschera di tezcatlipoca con mosaico in turchese, 1400-1521 circa, 0An Aztec mask decorated with turquoise mosaic, 1400-1521

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CC BY-SA 3.0 / Sailko / Mixtechi-aztechi, maschera di tezcatlipoca con mosaico in turchese, 1400-1521 circa, 0

An Aztec mask decorated with turquoise mosaic, 1400-1521

© Photo : Public domain Page 12 of the Codex Borbonicus, (in the big square): Tezcatlipoca (night and fate) and Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent); before 1500; bast fibre paper; height: 38 cm, length of the full manuscript.

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Page 12 of the Codex Borbonicus, (in the big square): Tezcatlipoca (night and fate) and Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent); before 1500; bast fibre paper; height: 38 cm, length of the full manuscript.

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Geni / Photo of an aztec double headed serpent turquoise chest ornamentPhoto of an Aztec double-headed serpent, turquoise chest ornament.