Tenochtitlan: Foundations of the Aztec Empire

Beginning in around 2500 BC, during the Mesoamerican Pre-classic period, there was a group of farming peoples living around Lake Texcoco. Until the Aztecs began to move into this land, it was still occupied by these peoples. For 3,800 years these people had lived on and cultivated the land the Aztecs would now call their home. (Serrato-Combe 13)

History shows that around 1000 AD the Aztecs left a place called Aztlan, their island, and moved into the Valley of Mexico. Most likely Aztlan was one of the farthest outposts of the Toltec empire. To this day nobody can be sure where Aztlan really is, the best guesses have included some of the northern states of Mexico. The A

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The visual terminus of this platform may have been the two monumental staircases leading to the upper platform of the Templo Mayor. This is because of the small amount of land the Aztecs had to work with, and therefore they made a smaller precinct with more compact buildings. Since many ritual sacrifices took place at the top of the Templo Mayor, it is rational that the tzompantli would be place in front of it. They discovered part of a stairway along with the base platform, which is now found to be the platform on which the Great Temple stands. There is also agreement among most that there were certain levels of the plaza and that platforms led up to the Templo Mayor (known to the Aztecs as the Huey Teocalli), which would have been the largest structure. Also it was figured that the temple had been built in seven stages, and that the seventh stage was almost completely destroyed by the Spanish leaving it with almost only it’s foundation. It was still thought to that day that the Great Temple’s remains were underneath the Catholic cathedral. And then, when the light and sun were born in the east, men of monstrous stature appeared and took possession of this country. Maybe their end as a culture was sure to come for them, as it is for all major state societies. (Matos 47-49) The aqueduct was a big step for Tenochtitlan. Also in this stage there were the remains of many offerings found. The construction of stage five is almost completely unknown. (Serrato-Combe 24-27)

The Templo Mayor was the most spacious area in Tenochtitlan. The carvings were of a decapitated nude woman, which turned out to be Coyolxauhqui.

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Approximate Word count = 3407
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page double spaced)

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