{"id":2317,"date":"2018-08-15T22:34:15","date_gmt":"2018-08-15T22:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/?p=2317"},"modified":"2026-02-27T07:27:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T07:27:42","slug":"aztec-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/aztec-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Aztec Culture: A Detailed Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Aztec culture was a central aspect of life for people<\/a> in the Aztec Empire<\/a>. The\u00a0Aztec Empire\u00a0was a civilization in central Mexico that thrived in the time before the arrival of European explorers during the\u00a0Age of Exploration<\/a>.\u00a0 Throughout its history as a civilization the Aztec Empire expanded<\/a> across much of central Mexico and other surrounding areas, to become the most dominant and powerful people in the region.\u00a0\u00a0Tenochtitlan<\/a>, the main Aztec city (or altepetl), was the center of this vast empire.\u00a0 An important aspect of the Aztec Empire was the culture that the Aztec people expressed through their art, clothing, food, language, religious traditions and warfare.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AZTEC CULTURE – ART<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Aztec Empire is famous for many of its features including the amazing art and artistic objects<\/a> that the Aztec people created.\u00a0 At its core, Aztec art was heavily influenced by the religious and cultural practices of the Aztec people.\u00a0 With that said, the\u00a0Aztec religion<\/a>\u00a0and culture were based on earlier Mesoamerican civilizations<\/a>, and thus Aztec art shared many similarities with the rest of Mesoamerica.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aztec
Aztec Mosaic Skull of Tezcatlipoca.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Aztec art is seen in many of the objects and structures that the Aztec people used on a daily basis.\u00a0 For example, Aztec clothing, pottery, jewelry, temples, and weapons<\/a> contained artistic styles.\u00a0 More specifically, the Aztec were known to use bright colors and vivid imagery to convey their culture and religion on these objects.\u00a0 Common materials used to create these objects included: feathers (especially from the quetzal bird), shells, gold, silver, glass beads, and other gemstones.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As stated above, Aztec religion and gods<\/a> were central to Aztec art.\u00a0 As such, much of the surviving Aztec art is based on different\u00a0Aztec gods.\u00a0 For instance, the \u2018Tlaloc<\/a> Vessel\u2019 is a ceramic pot that was discovered in the ruins of the\u00a0Templo Mayor<\/a>\u00a0(Aztec Temple) in Tenochtitlan<\/a>.\u00a0 Historians believe that the pot dates from around 1470.\u00a0 It shows a depiction of the Aztec god\u00a0Tlaloc.\u00a0 Tlaloc was an important god in Aztec religion.\u00a0 In Nahuatl, the\u00a0Aztec language<\/a>, Tlaloc translates to \u2018earth\u2019 and modern historians interpret the name as meaning \u2018he who is made of earth\u2019.\u00a0 The Aztecs considered him to be the god of rain, earthly fertility and water.\u00a0 He was a popular god throughout the Aztec Empire and widely recognized as a \u2018giver of life\u2019.\u00a0 The \u2018Tlaloc Vessel\u2019 is significant in Aztec art because it shows the craftsmanship of the Aztec people, as well as their use of bright colors.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aztec
Tlaloc Vessel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Symbolism was another important aspect of Aztec art.  For instance, the natural world featured prominently in different pieces of Aztec art.  Several common examples include: jaguars, frogs or toads, eagles, shells, serpents and more.  More specifically, in the ruins of the Templo Mayor, a pair of frog statues was discovered which historians have referred to as the \u2018Frog Altar\u2019.   The sculptures are said to have been created for the god Tlaloc and are meant to represent water, for which Tlaloc was related.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aztec
Aztec Frog Altar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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AZTEC CULTURE – CLOTHING AND DRESS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An important part of the Aztec culture was the clothing that the people made and wore.\u00a0 The clothing of the Aztec<\/a> was similar to other pre-Columbian Mesoamerican groups, since they shared relatively similar histories and cultures.\u00a0 With that said, there are a few key points in relation to the clothing and dress of the Aztec.\u00a0 First,\u00a0Aztec society<\/a>\u00a0was divided between distinct classes, and the different classes wore different types of clothing.\u00a0 For example, the high priests, nobility and royalty would wear very ornate clothing while the lower classes would not.\u00a0 Second, the basic item in Aztec clothing for men was the \u2018maxtlatl\u2019, which was a type of loincloth.\u00a0 Men would usually wear the maxtlatl with another garment that resembled a cloak called a \u2018tilmahtli\u2019.\u00a0 The timahtli were stylized differently to distinguish between the different classes in Aztec society.\u00a0 Third, Aztec women<\/a> were known to wear a type of blouse called a \u2018hu\u012bp\u012blli\u2019 along with a long skirt called \u2018cu\u0113itl\u2019.\u00a0 For footwear, the Aztec nobility wore a sandal which they called \u2018cactli\u2019.\u00a0 Commoners in Aztec society were not allowed to wear these as they were viewed as a sign of status.\u00a0 As well, all Aztec people were required to be barefoot when they entered a temple or when they were in the presence of the emperor (huey tlatoani<\/a>).\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jewelry and accessories were also popular in Aztec society.  For instance, both men and women were known to wear necklaces and bracelets made of gold and different types of stones.  In general, jewelry was a status symbol for the Aztec, with the upper classes wearing more and the lower classes wearing less.  Also prominent in Aztec jewelry and dress were feathers and shells.  In fact, the blue-green feathers from the quetzal bird were highly prized and worn exclusively on the headdresses of the Aztec royalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aztec
The Texcoco ruler (Nezahualpilli) wearing xiuhtilmatli (blue cape), maxtlatl (loincloth), and cactli (sandals). From the Codex Ixtlilxochitl.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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AZTEC CULTURE – FOOD AND FARMING<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Aztec had a diverse range of food items<\/a> that made up their diet.\u00a0 With that said, because the events of the\u00a0Columbian Exchange<\/a>\u00a0had not yet occurred, the Aztec where limited to locally grown foods.\u00a0 As such, since most domesticated animals originate from Eurasia, the Aztec diet was primarily based upon vegetables and fruits.\u00a0 For instance, likely the most common food item of the Aztec Empire was maize (corn).\u00a0 Maize is a cereal grain that was likely first grown by humans over 10,000 years ago in modern-day Mexico.\u00a0 As such, by the time of the Aztec Empire, maize had a long history of use in farming practices in Mexico.\u00a0 The Aztec would prepare the maize in several different ways, including grounding it down into a flour that could then be used to create a tortilla.\u00a0 Maize remains an important crop today and has spread across the world and is used in many different types of foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bBesides maize, the Aztec also had other foods that were also important, such as beans, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, peanuts, chilies, and chocolate.  In general, the vegetables listed provided the Aztec people with much of their nutritional needs.  However, the Aztec were also known to eat some animals, including: ducks, turkeys, dogs, fish, and other smaller animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aztec
Artistic representation of Aztec chinampas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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AZTEC CULTURE – LANGUAGE AND WRITING<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The language of the Aztec<\/a> is called Nahuatl, which was the dominant language of Central Mexico from as early as the 7th century CE.\u00a0 While historians and linguists have identified several different varieties of Nahuatl, it is best known as the language of the Aztecs from their rise to prominence in the 14th century until they were\u00a0conquered by Spanish conquistadors in 1521<\/a>.\u00a0 As well, there is some disagreement among historians about where Nahuatl originated as a language but it is generally accepted that the language first began in Central Mexico or a little more to the north in Northern Mexico or the Southwestern United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aztec
The founding of Tenochtitlan from Codex Mendoza.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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AZTEC CULTURE – RELIGION<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u200bAn important aspect of the Aztec Empire and history was their religious beliefs<\/a> and practices.\u00a0 In general, the Aztecs shared many of their main religious beliefs and practices with other societies in the region.\u00a0 For example, some gods and religious practices were common throughout different Mesoamerican societies, including: Toltec<\/a> and\u00a0Teotihuacan<\/a>.\u00a0 As such, when learning about Aztec religion it\u2019s important to understand that much of it also applies to other civilizations throughout the history of the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concept of \u2018god\u2019 in Aztec society is referred to as \u2018Teotl\u2019 in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec.  The Aztecs, like other Mesoamerican societies, had a wide pantheon of gods.  As such they were a polytheistic society, which means they had many gods and each god represented different important parts of the world for Aztec people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As stated above, the gods in the Aztec religion represented different aspects of life and the world for the Aztec people.\u00a0 The aspects that the gods represented included: culture of Aztec society and Mesoamerica, nature and the natural world, creation stories, fertility, food, death and the underworld, trade and excess or entertainment.\u00a0 Each god had different attributes and personality traits and were usually represented in distinct ways by the Aztec.\u00a0 Some could take human or animal form and were celebrated in festivals and rituals.\u00a0 There were many gods in the Aztec religion but some of the most prominent included: Huitzilopochtli<\/a>, Quetzalcoatl<\/a>, Tezcatlipoca<\/a>, Mictl\u0101nt\u0113cutli<\/a>, and Tlaloc<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Huitzilopochtli\"
Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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AZTEC CULTURE – HUMAN SACRIFICE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An important aspect of Aztec religion and culture was the practice of\u00a0human sacrifice<\/a>.\u00a0 Human sacrifice had a long history in Mesoamerica, before the rise to prominence of the Aztec Empire.\u00a0 For example, there is archaeological evidence that both the Toltec and Teotihuacan practiced human sacrifice in the centuries before the Aztec Empire.\u00a0 As such, historians consider human sacrifice to be a relatively common practice in Mesoamerica during years before and during the Aztec Empire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the perspective of the Aztec, sacrifice was necessary to ensure the survival of life.  For instance, in Aztec religion, the world was created from the sacrifice of the gods.  As such, they viewed sacrifice as necessary to repay their debts to the gods.  Therefore, sacrifice did not necessarily just focus on human beings, as both animals and precious objects were also offered to the gods.  Further to this idea, some historians have suggested that the Aztec practice of sacrifice was designed to protect and ensure the survival of the universe.  This concept is best related to the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli, who was one of the main gods of the Aztec and likely the most prominent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aztec
Aztec Human Sacrifice from the Codex Magliabechiano.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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AZTEC CULTURE – WAR AND WARFARE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Throughout much of their history, the Aztec were a militaristic people who focused on the\u00a0expansion of their empire. Following the Aztec\u2019s founding and construction of Tenochtitlan<\/a> in the Valley of Mexico in 1325, they quickly established their authority across the other societies in the valley.\u00a0 At the time the Valley of Mexico was populated by many different powerful civilizations, including: Chalco, Tepanec, Tlacopan, Texcoco, Culhuacan, and Chichimec. Several of these civilizations were also on the shores of Lake Texcoco, including the Culhuacan, which were on the south shore.\u00a0 Eventually, the Aztec Empire extended throughout most of central Mexico.\u00a0 As such, warfare<\/a> was a central component of Aztec culture and\u00a0Aztec warriors<\/a>\u00a0played an important role in Aztec society<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aztec
Aztec warfare as represented in the Codex Tovar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aztec culture was expressed by the Aztec people through their art, clothing, food, language, religious traditions and warfare.\u200b<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":6,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,80],"tags":[78,77,15,79],"class_list":["post-2317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aztec-empire","category-mesoamerica","tag-ancient-history","tag-aztec-empire","tag-history","tag-mesoamerica"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2317"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5821,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317\/revisions\/5821"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}