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Though the Aztec empire ended, descendants of the Aztecs remain.
Some traditions from the once mighty civilization still exist today.
◀ Mexico City, the capital of modern-day Mexico, was built on top of what was once Tenochtitlan. The National Palace was built on the foundation of Montezuma’s palace. In 1978, an electric worker digging in the streets discovered a large statue of an Aztec goddess. Shortly after, the base of the Great Temple was uncovered.
Today, people in northern Veracruz (a state on the Gulf of Mexico) celebrate the Volador, a ceremony that dates back to Aztec times. Mexican men dressed like birds spiral on ropes to the ground from the top of a huge pole. Each man circles the pole 13 times, the number of days in an Aztec week. Above is an illustration of the Volador long ago. ▶
◀ The island gardens of Xochimilco (so-chee-MEAL-co) are a reminder of Mexico’s Aztec past. The name comes from a word meaning “where the flowers grow” in the Aztec language, Nahuatl (NAH-wahtl). Seedbeds for these island gardens are built on reed mats that float in a lake. The area is a popular tourist spot, where people visit the gardens in colorful flat-bottomed boats. Today, it is also a World Heritage site, which means it is designated as a place that should be preserved and protected.
▲ Another reminder of Mexico’s Aztec past waves proudly all over the city. It is Mexico’s flag, with the eagle and the cactus in the center, the symbol of Tenochtitlan.
◀ Next time you sip hot chocolate or eat a candy bar, thank the Aztecs. A favorite drink of the rich was xocatl, a bitter-tasting beverage made from the cacao bean. This is where our word chocolate comes from. At the Aztec court in 1519, Montezuma served it to Cortés. Cortés took it back to Spain, where cooks sweetened it with cinnamon and vanilla and served it hot, just as we do today.
The largest collection of Aztec artifacts is in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, with items from serving dishes to gold-plated statues. Below is a snarling, crouching stone jaguar. ▼
▲ In November, when you sit down to a hearty meal on Thanksgiving Day, remember the Aztecs. Like chocolate, the turkey was first brought back to Europe by the Spanish around 1519. The Aztecs called this bird a uexotl, but when it made its way from Spain to dinner tables in Britain, the British renamed it turkey after another bird that came originally from the area around Turkey.
◀ Descendants of the Aztecs, called the Nahua (NAH-wah), number around 1.5 million. Some still speak Nahuatl. Many Mexicans have an interest in their nation’s Aztec past. Reminders can still be found in celebrations like the Sun dance ceremony, in which the people ask the jaguar god for rain.
▲ This piece of Aztec jewelry is called a pectoral. Made of turquoise and shell, it was worn across the chest on special occasions.
