Tenochtitlan

Tenochtitlán, located on an island near the western shore of Lake Texcoco in central Mexico, was the capital city and religious epicenter of the Aztec civilization. The traditional founding date of the city was 1345 CE and it remained the most important Aztec city until its destruction at the hands of the conquering Spanish led by Hernán Cortés in 1521 CE, which led to the final collapse of the Aztec Empire. At the heart of the city was a large sacred precinct dominated by the huge pyramid, known as the Temple Mayor, which honoured the gods Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. The site, now Mexico City, continues to be excavated and has yielded some of the greatest treasures of Aztec art such as the celebrated Sun Stone as well as art objects the Aztecs themselves collected from the other great civilizations of Mesoamerica.

The Temple Mayor was in the center of the sacred section of town. On top of the 60 ft platform sat two temples. The north was dedicated to Tlaloc and the south was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, god of war. Sacrifices, including human ones were carried out on both temples. A typical sacrifice involved skinning and the chest cavity being ripped open and ripping the heart out, dismemberment, and decapitation.

Tenochtitlan covered about 12-14 km and connected to the western shore of the lake surrounded by countryside by three causeways, which allowed boats to pass through which would be taken incase of an attack. There was a stone aqueduct which brought fresh water to the city from the springs from Chapultepec Hill. The lake provided a source of food and wetlands for agriculture.