How would you describe the city of Tenochtitlan?

How would you describe the city of Tenochtitlan?

The Aztec built their capital city, Tenochtitlan, on Lake Texcoco. Tenochtitlan was laid out symmetrically, with four sectors separated by four causeways or canals surrounding the central area. This central area was where the temple of Huitzilopochtli, temples for other gods, and the rulers’ palaces lay.

What is the great city of Tenochtitlan?

Tenochtitlán, ancient capital of the Aztec empire. Located at the site of modern Mexico City, it was founded c. 1325 in the marshes of Lake Texcoco. It formed a confederacy with Texcoco and Tlacopán and was the Aztec capital by the late 15th century.

Why did the Aztecs migrate?

Where Did the Aztecs Come From? The Aztecs, or more properly, the Mexica, as they called themselves, were not originally from the Valley of Mexico. Rather, they migrated from the north. They left their homes in northern Mexico and the southwestern U.S. because of a terrible drought.

Where did Aztecs migrate from?

The legendary origin of the Aztec people has them migrating from a homeland called Aztlan to what would become modern-day Mexico. While it is not clear where Aztlan was, a number of scholars believe that the Mexica—as the Aztec referred to themselves—migrated south to central Mexico in the 13th century.

How did Cortes describe Tenochtitlan?

Bernal Diaz del Castillo, one of Cortés’ men, describes Tenochtitlán: When we saw all those cities and villages built on water; and the other great towns on dry land, and that straight and level causeway leading to Mexico, we were astounded.

What was special about Tenochtitlan?

Tenochtitlán was an Aztec city that flourished between A.D. 1325 and 1521. Built on an island on Lake Texcoco, it had a system of canals and causeways that supplied the hundreds of thousands of people who lived there.

Was Tenochtitlan the largest city?

At the time of the Spanish Conquest in 1521, the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan was among the largest cities in the world, with perhaps as many as 200,000 inhabitants.

Why did the Aztecs move to Tenochtitlan?

Tenochtitlan was located on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco in what is today south central Mexico. The Aztecs were able to settle there because no one else wanted the land. At first, it wasn’t a great place to start a city, but soon the Aztecs built up islands where they could grow crops.

How did the Aztecs in Tenochtitlan adapt to their island location?

How did the Aztecs adapt to their island location? They built causeways from their island to the shore to make trade easier. It was safe from invaders because it was on an island, but it was difficult to trade from an island. The island was swampy with very little farm land and fresh water.

How does Diaz describe the city of Tenochtitlan?

How did Cortes react to the city of Tenochtitlan?

When Cortés heard of this, he took a garrison of Spanish and Tlaxcalan soldiers and marched on the Spanish. Cortés defeated the Spanish force, but when he returned to Tenochtitlán he was met with a shock. The Aztecs were in the midst of a full rebellion. Cortés and his men fled the city.

Why was the Tenochtitlan important?

In less than 200 years, it evolved from a small settlement on an island in the western swamps of Lake Texcoco into the powerful political, economic, and religious center of the greatest empire of Precolumbian Mexico. Tenochtitlan was a city of great wealth, obtained through the spoils of tribute from conquered regions.

What is the geography of Tenochtitlan?

Several letters from Cortés to his king Charles V described the city as an island city in the center of a lake. Tenochtitlan was laid out in concentric circles, with a central plaza serving as the ritual precinct and the heart of the Aztec empire.

What happened to the city of Tenochtitlan after the war?

A great deal of Tenochtitlan was destroyed in the fighting, or was looted, burned, or destroyed after the surrender. The leader of the conquistadors, Hernan Cortés, began the construction of what is now known as Mexico City among the ruins. Lake Texcoco was ultimately drained, and much of Mexico City rests in the lake basin.

Who is the archaeologist who found Tenochtitlan?

K. Kris Hirst is an archaeologist with 30 years of field experience. Her work has appeared in scholarly publications such as Archaeology Online and Science. Tenochtitlán, located in the heart of what is now Mexico City, was the largest city and capital of the Aztec Empire.

Why was Tenochtitlan so important to the Roman Empire?

The royal palaces bordered the most important location in the capital—the sacred precinct—which was thought to symbolize the navel of the universe, or axis mundi. Tenochtitlan was a bustling city, with more than 100,000 people living in it. Food and water were of great concern, especially because the city was located on an island in a lake.