Exam 6: The Americas

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The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec peoples included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica from the 14th to the 16th centuries.

Aztec culture was rich and complex and included a highly developed social structure, an impressive array of religious ceremonies and festivals, and a tradition of architecture and art. The capital of the Aztec empire was Tenochtitlan, which was built on an island in Lake Texcoco in what is now central Mexico. Tenochtitlan was one of the largest cities in the world at the time of the Spanish conquest.

The Aztecs are well known for their agricultural innovations, such as the chinampa system, which allowed them to cultivate food on swampy lake shores. They were also skilled warriors and had a powerful military tradition. The Aztec empire was a tribute empire, which grew in size and power by conquering neighboring states and extracting tribute from them.

The Aztec civilization came to an end when the Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, arrived in Mesoamerica. In 1521, after a series of battles, sieges, and the spread of European diseases to which the indigenous people had no immunity, Tenochtitlan fell to the Spanish, marking the end of the Aztec empire.

The legacy of the Aztecs remains today in various forms, including archaeological sites like the Templo Mayor in Mexico City, indigenous art and culture, and the Nahuatl language, which is still spoken by about 1.5 million people in Mexico.

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Lake Texcoco was a natural lake located in the Valley of Mexico, a highland plateau in the center of present-day Mexico where Mexico City now stands. It was historically significant as the place where the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, was founded in 1325. The lake was a large, shallow body of water that was part of a series of interconnected lakes in the region.

The Aztecs built Tenochtitlan on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco, and they expanded the city by creating artificial islands called chinampas. These were fertile plots of land reclaimed from the lakebed by piling up soil and decaying vegetation. The Aztecs also constructed a complex system of causeways and canals to connect the island city to the mainland and to facilitate transportation and agriculture.

Over the centuries, Lake Texcoco was known for its fluctuating size, which was influenced by the seasonal rains and the natural drainage of the valley. The lake's salinity also varied, with parts of it being fresh water and others brackish, due to the evaporation and concentration of salts.

After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in the 16th century, the Europeans began a process of draining the lake to prevent flooding and to control diseases such as malaria, which were prevalent in the area. This drainage continued over the centuries, and by the 20th century, Lake Texcoco was almost entirely gone, replaced by urban sprawl.

Today, the former lakebed is home to Mexico City, one of the largest and most populous cities in the world. The remnants of Lake Texcoco are now mostly dry, with only a few small ponds and wetlands remaining. The area faces significant environmental challenges, including water scarcity, subsidence due to the overextraction of groundwater, and the loss of the unique habitat that once existed there.