Art and Religion of the Aztecs

The Aztec empire was a complex society of thriving cities that spread across the continent from central Mexico to South America and lasted until around 1500 AD. Knowledge of the culture, language and politics of these people rests on a variety of sources including archaeological finds, written texts and pictorial codices.

Art was an important part of Aztec life. It ranged from small objects carved from stone to huge statues of their gods, and included sculptured pottery, shields, knives and painted walls. There were also many ceremonial weapons and masks, as well as Aztec head dresses embroidered with jewels or feathers.

In ancient times, there were a lot of different tribes living in this region of the world. It is thought that these different groups may have influenced the techniques and themes in some of the Aztec artwork.

Some of the most beautiful sculptures were based on animals and gods. It was common for these pieces to be carved from a variety of materials, often using an array of bright colours.

These works of art were made to help people understand their beliefs and the gods they worshipped. They were also used as a way to teach children about their religion.

The religion of the Aztecs was a mix of Mesoamerican and Native American traditions. Their belief system was centered on the idea that the world was divided into five cosmic ages - each represented by a sun and ruled by one of the deities - and that they were a part of this cycle.

A 260-day calendar was used by the Aztecs to mark these ages and this was accompanied by religious festivals to honour their gods. They were also a great believer in rituals and ceremonies that involved sacrifice.

Their society was structured along a hierarchy of calpulli, or city councils. These were headed by a tlatcani, who oversaw the running of each city and the surrounding countryside.

They were a powerful military society. Their elite warriors were called otomies or shorn ones. These warriors were feared and shaved their heads, wore yellow tlahuiztli and were the first to go into battle.

The main Aztec cities were Texcoco, Tlacopan and Tenochtitlan. These three great cities, together with the Tepanec city of Tlacopan, formed a Triple Alliance that eventually swept away all their rivals.

During this period the Aztecs began to build elaborate road systems that were used to transport goods and services throughout their empire. These roads had regular stops every ten miles or so, where couriers could get food and drink and bring back news from their travels.

Music was an important part of Aztec culture and there were a variety of instruments used for music making. These instruments included flutes and drums. These were often adorned with carvings of jaguars, eagles and other symbols to represent sacrificial victims.

They were also able to make fine gold and silver jewelry. These were worn by both men and women as a symbol of wealth and status.