The Aztec Empire, Tenochtitlan, and its culture.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Spanish invaders destroyed the island city of Tenochtitlan in 1521 to build what modern metropolis?
After the conquest, Hernán Cortés ordered the new capital built directly over the ruins. Because it sits on the drained lake bed, modern Mexico City is constantly sinking.
Where did the Aztecs build Tenochtitlan, the capital Moctezuma II ruled from?
Tenochtitlan stood on an island in Lake Texcoco; after the conquest, the lake was drained and Mexico City was built on top of it.
Aztec priests used the towering Templo Mayor pyramid in central Tenochtitlan to perform what primary action?
Dedicated to the gods of war and rain, the temple was a site for mass offerings. Priests extracted victims' hearts to appease deities and ensure the sun would keep rising.
Aztec ruler Moctezuma II drank chocolate as a bitter royal brew, often spiced with what?
Royal cacao was commonly bitter and flavored with chile or vanilla, though some Mexica recipes included honey.
Aztec engineers built floating islands called chinampas around Tenochtitlan to achieve what vital goal?
Constructed by layering lake mud and vegetation, these artificial islands were incredibly fertile. They yielded up to seven harvests annually to feed the massive population.
In Moctezuma II's Aztec Empire, which commodity worked as everyday currency?
Counterfeiters hollowed cacao beans and refilled them with ground avocado pits or sand before mixing them with genuine beans.
Moctezuma II's emissaries tried to stop which conquistador from reaching Tenochtitlan in 1519?
Moctezuma sent Cortés lavish gifts, but the display of wealth encouraged the expedition to continue toward his capital.
The Aztec capital Tenochtitlan inspired a founding myth featuring an eagle that now decorates what national symbol?
According to legend, the Mexica built their city where they saw an eagle eating a snake on a cactus. This exact scene is depicted in the center of the modern Mexican flag.
Tourists in Mexico use the slang phrase "Moctezuma's revenge" to describe what condition?
The term jokingly implies that the defeated Aztec emperor is cursing foreign visitors by exposing them to unfamiliar local bacteria.
Tenochtitlan's great pyramid, the Templo Mayor, honored gods ruling which realms?
Its twin staircases led to two shrines side by side: one for Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and one for Tlaloc, god of rain.