Category Great Civilizations

          Montezuma was an emperor of the 16th Century ruling over the Aztec empire from one of the greatest capitals in the world at that time- Tenochtitlan in what is now Mexico.

          “It was like an enchantment… on account of the great towers and temples rising from the water… things never heard of, nor seen, nor even dreamed.” So wrote the Spanish chronicler Bernal Diaz of the city of some 200, 000 people. Montezuma’s capital was on an island in Lake Texococo which had been enlarged by a system of drain-age canals, and was joined to the shore by causeways.

          Across these causeways Hernan Cortes in 1519 led a force of 400 Spaniards, to be greeted by Montezuma as a god. The Spaniards were shown over the shrine-topped pyramids where human sacrifices were made to the Aztecs’ stern war god, Huitzilopochtli.

        “The figure… had a very broad face and monstrous and terrible eyes, and the whole of his body was covered with precious stones, and gold and pearls. There were some braziers and in them were burning the hearts of three Indians they had sacrificed that day. Diaz wrote, describing the scene he witnessed with Cortes. The Aztecs held the Spaniards in awe, but suspicion took over and they realized that Cortes was no god. In this atmosphere, Cortes took Montezuma as a hostage. Hostilities flared, and Montezuma was injured and died.

        In the NocheTriste or Night of Sadness which followed, the Spaniards were all but annihilated by the Aztecs. Cortes and some of his men escaped. A year later they captured Tenochtitlan and razed it to the ground. The Spaniards built a town upon the ruins. It is still the capital of a nation-Mexico City.

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An Aztec was an Indian who lived on the plains of Mexico from the 11th century to the beginning of the 16th. The Aztec civilization was one of the most magnificent in the whole of Central American history, although it was not created by the Aztecs themselves. They simply took over and organized what others had already created. They spoke a language called Nahua, which is still used by over a million Mexicans today, although Spanish is their official tongue.

      In 1324 the Aztecs settled in an Island village called Tenochtitlan, which later grew up into a large town. Mexico City is built on the same spot.

     The Aztecs constructed many beautiful palaces and pyramid shaped temple for the worship of their numerous gods, to whom they offered human sacrifice. They also developed a surprising knowledge of mathematics and astronomy.

     The days of their greatest glory were also their last. In 1519 Hernando Cortez, a Spanish explorer landed in Mexico, marched to Tenochtitlan and took the Aztec king Montezuma prisoner two years later he finally defeated the Aztecs and destroyed their city.

      Fortunately, not everything belonging to the Aztec civilization has disappeared. It is possible to find many example of their culture in Mexico today. Apart from ornaments and trinkets, there are many well preserved architectural remains- sacrificial platforms, temples, and a remarkable calendar stone

The Zapotec religion was polytheistic, that is, they believed in multiple gods and goddesses differentiated only by their costumes.

Gods were depicted wearing clothes with or without capes, while goddesses were depicted wearing skirts. Many of the gods were associated with fertility and agriculture.

Some popular deities were Cocijo, Coquihani, and Pitao etc. They associated life to inanimate objects too.

There are several legends about the origin of the Zapotec. One of them is that they were descended from big cats like pumas, jaguars, and ocelots. They believed themselves to be the original people of the valley of Oaxaca. They assumed themselves to be born from rocks.

The Zapotec believed that they were the descendants of super-natural beings, living among the clouds and believed that they would return to the clouds after their death. It is due to this very belief, the Zapotecs are also known as the cloud people. 

          The Nazcas were fond of not only wool weaving and embroidery, but also of painting plain cotton cloth with an array of colorful images and motifs. Nazca weavers employed an astonishing range of colours and shades to produce intricate and detailed designs.

          The Nazca people made some of the finest pottery and the designs used on them were unique and beautiful. They often depicted harvest scenes on their pottery. Also, animal figures seen in Nazca Line were also used as motifs.

          Looms, spindles, needles, cotton balls, and pots of dyes have all been excavated from Nazca settlements. Nazca metalworkers beat gold into thin sheets which were cut to create silhouettes. Masks were produced which were worn over the mouth and made the wearer appear to have a golden beard and whiskers. Full-face gold masks, hair plumes, and nose and forehead ornaments were also produced.

              The Nazca Civilization is one of the most splendid civilizations that can trace its origin, on the southern coast of Peru by the middle of the first millennium BC. They settled in the Nazca valley. The culture is noted for the geoglyphs made on the desert floor commonly known as Nazca lines. Nazca lines are earth drawings in the forms of animals and plants. They were made by removing the dark surface stones to expose the lighter ground below. Their exact purpose is disputed.

              The Nazca people were also masters of irrigation, and built a network of underground canals.

             Villages were the lifelines of the Nazca civilization. The houses of people were different according to their social class. The Nazca people enjoyed their social life and came together regularly for festivals. 

               The Zapotec was an advanced Mesoamerican civilization that was prominent before the arrival of the Europeans. There are evidences of the civilization at the ancient city of Monte Alban, which was once a popular city in Mesoamerica.

               The Zapotecs dominated much of the territory that today belongs to Oaxaca in Mexico.

               The Zapotec rulers were powerful, and seized control of many provinces outside the valley of Oaxaca, as none of these provinces could compete with them politically and militarily.

               The Zapotecs depended on rivers for their agriculture. They also used canal irrigation to provide water for crops away from the river.

               The Zapotecs developed a calendar and a writing system which is believed to be the first one in Mesoamerica. 

            The end of Wari Civilization is mysterious. The civilization began to deteriorate around 800 AD. Archeologists have determined that the city of Wari was dramatically abandoned by 1000 AD.

            It is believed that severe drought that lasted for centuries, made the Wari civilizations’ end. Even though written records are not available to prove this point, their architecture suggests that they did, indeed face a severe drought.

            The buildings in Wari had doorways that were deliberately blocked up, as if the Wari intended to return, someday when the rains returned. But by the time rain came, the Wari Civilization faded from history. Though they didn’t survive the test of time, the Wari Civilization contributed a great deal to the succeeding civilizations.