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SThe Aztecs built their capital city,called Tenochtitlan, in the center ofenormous Lake Texcoco. TheAztecs believed they were the“chosen people” of Huitzilopochtliand did everything that he desiredof them. "During the fourteenthcentury, Huitzilopochtli told theAztec chieftain that their newhomeland would be on the island inLake Toxcoco, and when theyreached the island they were tolook for an eagle eating a snakeperched on a cactus growing froma rock or cave surrounded bywater. This would be the locationwhere they were to build their cityand honor him.”

Map of TenochtitlanWoodcut on paper

Newberry Library, Chicago

Aztec Feather ShieldNational Museum of anthropology in

Mexico City

They found this location and beganto build their city around the yearAD 1325.The city of Tenochtitlancontinued to grow, having anestimated population of 200,000. The city grew to a point wherethere was no more room forexpansion on the island and theywere forced to move out into thelake areas.

The agricultural portion of thisexpansion was successful becauseof the invention of the chinampasor floating gardens. The floatinggardens were constructed bybunching twigs together thenstacking mud on top of the twigs. They were not anchored at firstand could be towed until the plantsroots anchored into the lake floor.

The Aztecs connected the island tothe mainland by three causewaysthat ran next to dikes that werebuilt to keep the fresh water ofLake Texcoco separate from othersalty lakes of the area. The dikesalso protected the agriculturalchinampas. Canals ran betweenthe chinampas; they were used toconvey traffic through the city,including to and from the market ofTlatelolco.

The city flourished until the year1521 when Hernandez Cortes andhis Spanish army invaded andcaptured the city. (Gruzinski 2001)

ART AND ARTIFACTS

The Aztec Empire: Warriors of theGods

“And such were the marvels we saw that weknew not what to say, or whether to believewhat was before our eyes, for on the one handwere great cities on the land, and on the lakemany more, and we saw canoes everywhereand along the causeway were many bridges atregular intervals, and before us stood the greatcity of Mexico.”

Bernal Díaz del Castillo, 8 November 1519

With these words, soldier Bernal Díaz delCastillo described his experience accompanyingHernán Cortés as the Spaniards first approach-ed the Aztec capital of México Tenochtitlán, onNovember 8, 1519. Less than two years afterthis first awe-inspiring view of the Azteccitadel, the city was destroyed by the Spanishintruders.

Tenochtitlan, or “The Place of the Prickly PearCactus”, is covered today by downtown MexicoCity. The well-organized island city stood inthe shallow Texcoco Lake; it was linked to themainland by four large causeways. With a totalarea of approximately 20 square miles and atleast 300,000 inhabitants, it was five times thesize of the contemporary London of Henry VIII.Tenochtitlán was not only one of the mostextensive cities of the world, but with its publictoilets, aqueducts, and schools, it was also oneof the most modern. A political arrangementlinked Tenochtitlán with the other large citiesof Tlacopán and Texcoco to form the TripleAlliance, the base of the Aztec empire. TripleAlliance armies of professionally trainedsoldiers controlled a large territory with morethan 11 million inhabitants, an empire whosemain purpose was to provide tribute to thecapital. While Aztec priests worshipped theirgods with human sacrifice in richly decoratedtemples, Aztec kings dwelt in magnificentthree-story palaces, with flower-filled gardens,fountains, zoos, and dwellings for dwarfs andhunchbacks.

From 1464 to 1505, the city of Texcoco wasruled by Nezahualpilli, a poet and philosopherwhose name means “The Lord of Fasting”.

Nezahualpilli was one of the most famous kingsof Texcoco, with 2000 wives and concubinesand 144 children. According to the chronicles,Nezahualpilli sometimes mingled with thecrowds dressed as commoner.

Nezahualpilli King of Texcoco Shown in the CodexIxtlilxochitl

Gruzinski, SergeLe Destin Brisé De L’empire Aztèque. Gallimard

The reconstruction shows him recentlyreturned from such a trip still holding thesimple cloak of a commoner made of Magueycactus fiber in his left hand. Now dressed for adance, Nezahualpilli stands in the gardens ofTetzcotzingo. In 1454, his father ordered theconstruction of these terraced gardens thatserved as a summer residence for the kings ofTexcoco, as well as for cultivating medicinalplants. The gardens were a masterpiece ofAztec architecture dedicated to the gods ofrain, water, and earth. Stairways, pools, andcolorful reliefs were carved in naturally shapedstone. All types of plants grew on terracesdecorated with stone sculptures that portrayedthe different animals of the country. Anaquaduct supplied the gardens with freshwater, channeling it through waterspouts ontofields of flowers.

Detail, Nezahualpilli King of Texcoco73 cm x 102 cmOil and acrylic

Painting Christiane Clados

Nezahualpilli: King of Texcoco, atTetzcotzingo

Nezahualpilli wears the turquoise mantle, thegarment of kings and symbol of the Old FireGod, woven out of silklike rabbit hair. His hairis decorated with feather tassels, and he wearsresplendent bracelets of gold, jade, andemeralds on his arms and legs. In his righthand he holds a fan, and near his feet lies abouquet of flowers,a symbol of the Aztecnobles. In the background, a waterspout in theshape of a monkey head dispenses water ontofields of flowers behind a stone carved withimages of a butterfly, water, and a smokebundle.

Nezahualpilli King of Texcoco73 cm x 102 cmOil and acrylic

Painting Christiane Clados

ACTIVITIES

Codex

National Museum of anthropology in Mexico City

Art • Language Arts • TechnologyLilian A. Bell in her book Papyrus, Tapa, Amateand Rice Paper: Papermaking in Africa, thePacific, Latin America and Southeast Asia,reports that sometime between A.D. 500 and899 the Aztec and Mayas developed theirearliest books. The books were stored inlibraries housed in stone buildings and includedthe topics of religion, rituals, astronomy,geography, history, genealogy, and customs.The remaining codices are: the Dresden, Paris,Madrid, and Grolier. They are now hosed inthe cities by which they are named.

Codex Borgia Mixteca-Puebal Culture, 15thcentury codices, or hand-painted books, madeby Aztecs, Mixtecs and other indigenousMexicans were originally filled with picturesthat conveyed a rich variety of localinformation, including histories, cosmogonies,tax records and family genealogies.

With the 16th century Spanish invasion camethe introduction of alphabetic writing, whichincreasingly influenced indigenous manuscriptsand eventually supplanted traditionalpictographic systems of communication.

Imagery derived from the codices can now befound in everything from tourist art to tattoos;as such symbolism evokes a popular nationalistidea that Mexico's modern identity lies in thecountry's ancient past. Today, pictorialcodices, as well as those demonstrating earlyEuropean influence, are celebrated andreproduced in facsimile form because theyserve as windows onto the complex artistic andcultural heritage that makes Mexico unique.

These books now referred to as painted books,pictorial manuscripts, or codices were made ina screen fold format. The paper was made

from beaten bark and the finished strip wasbetween six inches and eight inches wide andbetween twenty inches and thirty-five incheslong. The prepared sheet was coated with awhite substance of some kind of plaster. Whenthe coating dried, it was a smooth surface forpainting on.

Using the Internet to research the history ofearly books and codices (plural of codex), havestudents create their own codex, you can useconstruction paper and any writing tool. Theyused a brush. You will need two pieces of blankpaper. Start at either end. Fold the paper intopleats. Using the photograph as an example,start from the left and number each page andthen continue numbering the back pages.

Mark one page the front cover. The covers canbe decorated and/or made with a heavycardboard. In most cases, reading was fromleft to right. The book should be held folded inyour hands and opened one section at a time.Read the two pages that are exposed and thenturn the next pleat to read the next two pages.

ArtThe codex that students created can be usedwhen they go to the exhibition: Reconstructingthe Pre-Columbian World. The handout entitledCodices can be used as a model for inspirationof using the codex as a journal or writingsurface for a sketchbook. An Internet site withAztec art and mythology:http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/azt_stor.htm

Codex Page

National Museum of anthropology in Mexico City

Art • Language Arts • TechnologyUse the codex or create a three-dimensionalart and artifact timeline. Through the creationof a three-dimensional timeline, students areasked to bring together information from theart and artifacts that covers people, places,events, and cultural landmarks.

Another way of creating a three-dimension artand artifact timeline is the development of apop-up book. An excellent model for the pop-up book is: Splendor of Ancient America, byFrancisco Serrano and the Internet sites:

Ancient Mexico: The Art, Culture and History ofAncient Mesoamerica:http://www.ancientmexico.com/

Mesoamerican Timeline:http://www.ancientmexico.com/content/timeline/index.html

Historical Documents from Mexico:http://www.ancientmexico.com/content/documents/index.html

Illustration from Internet Site

Ancient Mexico: The Art, Culture and History of

Ancient Mesoamerica

Using the art and artifacts highlighted in theexhibition paintings for this activity; studentsare encouraged to combine written informationwith visual images. It may be easier to conductthis activity after students have read andstudied about the history, culture, people, andart of Christiane Clados. Artifact timelinesprovide the students with the opportunity todevelop their skills in sequencing, writing,creating models.

RESOURCES

Baldwin, Neil. Legends of the Plumed Serpent:Biography of a Mexican God. New York, NewYork: PublicAffairs. 1998.

Bell, Lilian A. Papyrus, Tapa, Amate and RicePaper: Papermaking in Africa, the Pacific, Latin

America and Southeast Asia. New York, NewYork: Liliaceae Press. 1992.

Coe, Michael D. Mexico. New York, New York:Thames and Hudson. 2002.

Diaz, Gisele and Alan Rodgers. The CodexBorgia. New York, New York: Dover. 1993.

Diehn, Gwen. Making Books That Fly, Fold,Wrap, Hide, Pop Up, Twist, and Turn. NorthCarolina: Lark Books. 1998.

Folconer, Colin. Feathered Serpent: A Novel ofthe Mexican Conquest. New York, New York:Crown Publishers. 2002.

Kimmel, Eric. Two Mountains: An AztecLegend. New York, New York: Holiday House.2000.

Miller, Mary and Karl Taube. An IllustratedDictionary of Ancient Mexico and the Maya.New York, New York: Thames and Hudson.1999.

Molyneaux, Brian. Aztecs and Maya: Myths andLegends of Ancient Mexico and North CentralAmerica. Anness Publishing. 2003.

Royal Academy Aztec Children’s Guide PDFFile.

Schall, Jan. Tempus Fugit: Time Flies. KansasCity, Missouri: The Nelson Atkins Museum ofArt. 2002.

Serrano, Francisco. Splendor of AncientAmerica. Mexico City, Mexico: CIDCLI. 1992.

Townsend, Richard F. The Ancient Americas:Art From Sacred Landscapes. Chicago, Illinois:The Art Institute of Chicago. 1992.

INTERNET LINKS

Great Tenochtitlan History for Kidshttp://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/history/html/conquista/tenochtitlan.html

The Aztecshttp://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/history/html/conquista/aztecas.html

Mesoamerican Manuscript Facsimileshttp://www.lib.utah.edu/digital/aztec/

Images of Everyday Life Drawn fromCodiceshttp://www.mexicolore.co.uk/azt_lif.htm

Mundo Maya: Maya Codiceshttp://www.mayadiscovery.com/ing/history/default.htm

Ancient Scriptshttp://www.ancientscripts.com/aztec.html

The Organization of the Aztec Empirehttp://www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/history/html/conquista/imperio.html

National Museum of Anthropology inMexico Cityhttp://www.islc.net~lesteyl/nationalmuseum.html

Glossary With Words Sounded Outhttp://library.thinkquest.org/27981/glossary.html

Tempus Fugit: Time Flieshttp://www.nelson-atkins.org/tempusfugit/

GLOSSARY

Codex Borgia Page 56Vatican Library

Screen Fold CodexNational Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

Obsidian

Field Museum of Chicago

Feathered or Plumed Serpent

Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent

CodexA manuscript referred to as codex ispainted or drawn on a long strip composedof sheets of animal or bark paper in ascreen fold, or accordion fold.Context-These images on codices remainas a record of life in Ancient Mesoamerica.

Screen foldA manuscript that is folded accordion style.Context: Made of amate, the codex is ascreen fold or accordion folded manuscript.

ObsidianA usually black or banded, hard volcanicglass that displays shiny, curved surfaceswhen fractured and is formed by rapidcooling of lava.Context-Obsidian was an important tradeitem for all of Mesoamerica.

Feathered or Plumed SerpentOne of the widely venerated gods of Post-Classic Mesoamerica.Context-.Quetzalcoatl was the Feathered orPlumed Serpent god. In the creation mythof central Mexico, Quetzalcoatl ruled thesecond sun or world.

TenochtitlanThe capital of the Aztec or Mexican empire.Context- From the Nahuatl tenochtli=hardpickly pear + li=next to +tlan=place.

Map of TenochtitlanWoodcut on paper

Newberry Library, Chicago