Aztecs

Traits: Agricultural & Militaristic

Starting Technologies: Warrior Code & Ceremonial Burial

The Aztec people originated somewhere north of Mesoamerica, likely from the shrublands and deserts to the North Mexican Plateau. Arriving in the Valley of Mexico in the 12th century due to a combination of climatic and population pressures; the Aztecs settled on marshy islands in the middle of Lake Texcoco as the surrounding lakeside was already dominated by respected city-states. Thus the Aztecs founded Tenochtitlán in AD 1325, their capital. The Aztecs sustained themselves and produced abundant food surpluses by developing advanced systems of floating garden agri/aquaculture. The chanampas, or floating gardens, meant the city of Tenochtitlán was both a commercial and agricultural hub of activity, making the Aztecs rich. Historians commonly compared the city of Tenochtitlán to the Venice of the New World. Through careful timing and shrewd diplomacy, the Aztecs formed a triple alliance and dominated the Valley of Mexico.

The Aztecs formed an empire unlike that of the Old World. Much of their territory was organized by local rulers who paid the Aztecs tribute of goods and slaves. They formed an empire of terror and booty rather than a domain of uniformity and conformity. The Aztecs did not invent blood sacrifice, long practiced by the Maya and Toltecs before. However, they did embrace the practice enthusiastically and on a scale that was unique to Meso-American Civilization. By 1500, the Aztecs dominated central Mexico, extracting tribute from hundreds of minor tribes and cities. They earned the ire of their neighbors and the resentment of many.

When the Spanish arrived in AD 1519, the Aztecs were at the height of their power. The arrival of Old World diseases and the political maneuvering of the Spanish to divide and conquer the Aztec Empire led to its rapid fall. By the dawn of the seventeenth century, nearly ninety percent of the native population had been erased by a combination of war, disease, and abuse from their Spanish conquerors.

Can you unite the tribes of Mexico and forge an empire the likes of which the world has never seen? Can your Eagle Warriors drive back the ambitions of conquering nations who lust after your riches? Can you build a civilization that can stand the test of time?