Interesting facts about the Aztecs

Interesting facts about the Aztecs are a great way to learn more about the civilizations of Central America. At the turn of the 14th-16th centuries, this Indian people lived in what is now Mexico. The Aztecs left behind a great cultural and scientific heritage, which is actively studied until now.

So, before you the most interesting facts about the Aztecs.

18 interesting facts about the Aztecs
The Mexican capital, Mexico City, is located on the territory of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire.
This people paid great attention to trade relations, and therefore traded extensively even with enemies.
The Aztecs consumed a mildly alcoholic fermented drink, pulque, and were forbidden on pain of death to get drunk until they reached an advanced age.
According to the scientists, the average Aztec lived about 40 years.
It is interesting that the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice.
Cocoa beans were often used by the Aztecs as money.

In the 16th century, over 80% of the Aztecs, about 15 million people, died as a result of the typhoid epidemic that Europeans brought to the area.
Like the ancient Egyptians, the Aztecs also built great pyramids.
The Aztecs made people taken captive their slaves, with the children of slaves given the status of free men. Curiously, slaves had the right to personal property, as well as the right to be free, through ransom, or if their master treated them harshly.
It is noteworthy that if a runaway slave was seized not by his master but by anyone else, such a person could be made a slave himself as a sign of punishment.
The Aztec lands bordered the Maya Empire (see interesting facts about the Maya), which was already in decline by the time the Europeans arrived.
The Aztecs were very serious about the choice of hairstyles, as the haircut spoke of a person’s position in society and other achievements.
The valor of the Aztec warrior was expressed in how many of his opponents he managed to capture alive.
As of today, the modern Aztecs number more than 1.5 million people.
The Aztecs knew how to create artificial floating islands where they grew vegetables and other plants.
Aztec medicine was at such a high level that it could compete with that of ancient Greece and ancient Rome.
Between cities the Aztecs built roads that had places to rest or sleep every 10-15 km.
Many types of work were considered unacceptable for an Aztec warrior. Curiously enough, poetry was revered, and in fact remained the only worthy activity for a soldier in peacetime.