The President of Mexico has written a letter to Pope Francis asking for an apology over the Catholic Church’s role in the brutal repression of indigenous people during the Spanish conquest of the...
Many myths have cropped up in the centuries since Columbus landed upon the shores of Hispaniola. While some of these myths have come to be seen for what they are, many more persist in the zeitgeist...
The Mesoamerican ball game is the oldest known team sport in the world. It was practiced by ancient Pre-Columbian cultures of Central America and played almost a millennium before the establishment...
In the mid-16th century the hyper-violent forces of Spanish conquistadors burned, tortured, raped and spread diseases as they made their way across Mesoamerica in the name of their one god. Yet they...
When Hernán Cortés and his conquistadors entered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan in 1519, they saw magnificent treasures of the ancient civilization. The wonders of pyramids, gold, and silver...
In Mexico , two ancient ball courts have been found in a remote highland area. This is forcing experts to rethink how an important ballgame and cultural practice emerged in ancient Mexico. The...
From the moment Christopher Columbus found land previously unknown to Europe in 1492, thousands of men came to the New World seeking their fortunes and for two centuries they explored and conquered...
The ruins of a 14th century Aztec ‘sweat lodge’, known as a temazcal, have been unearthed in Mexico City . It is located in the historic La Merced district and helps experts pinpoint where...
A chemical analysis of a gold bar in Mexico revealed that it was part of the treasure stolen by the Spanish conquistadors during the conquest of the Aztec Empire. Researchers believe that they have...
Day of the Dead might sound like a solemn affair, but Mexico’s famous holiday is actually a lively commemoration of the departed. The nationwide festivities, which include a massive parade in Mexico...
Mirrors are known to have been used by human beings for thousands of years. The earliest examples of manufactured mirrors come from Anatolia (known today as Turkey). These were made from pieces of...
The Aztec Empire was the largest and most successful Mesoamerican empire in terms of size and demographics. It stretched across highlands, coastal plains, valleys, and forests. It is not surprising,...
By Michael Wing , Epoch Times The Spanish conquerors of the 16th century were met by the sophisticated Aztec culture when they first landed on the shores of Mexico. The Europeans’ steel weapons and...
Is Aztlan the ancient homeland of the great Aztec civilization, or is it just a mythical land described in legends? The Aztec people of Mexico created one of the most important empires of the ancient...
Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent or ‘plumed serpent’, was one of the most important gods in the ancient Mesoamerican pantheon. The name Quetzalcoatl is a combination of two Nahuatl (the language of...
Mictlantecuhtli was a god in the Aztec pantheon. Translated literally, his name means ‘ Lord of Mictlan’ , Mictlan being the Aztec underworld or land of the dead. The Aztecs believed that there were...
The Aztec or Mexica calendar wheels have been a source of fascination for centuries. It was not just a way to keep time - it was a complete philosophy of time in which every day had a religious...
Archaeologists working in Mexico City have made a series of amazing finds and these could lead to the discovery of an Aztec Emperor’s long-lost tomb. A team of specialists made the find in one of the...
How does a story one is told, or that one has read in a textbook, become irrefutable historical fact? Everyone knows the Mayans were a terrifying civilization, steeped in long range calendars,...
Archaeological explorers in Mexico have confirmed the existence of hidden tunnel and a 50-foot (15 meter) diameter chamber beneath the Pyramid of the Moon in modern-day San Juan Teotihuacán,...
In today’s society, chocolate is a popular treat, and comes in many forms, including blocks, paste and powder. Several centuries ago, however, chocolate was considered a luxury item, and came only in...
Today, Spanish is the dominant language of Mexico and most central and South American countries. There was a time, however, when Nahuatl, a language spoken by the indigenous inhabitants of the Valley...
Moctezuma II was the 9 th ruler of the Aztec Empire, whose unfortunate reign coincided with the arrival of the Spanish under the conquistador Hernan Cortez (Hernán Cortés). Moctezuma is remembered...
Cuitlahuac only ruled the Aztec Empire for 80 days. However, this huey tlatoani played an important role in the Aztec Empire. Today, he is best remembered for leading the Aztec resistance against the...
