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Large pre-Hispanic Olmec basalt carved head in the La Venta archeological park in Villahermosa Mexico.	Source: Barna Tanko

What Are the Contributions of the Olmecs to the World? (Video)

The Olmecs , an ancient Mesoamerican civilization predating the Aztecs and Mayas , left a profound mark on history despite the mysteries surrounding their origins and disappearance. Scholars agree...
Burial from the Palace of Cortés is that of a Tlahuica woman. Source: INAH

Palace of Cortés Display Burial Is A Pre-Hispanic Woman, Not a Spanish Monk!

For 50 years, the public at the Palacio de Cortés, in Cuernavaca, Mexico, was able to glimpse a burial through an archaeological window, located at the entrance. The identity of this individual was...
An artist’s depiction of the chinampas. Source: Archeomaps

The Chinampas: The Ingenious Aztec “Floating” Farms of Mexico

When faced with the seemingly impossible task of feeding a huge population in the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, the Aztecs came up with an ingenious solution about 1,000 years ago. Located in the...
AI Generated image depicting Aztec warrior looking towards the setting sun – (  ivan / Adobe Stock)

Tamoanchan: In Search Of The Origins Of The Aztecs

About 1,800 years ago, a group of people migrating from an unknown northern location began to settle in what is now called the Valley of Mexico. They are called Aztec, a name derived from the word...
At Tlacaxipehualiztli, Aztec priests wore the skin of sacrifice victims. Source: de Art / Adobe Stock.

At this Aztec Festival, Priests Wore Capes of Human Skin from Sacrifice Victims

Few festivals of the ancient world are as strikingly eerie and gruesome as the Aztecs' Tlacaxipehualiztli. Held annually during the second month of the Aztec calendar, Tlacaxipehualiztli was a...
Aztec daily life seen in the Mural of the Aztec market of Tlatelolco by Diego Rivera. Palacio Nacional, Mexico City. Source: Diego Rivera/CC BY-SA 3.0

Daily Life of the Aztecs: A Blend of Agriculture, Hierarchy, and Culture

In the history of the Mesoamerican civilizations, the Aztecs occupy a major position. A lot of their history is known to us, mostly because of their contact with the Spanish conquistadors. But we...
Colorful, stone snake deity head recovered in Mexico City.      Source: LANCIC. UNAM/INAH

Huge, Vibrant Snake Head from the Mexica Era Uncovered in Mexico City

In September 2022, beneath the surface of Mexico City and amidst the tremors of an earthquake, a massive stone-carved snake head emerged, believed to hail from the ancient Tenochtitlan era. Over a...
Aztec warriors. Source: Arthur / Adobe Stock.

The Ancient Aztec Took Hygiene Very Seriously (Video)

Thanks to their penchant for human sacrifice the Aztecs have a rather gruesome reputation, but what was their hygiene like? As it turns out, they upheld remarkable standards of hygiene. Their...
Preview, Hopi, Creation Myths, Evolution, Climate Change, Aztecs, Flood, Feather Serpent, Quetzalcoatl, Tawa, Mega-Disasters, Sipapu, Grand Canyon, Spider Grandmother

Hopi Oral Traditions Of Creation Parallel Evolutionary Adaptation To Climate Change

Various spiritual traditions hold different views of how the Earth and humankind came to exist. There is the Christian view, mentioned in the Bible, Gospels not included in the Bible, and other...
The discovery of a cache of Aztec ritual offerings, including the remains of a Mexican wolf dressed as a warrior (seen here), has lead experts to believe they may have found the tomb of an Aztec king. Source: Mirsa Islas / INAH

Sacrificed Animals Dressed as Warriors Point to Tomb of Aztec King

Researchers conducting excavations in Mexico City found a series of boxes containing Aztec treasures. Inside they discovered a cache of Aztec ritual offerings, including child remains, precious...
An Aztec skull of a sacrificed captive used as a mask, encrusted in the nose and mouth with obsidian blades. (Dante / Adobe Stock)

16 Absolutely Terrifying Aztec Artifacts

The Aztecs emerged in central Mexico around 1300 AD, coming to dominate the surrounding area from their capital city Tenochtitlan , now Mexico City. Stretching across highlands, coastal plains,...
Representational image of an Aztec warrior holding a double-ended spear. Source: Warpedgalerie / Adobe Stock

Aztec Weapons: The Horrifying Aztec Armory

The Aztecs were a native Mesoamerican culture that thrived in the forests, jungles, and plains of Central Mexico from 1300 until 1521, when their capital Tenochtitlan was seized by Hernán Cortés and...
The Mexican magic mushroom or Teotlnanácatl mushroom is believed to be one or a mixture of these two psilocybin mushrooms of Mexico: Psilocybe aztecorum and | or Psilocybe mexicana.		Source: alexander_volkov / Adobe Stock

Teotlnanácatl: In Search of the Aztec 'God's Flesh' Psychedelic Mushroom

Magic mushrooms, Shrooms, and the ever-famous Liberty Cap are all familiar terms for the same groovy fungus. Popularized in the western world in the late 50s, psychedelic mushrooms have been used for...
The largest Aztec starfish altar was found last year in the biggest temple, Templo Major, in the ancient city of Tenochtitlán (Mexico City) along with jaguar bones and countless seashells.		Source: INAH

Biggest Aztec Starfish Altar Ever, Found in Templo Mayor, Mexico City!

Archaeologists from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) found the largest ever Aztec starfish altar offering site at Templo Mayor, the largest Aztec temple. Templo Mayor...
Figurine head found at the Aztec altar site at Garibaldi Plaza, Mexico City, which is a representation of the Aztec goddess Cihuacóatl.		Source: Mauricio Marat / INAH

Post-Conquest Aztec Altar With A Burned Human Unearthed In Mexico City

Archaeologists in Mexico have excavated a 16th-century Aztec altar surrounded by sacred artifacts. While abstract trinkets and incense burners reflected the structure of the cosmos, a giant clay jar...
Hernan Cortes: The Conquistador Who Beat the Aztecs

Hernan Cortes: The Conquistador Who Beat the Aztecs

Hernan Cortes was a Spanish conquistador who lived between the 15th and 16th centuries AD. He is best remembered for his expedition against the Aztec Empire centered in Mexico. This was part of the...
The Powerful and Mysterious Spider Woman of Mexico

The Powerful and Mysterious Spider Woman of Mexico

The Spider Woman of Teotihuacan continues to be one of the most mysterious figures of ancient Mexican culture. She is also known as the Great Goddess, but since 1983 Spider Woman has become the most...
The colossal stone head is a major icon of the culture of the Olmecs

The Olmecs: Mesoamerican Mother Culture of Colossal Heads and Giant Mysteries

Mexico is perhaps most well-known, archaeologically speaking, as the home of the Aztec civilization. Yet, before the arrival of the Aztecs, another sophisticated civilization, the Olmecs , ruled the...
Representation of ancient Mesoamerican ballgame court in Mexico.  Source: smoke666 / Adobe stock

Ancient Ball Courts Found in Mexico Rewrite Deadly Ballgame’s History

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...
Drawing of Omitlan by W Niven (Design deriv by Liz Leafloor Ancient-Origins)

Omitlàn: In Search of a Lost City in Mesoamerica

In 1891, the American geologist and antiquarian William Niven set off on a journey of discovery and exploration through the Mexican state of Guerrero. What he found would change the course of his...
Religion of the Aztecs: Keeping the Balance in an Unpredictable and Terrifying World

Religion of the Aztecs: Keeping the Balance in an Unpredictable and Terrifying World

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,...
Were the first rulers deities, mythical, or appointed by the gods? Source: tomertu / Adobe Stock.

‘First Kings’ Myths From Around the World: How Do They Compare?

Monarchs have always played a very important role in how their subjects form their cultural identity. Egypt, China, and the Sumerian city-states are examples of some of the oldest monarchies. The...
Sun Stone - Part of the Aztec Calendar

The Aztec Calendar Wheel and the Philosophy of Time

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...
A view of the great megalithic walls surrounding the Acropolis of Chimalacatlan. Some of the stones measure over 3 meters long, with an estimated weight of between 5 to 8 tons.

Tamoanchan – In Search of the Lost Cradle of Mesoamerican Civilizations

The oldest Nahua legends speak of a mythical place called Tamoanchan , considered to be the cradle of all Mesoamerican civilizations and a sort of terrestrial paradise from which the ancestors of the...

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