Tenochtitlan

Under the volcanic heart of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, obsidian glittered like frozen flame—black, knife-edged, and imbued with religious meaning. To the Mexica, people commonly referred to as the Aztecs, this volcanic glass represented a religious channel, a political currency, and a mirror of empire. A fascinating new study, the largest ever of its kind, published in the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences, examined 788 artifacts from the sacred center of the Temple Mayor in Tenochtitlan, showing the movement of the beautiful stone, displaying a rich web of obsidian trade, ritual, and imperial control. The study reveals how this one material contributed to the rise of Mexica Empire, its religion, and its extensive reach far beyond its borders. Over 500