Hi friends, this summer I got an invite from my friend Arnie, the armadillo. He is an inhabitant of the country of Mexico and wanted me to visit his place. I immediately made my travel arrangements and confirmed my trip details to him. But friends, do you know where Mexico is located on the world map? It is a country located between the U.S and Central America. It is famous for its mountains, deserts, jungles and cuisine. There is a strong evidence of ancient ruins such as Teotihuacán and the Mayan city of Chichén Itzá and Spanish colonial-era towns. I was excited to see all this. My friend Arnie came to receive me and we decided to start our expedition the very next day.

On the very first day of my vacation, we decided to visit the museum. We woke up with excited spirits and decided to head to the museum first and then to some other sightseeing places too.
As we entered the museum, I found the place really intriguing. There was a big section depicting the lifestyles of the Mexican tribes. In this section there was a wonderful display of the great primitive tribe of Mexico: The Aztecs. I got curious and asked Arnie more on them.
This is what he had to tell me:

• Origin of Aztecs :
Aztecs were the nomads who probably originated in northern Mexico. They emerged from their capital city, Tenochtitlan and came into dominance in central Mexico.

• Evolution of the tribe :
They arrived in the beginning of the 13th century. Also, it is said that their arrival came after the fall of the previous dominant Mesoamerican civilization, the Toltecs.

• Skills possessed :
They possessed a very skilled human force specializing in astronomy, law and craft. They were nature lovers, fond of dance, music and play and they had excellent administration skills. It is interesting to know that during the Aztec period ; the Mexico City was built over a lake. The Aztecs built an artificial island by dumping soil into the lagoon. Later, the Spaniards erected a second Mexico City on the ruins of Tenochtitlan.

• Language spoken :
The Aztec language, Nahuatl, was the dominant language in central Mexico by the mid-1350’s. There were many words from this language which were borrowed in Spanish and then later absorbed in the English language as well.

• Deities worshipped :
Aztecs worshipped around 200 Gods and Goddesses. There were groups which would supervise and worship every aspect of nature like heaven or sky, rain, agriculture etc.

• Means of living :
Aztecs would survive by growing crops that included maize (corn) and beans. They would also grow potatoes, tomatoes and avocadoes. They also supported their livelihood by fishing and hunting local animals such as rabbits, snakes, coyotes and wild turkey. They were a very ingenious tribe in farming, agriculture and cultivation. Their military tradition too was very strong and robust. Precisely, they were experts in every aspect.

• Fall of a great tribe :
The Aztecs ruled and brought many city-states under their control till the 15th century. But invaders led by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes overthrew the Aztecs by force and captured the capital city, Tenochtitlan in 1521, bringing an end to Mesoamerica’s last great native civilization, the Aztecs.

So, my friends. That is all what Arnie told me about Aztecs on our visit to the museum.

Did you like to read about this wonderful tribe of Mexico? It is a miracle to know that human beings had such excellent tribes who were ingenious and existed way back in the 13th century too. With this and lot of Aztec stories we retired for the day and I decided to pen it down for sharing with you, my little friends. Write more soon on another interesting topic of general knowledge.