The Aztec Empire flourished in the Valley of Mexico between A.D. 1325 and 1519 and was the last great civilization before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century.

Who were the Aztec, really? It’s complicated. Before their defeat by the Spanish in 1521, the triple alliance ruled Mesoamerica through complex trade networks—and warfare.

Tenochtitlán's 700th anniversary will be celebrated in July with a series of events at several of the modern capital’s ...

The study sheds new light on the economic networks, rituals and political influence of the Mexica (Aztec) Empire. ... such as Ucareo, in the Purépecha territory in West Mexico.

The discovery also sheds light on how the Aztec society evolved — introducing more standardized religion and control before the empire fell in 1521 — by showing how obsidian use changed over time.

Introduction / Felipe Solís -- Art in the Aztec empire: Traces of an identity / Beatriz de la Fuente -- The Aztecs and the natural world: The basin of Mexico as a habitat for pre-Hispanic farmers / ...

Compositional analysis of obsidian artifacts from the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Mexica (Aztec) Empire. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 2025; 122 (20) DOI: 10. ...