What was the Aztec Empire?
A Mesoamerican civilization that flourished from the 14th to 16th centuries, centered on the highlands of what is now central Mexico. It grew in power through a system known as the "Triple Alliance," in which several city-states formed an alliance, and it is known to have been an advanced society with a sophisticated calendar system, architecture, and market economy. Its capital was Tenochtitlan, a planned city built on Lake Texcoco.
Tenochtitlan: the capital built on a lake
A city made up of artificial islands and canals, whose population is estimated to have reached several hundred thousand at its peak. Corn and other crops were grown on floating gardens called "chinampas," built up from mud on the lakebed, to help supply food for the large city. Today's Mexico City is built on the former site of Tenochtitlan.
Aztec religion and calendar
The Aztecs worshipped a range of gods, including a sun god, and are known to have used two different calendar systems side by side. They used a 365-day solar calendar and a 260-day ritual calendar together to set the timing of agricultural work and religious ceremonies. Offering sacrifices to the gods is also said to have been an important part of religious life.
What was the Inca Empire?
One of the largest empires in the Americas, formed along the Andes mountains of South America from the 15th to 16th centuries. It was a centralized state built around a supreme ruler called the "Sapa Inca," and at its peak, its territory is said to have stretched thousands of kilometers north to south, centered on what is now Peru. Its capital was Cusco, a high-altitude city in Peru.
Road network and the quipu (knot-writing system)
The Inca ran their vast empire efficiently using the "quipu," a system of recording information with knots that required no writing system, along with an extensive road network. Along a road network called the "Qhapaq Ñan," relay runners known as "chasquis" carried news in a relay fashion, and the quipu — which used colors and the position and number of knots to record information such as quantities — is said to have been used in administration.
Machu Picchu
A mountaintop Inca city ruin believed to have been built around the 15th century, today considered one of the world's leading heritage sites. Elaborate stone structures remain on a ridge more than 2,000 meters above sea level; it was never discovered by the Spanish conquistadors and is said to have become widely known only after being rediscovered by Western academia in 1911.
The Spanish conquest
Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs in 1521, and Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca in 1533, placing both civilizations under Spanish rule. The conquest is assessed as having been influenced by several factors, including the spread of diseases like smallpox brought from Europe, alliances with neighboring indigenous groups hostile to the Aztecs, and the use of metal weapons and horses.
The legacy that remains today
Crops native to the Americas, such as corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and cacao, spread around the world through these civilizations. Languages such as Nahuatl (Aztec) and Quechua (Inca), and the descendant communities that still speak them, remain today in Mexico and the Andes region, and the ruins of these civilizations remain both world-renowned tourist destinations and subjects of ongoing research.