The Aztecs were Native American people who lived in Mesoamerica.
They ruled the Aztec Empire from the 14th century to the 16th century.

Despite primitive technologies and the lack of load bearing animals,
the Aztecs constructed many great religious buildings – notably
the large Templo de Mayor complex at the heart of Tenochtitlan.
Aztec society placed great emphasis on skilled masonry,
and intricate stonework is a regular feature on many of their buildings.
The remarkable 24 ton Aztec Sun Stone consists of detailed motifs
and the heart of Aztec cosmogony.

They lacked metallurgy for warfare
In terms of military technology, the peoples of the Mexico region
were a long way from the Europeans at the time – they had not
developed either bronze or iron for widespread battle use
and most metalwork was for jewellery or small ornaments.
Most Aztec weaponry was based on a volcanic glass called obsidian,
which was sharp and strong enough to fashion primitive weapons.
Militarily they were only as advanced as European peoples in
the Neolithic (Stone Age) period.

Between 1519 and 1521, the Spanish conquistador, Hernán Cortés,
allied with Tlaxcala and other enemies of the Aztecs.
The conquistadors defeated the Aztecs,
took their empire, and made it into a Spanish colony.
Some Aztecs did not want to fight against the soldiers of Cortés,
because they thought they were gods.


Aztecs today
Today many Mexicans have Aztec and other Native American forefathers.
People still use Aztec symbols in Mexico. On the Mexican flag,
there is a picture of an eagle on a cactus with a snake in its mouth.
This was an Aztec symbol. Even the name Mexico is an Aztec word.
Mexico-city rose from the ruins of Tenochtitlan.
Nowaydays, scientists, acheologists study the vanished Aztec Empire,
lost rich culture.

History does not accept subjunctive mood but we could have seen
the culture, the real Aztec people in present. And that inabily
to touch the real culture is sad.