Aztec’s Architectural History This is a presentation of how Aztecs built their ancient building and how it lasted through time.

Prologue  The Aztec Empire was peopled by a group that was once nomadic, the Mexicas. Their chroniclers told them that after their long journey from Aztlán, they found themselves to be outcasts, until they found the sign sent to them by their god Huitzilopochtli, and began to build their city. And so the Mexica peoples continued, and the Aztec Empire began.

 As time passed the Aztec people began building fortified structures to reflect on their culture and It also changed their world.  Here are some of the buildings they built

The Sacrificial Temple.  The Aztecs were a very religious race and strongly believed in the practice of sacrificing people to please the gods. They sacrificed over 20,000 people a year. The emperor thought that a special temple should be built for the deadly ritual, so, the Aztecs built the Sacrificial Temple. One example of such a temple would be the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan.

The Sacrificial Temple Continued…  The cities of the Aztec empire were always wanting to make their sacrificial temple better than any other cities. They decided not to destroy the old temple, but to build over it! They made temples larger, more extravagant, and more pleasing to the eye with each new layer. In addition, the temples had more steps, more decorations, and a larger sacrificial area. (These temples look a lot like the great Egyptian pyramids except they do not have a pointed top. Instead, they have a flat top with two small compartments where the sacrifices were held) In a rare find, archaeologists found a temple which was built over six times! Each new temple was more magnificent than the others.

The Sacrificial Temple Continued…  Other additions are little figures at the ends of the staircases which look like dragons. They are called stone serpents heads and there is no clear reason as to why they were placed there. They could have been built for decoration, or, as a greeting for the gods, or, to ward off evil spirits. Another explanation could be that the Aztecs believed very strongly about the serpents.

The Emperor’s Temple  Obviously, the emperors palace would be very large, extravagant, and complex home. This was very true when it came to the Aztec's royal palace. The palace was a two-story house with a very large courtyard. The walls were covered with paintings, carvings, and gold panels.

The Emperor’s Temple Continued…  On the ground floor, the rooms were very large and each room had its own purpose. There were columns on the first floor to support the second floor. There were also columns on the second level to support the roof. There were steps, most likely made up of marble, which led up from the first to second level and were located directly in the centre of the palace.

The Emperor’s Palace Continued  There were 4 main rooms in the emperor's home. The first is the reception chamber where the king would come and meet with travelers, nobles, etc. Next, there is the emperor's personal apartments. This room was larger than most others considering the fact that the king got many gifts and tributes. There was also the main meeting chamber. This was like the reception chamber but about three times larger. There was an elevated platform with stairs and a chair for the king. People from all around his nation would come to report news and to give goods. Finally, there was the Emperor's tribute store. In this room all of his gifts were stored tightly and there was often not enough room for all of the goods.

Homes Common Aztec homes were made of adobe (sun dried brick made from adobe clay). The main area of the Aztec shelter was one room split up equally into four areas. There was an area for the whole family to sleep in, a family shrine where gods would be kept, a place where meals would be prepared, and then the eating area. There would be thatched roofs, or even terraced roofs. It was here that the people stood to attack the Spaniards, a last stand against the conquering army.

Shrines of the Gods  There were many shrines built all over the Aztec kingdom. Each had their own special purpose and were located in a special place. For example, one was built to worship the knights and the sun god. Others were built to place offerings, as well as, burn them. One particular shrine was made to honour the god of the sun as well as the Eagle and Jaguar knights. I will discuss this shrine and how each room and compartment had its own purpose. The shrine was placed on the top of a cliff and there were two main buildings.

Shrine of the Gods Continued  The building that was built to worship the Jaguar and Eagle knights was a very strange building. The entrance looked like the mouth of a strange green creature with many spots and jewels. But once inside, their temple was a circle cut in from rock. There was a circular table which was used as a platform for offerings. The problem with this part of the temple is that it is rather small so not many offerings can be placed in the building.

Shrine of the Gods  That is why the second building was built. This part of the shine is larger than the shrine for honoring their knights and sun god. The building had a large rectangular room which then leads into a circular room. In these two rooms is a fire in the center which is used to burn offerings. Inside of the rectangular room, there are tables where more offerings can be placed. The roof for this part of the shrine was made of packed earth. The circular parts of the shrine had thatched roofs. There could be more rooms for different uses but that is all that has been found.