Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Like with any culture, games and sports were important to the Aztecs. These games often had religious significance and were often played before or during a ritual, ceremony or sacrifice, according to the Aztec Indian website. Players and attendants alike also tended to pray just before these games.
The Aztec sunstone depicts the symbols of the Aztec solar calendar, as well as symbols of the four epochs of mythology. The Aztec calendar was divided into two cycles: the solar calendar and the sacred calendar. Every 52 years these two differing cycles would align, causing Aztec holy men to conduct the New Fire Festival to avoid disaster during this event, known as Xiuhmolpilli, or "bundling of years."
The Aztec Indians lived in the area of central Mexico between the 14th and 16th century. While they are often remembered for their ball courts and warrior culture, they were also the first people to understand the number zero and create a calendar that still accurately predicts celestial events. Although they had no metal coins, they conducted trade using several forms of currency.
The Aztecs were the ancient Nahua-speaking people who lived in the Valley of Mexico. A lesser-known name for the Aztec is the Mexica people. The Aztec civilization dominated the basin of Mexico from the early 1300s through the early 1500s until their defeat by Cortez and his Spanish troops.
Pyramids remain one of the world's unexplained mysteries although much more is now known about why they were built. Found in Mexico and Egypt, they leave a legacy of architecture and are not only a testament to ancient civilizations' mathematical skills, they're a vital key to the past.
The Aztec empire has intrigued artists and historians for centuries. Reaching the height of its influence in 1440, by 1521 the last Aztec emperor surrendered to the Spanish. The empire is remembered today for its artistic contributions and cultural practices.
The Aztec Empire was one of the great civilizations of Mexico whose origins have been traced back to the sixth century. An intricate and developed writing and symbol system was essential to the Aztec Empire's dominance and longevity. Symbolism was a part of everyday life. Aztec writing was based on ideograms and iconography. Pictorial representations were used to record the names of people and places and to represent historic events. Many sources are available for exploring the role that symbols played in Aztec culture.
The labret is a lip piercing usually done below the bottom lip or at the corner of the top lip. While the bottom lip labret is more common, the top lip labret, meant to emulate a traditional beauty mark, is often called the "Chrome Crawford" after supermodel Cindy Crawford.
Hummingbirds are tiny nectar-drinking birds found in the Americas from Alaska to Chile. The name refers to the humming sound made by the bird's rapidly beating wings. The jewel-like hummingbird plays an important role in the mythology and art of many Native American cultures.
The principles behind the Mayan calendar are based on two specific calendars: a religious one and a solar, long-count calendar. Each calendar operates independently and for specific reasons. Although it is commonly accredited to the Mayans, the designs of the calendar stem from earlier cultures and mythology.
The clothing worn by Mexicans can range from modern to traditional to items worn only on special occasions. Some styles blend both old and new, while others are the same as those that have been worn by Mexicans throughout the ages. On one special holiday, Day of the Dead, Mexicans do not wear mourning clothes, as one might expect. Rather, the rule for that day is the more colorful, the better.
Few things from the ancient world fascinate us as much as the pyramids. Found in several regions across the world, including relics from the Aztecs and Mayans of South America, it is the Egyptian pyramids that are the focus of so much mystery and study. These grand structures seem to defy our beliefs about ancient cultures and capabilities, to the point where some even believe the pyramids were created by an alien race. While we may never know for certain how the pyramids were made, modern scientists and archaeologists think they have a fairly good idea.
