How to See Aztec Art
The last major Mesoamerican civilization was the Aztec Empire, existing between the 13th and early 16th centuries. The territory of the Aztecs extended from the Mexican Valley to the coast of the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico. Their capital was Tenochtitlan, the present site of Mexico City. Spanish conquerors captured the city around 1520 and destroyed the empire, but Aztec art and temples can still be seen.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Read about Aztec art and history. Start with an overview of pre-Columbian art like Esther Pasztory's "Aztec Art." Learn to understand the iconography and symbolism of Aztec art by reading about their religion, rituals and society in books like "The Aztecs" by Michael Earnest.
-
2
Check online galleries that offer historical objects and descriptions of Aztec objects and culture. The Texas Council of the Humanities' online exhibition "Mexico: Splendors of Thirty Centuries" is a good place to begin.
-
-
3
Visit museums that have collections of Aztec art. The British Museum, The Cleveland Museum, Dumbarton Oaks and the St. Louis Museum of Art all have pre-Columbian collections. Watch for special exhibitions at local museums on Aztec art and history. Surviving artworks include sculpture, pottery, textiles and head ornaments.
-
4
Travel to Mexico City, the site of the ancient Aztec capitol, Tenochtitlan. Go to the public square known as Zocalo and visit the Templo Mayer museum and the ruins of the Templo Mayer.
-
5
Explore museum websites. You can visit the Templo Mayer Museum in Mexico City and the Museum of National Anthropology and History online.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
While at the Zocalo in Mexico City, notice the Cathedral built on the spot of the Aztec temples. In addition, the National Palace stands on the site of Montezuma's castle.
The so-called "Aztec" ruins in New Mexico are from the Pueblo peoples, not the Aztecs. The Aztec civilization was centuries earlier.
