Lost Civilizations: The Aztecs | Full Documentary

The Aztecs, or Mexicas (from their capital city’s name, Mexico-Tenochtitlan) settled around the beginning of the 14th century.

Built between the 1st and 7th centuries, Teotihuacan is characterized by the massive dimensions of its monuments, the most famous of which are the temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon.

The name of the site, which means “place inhabited by the gods,” was given by the Aztecs, who considered this city a sacred place, even if it had been abandoned for several centuries when their civilization began to develop it.

Teotihuacan, one of the most powerful centers of Meso-American culture, imposed their cultural and artistic elan over the entire region, and even beyond its borders.

In the 16th century, the Aztec Empire had a flourishing economy, represented by the wealth of its capital city, Tenochtitlan, the current Mexico-city.

Human sacrifice was a common and essential ritual. It held multiple political and religious functions. Human sacrifice was considered necessary to the well-being and balance of the cosmos.

On the 18th of February 1519, the conquistador Hernan Cortez lands on the Yucatan coasts. At first considered a superhuman by the Aztecs, he is given priceless gifts.

Historians speak of solid gold bracelets, a crocodile’s head made of solid gold, and bird sculptures made of feathers and precious stones.

After this first peaceful meeting, the Spanish triggers hostilities. Grouping rival tribes, he planned out the invasion. The death of their sovereign in June 1520 and massacres fired up Aztec upheaval.

In spite of one defeat during the “noche triste”, the invaders definitively crushed this civilisation on the 13th of August 1521, leaving their capital city in ruins.

Director: Jacques Vichet