History of the Aztecs History of the Aztecs The Aztecs were a Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. They called themselves Mexicah (pronounced [meˈʃikaʔ]). The capital of the Aztec Empire was Tenochtitlan. During the empire, the city was built on a raised island in Lake Angels. Modern-day Mexico City was constructed on the ruins of Tenochtitlan. The Spanish colonisation of the Americas reached the mainland during the reign of Hueyi Tlatoani Moctezuma II (Montezuma II). In 1521, Hernán Cortés, along with an allied army of other Native Americans, conquered the Aztecs through germ warfare (germ theory not
Aztec influence in Spain church of Nuestra Señora de Regla, Pájara, Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, is thought by some specialists to show Aztec influence. Aztec influence in Spain Aztec influence in Spain can be seen in both the cuisine of Spain and in its architecture. Guacamole, an avocado-based dip that was popular in Aztec cuisine as early as the 16th century, was brought back to Spain by the Conquistadors. Its reputation as an aphrodisiac derives from the words that combine to form the word "ahuaca-molli" ("guacamole" in the Aztec language): "molli" meant "something mashed or pureed into a sauce" and as well as