What Made the Aztecs Such Legendary People

The Aztecs were a Central American society of people who existed from 1300 to 1521, when they were decimated by the arrival of European settlers. Today they’re one of the most widely remembered of the Native American communities, in large part because of their impressive artwork and rich culture.

So what made the Aztecs so legendary?

They Were Great Records Keepers

First things first, the Aztecs are remembered because we have a lot of writing from them. They wrote in pictograms, much like Egyptian hieroglyphs, and kept detailed records of much of their history. Thanks to this, we know a lot more about the Aztecs than about many other Native American people.

They Had Compulsory School

The best way to make an industrious people is to educate your communities, and this is exactly what the Aztecs did. This educated was divided by the Aztecs’ varied caste system, so elite children would learn history and astronomy while workers’ children would learn trades.

The Aztecs had a Large Empire

One of the reasons why the Aztecs are so well remembered is because they conquered a large area of Mesoamerica. The Aztecs were renowned for their strong military, and conquered many neighboring people and tribes, helping to grow their influence in the area.

The Aztecs Focused on Capture Rather Than Murder

For much of their history, the Aztecs preferred not to murder their opponents on the battlefield. Instead, they would try to take them alive so they could be used for human sacrifice, which in practice doesn’t feel all that different to death during warfare.