The Aztecs had strict laws and punished crimes with death, including murder, perjury, robbery, crop destruction, witchcraft, and public drunkenness for younger offenders. Elders could drink as much as they liked, with pulque being their favorite. Capital punishment could be carried out in various ways, and adultery was a capital offense. Sons of Aztec nobility […]
The Aztec empire was overthrown by Spanish conquistadors in 1521, and epidemics wiped out 80% of the population within 50 years. A team of paleopathologists identified a deadly strain of Salmonella enterica, Paratyphi C, as the cause of the outbreaks, likely brought to Mexico by the Spanish and spread through infected food or water. The […]
The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican people who established a vast empire based on tribute and military conquests. Their society was advanced, but included practices such as ritual human sacrifice. They originated in Aztlan and migrated south, eventually founding Tenochtitlan. The empire was divided into nobility and commoners, with a strong emphasis on education. Agriculture was […]
