A Glimpse at the mighty structures of the past

Essay by servandoRodriguezCollege, Undergraduate December 2002

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A Glimpse at the mighty structures of the past

In the past a cultures buildings and Architecture served as a sign of power wealth and prestige. The Aztecs were able to construct marvelous buildings and temples, which still stand to this day. In a sense the Aztec can be compared to Ancient Rome at its time of greatness, The Aztec Empire ruled as a powerful influence over surrounding areas. Its architecture serves as a demonstration of the Aztec might and power, much like we would brag about our most prestigious cities here in America.

The Aztecs were an American Indian people that had a great civilization in Mexico. They thrived in Tenochtitlan, current day Mexico City, during the 1400's and early 1500's (geocities.com). Their architecture reflects an image of the people who developed it. They had been building structures for hundreds of years. This experience and knowledge made their architecture some of the most advanced and elaborate of their time.

Their greatest examples of architecture include the Sacrificial Temple, the Shrines of the gods, the Emperor's Palace and their everyday homes.

The Sacrificial Temple was a very important structure to the Aztecs. They were extremely religious people and believed in sacrifices to please the gods. They were not monotheistic but polytheistic (believing in many gods). The purpose for building a Sacrificial Temple was to sacrifice people as an offering to the gods. The Aztecs believed so strongly in pleasing the gods they worshiped, over 20,000 people were sacrificed a year (www.courses.psu.edu). The construction of a temple wasn't done in a traditional manner; buildings were not built on an empty spot. If a new temple was constructed in the place of an older temple, the older temple was not destroyed; rather, the new temple was built over the older one.