Human sacrifice was practiced to some extent by many peoples in Mesoamerica (and for that matter, around the world) for many centuries. But it was the Aztec empire that really took the ritual to new heights. How many people were sacrificed by the Aztecs? We don’t know how many were sacrificed over the years –...Read More
By 300 AD, the Mayan Classic period was in full bloom. This was the age of kings. Great rulers such as Smoke-Jaguar (or Smoke-Imix), Pacal, Eighteen Rabbits, and Blue-Quetzal Macaw, rose to prominence and ruled brilliantly over their lands. Mayan society was divided into city-states, each with its own king and cultural center. During the...Read More
The Zapotecs, known as the ‘Cloud People’, dwelt in the southern highlands of central Mesoamerica, specifically, in the Valley of Oaxaca, which they inhabited from the late Preclassic period to the end of the Classic period (500 BCE – 900 CE). Their capital was at Monte Albán, they dominated the southern highlands, spoke a variation...Read More
The first signs of complex society in Mesoamerica were the Olmecs an ancient Pre-Columbian civilization living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in what are roughly the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco. The area is about 125 miles long and 50 miles wide (200 by 80 km), with the Coatzalcoalcos River system running...Read More
The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán (at modern Mexico City) was founded in 1325 on a muddy island in the lake that at that time filled the Basin of Mexico. A second group of Aztec settled the nearby island of Tlatelolco in 1358. Both sites began as small collections of reed huts but, with the growth...Read More
The Ring of Fire is an area where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. In a 40,000 km (25,000 mi) horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements. It has 452 volcanoes...Read More
January 6th is Three Kings Day in Mexico, known as the Día de Reyes. This is Epiphany on the church calendar, the 12th day after Christmas, when the Magi arrived bearing gifts for baby Jesus. In Mexico children receive gifts on this day, brought by the three kings, los Reyes Magos, Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar....Read More
The bright red leaf plant is one of the most popular during the Christmas holidays. The Poinsettia is also known as the Christmas Star and Mexican Flame Leaf. In Mexico, it’s called nochebuena, or night good. The Poinsettia was used in the pre-Hisapanic era as medicine. The red leaves were also used to make red...Read More
The annual Monarch butterfly migration is one of nature’s great spectacles and a top attraction for visitors to Mexico’s central highlands. Each year, as many as 60 million to one billion Monarch butterflies make journey from eastern Canada to the forests of western central Mexico, a journey that spans more than 2,500 miles. The Monarch...Read More
The Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico was founded on 21 September 1551 by Royal Decree signed by Charles I of Spain, in Valladolid, Spain. It is generally considered the first university founded in North America and second in the Americas (preceded by the National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru, chartered on May...Read More
The printer Juan Pablos oversaw the printing of at least 35 books at this print shop between 1539, the date of the first book printed in the Americas, and his death in 1560. The house was originally constructed by Gerónimo de Aguilar in 1524 and is located on the outer edge of what was the...Read More
The jaguar’s present range extends from Southwestern United States and Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Apart from a known and possibly breeding population in Arizona (southeast of Tucson), the cat has largely been extirpated from the United States since the early 20th century. This spotted cat most...Read More
It is the world’s second smallest rabbit, second only to the pygmy rabbit. It has small rounded ears, short legs, and short, thick fur and weighs approximately 390–600 g (0.86–1.3 lb). It has a life span of 7 to 9 years. The volcano rabbit lives in groups of 2 to 5 animals in burrows (underground...Read More
If you travel to the Huasteca in Mexico definitely have to try the tamales tamale, el zacahuil. As exotic as its name dish that will appeal to any palate immediately and essential in the kitchen all the housewives in the area. This food is not an ordinary tamal, on the contrary, is a tamale surprised...Read More
The original word for Mexico was probably Meshtleeko. This word was a mine field of pronunciation for the missionaries. Native Spanish speakers have a difficult time pronouncing sh, whether in an English or a Mexican word. As a result, they inserted an x in any word containing sh, thus x came to be pronounced sh....Read More
