The Aztec Empire flourished in the Valley of Mexico between A.D. 1325 and 1519 and was the last great civilization before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century.

The Aztec Empire once hosted an expansive trade network that brought volcanic glass to its capital from right across Mesoamerica, from coast to coast. The largest compositional study of obsidian ...

Origin and rise of the Aztec Empire. ... This symbol — now central to the Mexican flag — signified the location of their new home, where they founded the city of Tenochtitlan.

The study also tracked how obsidian use shifted over time, from the city's earliest phases around 1375 CE through its fall in 1520 CE. During the empire's early phases, more diversity in obsidian ...

The discovery also sheds light on how the Aztec society evolved — introducing more standardized religion and control before the empire fell in 1521 — by showing how obsidian use changed over time.

The discovery also sheds light on how the Aztec society evolved — introducing more standardized religion and control before the empire fell in 1521 — by showing how obsidian use changed over time.

The discovery also sheds light on how the Aztec society evolved — introducing more standardized religion and control before the empire fell in 1521 — by showing how obsidian use changed over time.

Compositional analysis of obsidian artifacts from the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Mexica (Aztec) Empire. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 2025; 122 (20) DOI: 10. ...