The Aztecs were constantly fighting and at war with their neighbours, either to increase the size of their empire or to take prisoners to be sacrificed to the gods at their temples. Young men joined the warrior clans at the age of 17. The most feared and famous of all Aztec soldiers were the eagle and the jaguar knights.
In this picture the Aztec warriors are fighting against neighbouring Tlaxcaltecs to maintain their power in the area and have an easy and close access to sacrificial victims for their gods. In order to maintain a state of war between the two nations, the Aztecs maintained a rigorous boycott of the Tlaxcaltecs access to salt supplies from the coast.
An Aztec warrior usually carried spears made of wood, with an obsidian edged blade, and a wooden maquahuitl (war club) which was about 76cm (30in) long. The maquahuitl had grooved sides set with sharp obsidian blades. Warriors also carried stabbing javelins and round shields with feather fringes. Flint and obsidian knives were also used and woollen slings to fire stones at their enemies. Body armor consisted of heavy tightly woven cotton breast plates.
The ideal warrior was noble, brave and had to serve and respect the gods. Warriors were so important to the Aztecs that new rulers had to start their rule on the battle field, adding cities and provinces to the empire, and capturing prisoners for ritual sacrifice, an essential part of the Aztec religion. Aztec soldiers who fought well could become eagle or jaguar warriors. The jaguar and eagle warriors were distinguished by their uniform and helmets, the jaguar warriors wore jaguar skins with their faces peering out of the animals head and the eagle warriors wore feathered helmets with a gaping beak. The jaguar warriors were stealthy and were specialized for night combat while the eagle warriors excelled in daylight combat like the soaring eagle.
By the time Montezuma the second became ruler in 1502, Tenochtitlan was a huge city and most of it's neighbouring cities were already part of the Aztec empire. Conquering new lands meant longer and longer journeys. As the empire expanded, merchants led the way with trade caravans that would bring back tales of lands and riches that lay beyond their borders. The warriors occupied fortified positions along these new trade routes to protect merchants from bandits and thieves, and to provide shelter for the trading caravans. Their priests also urged the leaders to conquer new lands to keep the gods happy with blood offerings. The ruler Ahuitzoltl payed tribute to the warrior clans for their service to the growing empire during peace and wartime. When he died, the empire was at it's most powerful, yet their was always danger of rebellion from those paying conquered nations forced to pay tribute.
The story of pre Colombian Mesoamerica and the conquest of Mexico are among the greatest documented human tragidies of recent human history. It's a story about us; the people of a new and old world comiing together as a new people.
The final verdict is still out, the dust is yet to settle.
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