PBS has done it again. This great program kept us enthralled . It was the story of the Aztecs and their decline. When Cortes arrived, the Aztecs dominated a large part of central Mexico, using strong arm tactics against the surrounding tribes, principally the Tlaxcalans. The Aztec culture was quite advanced in many ways but primitave in religious practices which included human sacrifuce and rectual canibalism.
Cortes, with a small and stalwart band of men invaded and, with aid of the Tlaxcalans was able to enter Tenochtitlan ( now Mexico City), Their first foray was not successful but later they returned and destroyed the city block by block. Small pox decimated the Indians, making the final conquest easier. This short explanation hardly does justice to the wonders of this history.
My family did have a tiny echo of these historic times. When I was about 12 or 13 my family purchased the historic Los Naranjos, built originally by a Cortes officer. The place was in ruins but it was restored beautifully. As it happened, there was no municipal drainage in Coyoacan and so a large hole was excavated for a septic tank. In this hole there were many pieces of Aztec pottery, mostly destroyed by the careless peons who did the digging. However, two beautiful pieces were recovered intact. I remember them well. All I have is memories. Somehow in the ensuing years these priceless items disappeared.
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3 comments:
I guess I should start looking out for some of these PBS programs!
Is this the Coyoacan home? Never heard of Los Naranjos - good post!
I too find the history of Central American I got a taste of it when I visited the Mayan city of Tikal. Staring at the ruins of a once-great civilization gives you chills and really provokes thoughts about mortality of modern culture. It's a shame those pottery pieces were lost. A piece of history like that is a real window into ancient life.
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