Aztec Sacrifice: The History Of The Indies Of New Spain

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Did you know that the most common type of Aztec sacrifice was heart extraction? The Aztecs were an early Latin American civilization during the years of 1350 to 1519. They settled around the area of what is today known as Mexico City. They were known for their violent practices of sacrificing humans, and their creative agricultural techniques. So, what should be focused on the most about Aztec culture? Historians should emphasize human sacrifice because of its scale, its significant role in Aztec culture, and the harshness of its administration. The first reason for emphasizing the human sacrifice of the Aztecs is because of its scale. According to The History of the Indies of New Spain, “Two thousand three hundred men were killed.” (Duran). This evidence supports emphasizing sacrifice because it …show more content…

These unoccupied lands were left unconquered because they were to provide the Aztecs with victims for sacrifice in case of future wars. This evidence supports the scale of sacrifice because it highlights the mass amount of captured people that were used for sacrifice throughout the thousands of square miles of the Aztec empire. The second reason for emphasizing sacrifice is because of the significant role it played in Aztec culture. Bernardino de Sahagun, a Spanish priest, stated in Florentine Codex, II that “This seasonal warrior, whom we change from a human into the god Tezcatlipoca., the god of war.” (Sahagun). This evidence proves that sacrifice had an important role in Aztec culture because the Aztecs had a cultural ceremony in which a warrior is dressed as a god and has one year before he is sacrificed to the gods. Also stated in Florentine Codex II was “...he is treated like our most royal family member during the...year leading up to his sacrifice.” (Sahagun). During this time before his sacrifice, the “living god”, as the Aztecs called him, was treated very luxuriously by the

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