It might be that somewhere around 1141 the man who would be known to us today as the Great Peacemaker crossed Lake Ontario, arriving at the lands of the Onondaga People. On the southern side of the Great Lake he had been greeted by a... Read More
It might be that somewhere around 1141 the man who would be known to us today as the Great Peacemaker crossed Lake Ontario, arriving at the lands of the Onondaga People. On the southern side of the Great Lake he had been greeted by a... Read More
While living in Tenochtitlan or any other important altepetl of the 15th century Mesoamerica, you should be careful to break no law. Whether selling your goods on the marketplace, pursuing your career as an engineer or an artisan, working the land or aspiring to a... Read More
Having proven the divine nature of his mission to the People of the Flint (Mohawks), the Great Peacemaker began working for real. Backed by this powerful nation and their goodwill, he had approached their immediate neighbors, The People of the Standing Stone (Oneida), who had... Read More
So, the man from the lands of the Crooked Tongues stepped into his canoe and sailed away, leaving his town and his people behind, never to return. The Great Sparkling Water (Lake Ontario) lay ahead, glimmering enigmatically, offering a new beginning. He sailed across it... Read More
The most recent studies place the formation of the Five Nations’ Great League, people whom we know today as Iroquois, at around 1142, basing their conclusion on the oral tradition, archaeological evidence, and specific events such as full solar eclipse that was most clearly mentioned... Read More
The Great League of the Iroquois existed for centuries before both Americas had been discovered by the other continents. Composed of five nations known to us under the names of Mohawks, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca, the Iroquois Confederacy had occupied most of the present-day... Read More
Living in a beautiful, rich and well regulated altepetl (city-sate) of the Mexican Valley might have been a pleasant experience unless you and your family were extremely poor. To be a pipiltin, a noble, was good. Whether residing next to the imposing cultural center, among... Read More
A guest post from Enrique Ortiz, an artist, painter, and web designer, a man who knows way too much about anything Mexica-Aztec related, a man who would not miss a single archaeological conference in the Temple Mayor museum. Enrique is also one of the founders... Read More
In the The Rise of the Aztecs Part IX, we left the Aztecs, Acolhua and the Highlanders preparing to cross Lake Texcoco in the desperate attempt to rid themselves of the Tepanec oppression. No more high or extravagant tribute would be paid; not a single... Read More
The “Rise of the Aztecs” series ended with the siege put on Tenochtitlan in the beginning of 1428. Prepared, the island-city didn’t panic, blocking the causeways and making sure no water-borne offensive could have been launched by the angered Tepanecs. Itzcoatl and Tlacaelel were ready,... Read More