Unearthing the Aztec past, the destruction of the Templo Mayor

[@vanizakMo]

Very impressed with your pronounciation of the nahuatl language wich is sometimes even hard for us mexicans . great video

[@ROMANEMPIRE69]

I really wish I could see it with my own eyes.

[@NukaEatsPepeni]

Genuinely and very well done, thank you!

[@caiwj22]

thanks guys. never failed to enjoy your videos. please dont stop:)

[@delusionsofgrandeur1330]

I recommend your channel on anyone who will listen - you do such a wonderful job of explaining things as unbiasedly as possible

[@andgio29]

Very well explained, congratulations.

[@shyofaspark]

Amazing video! thanks!

[@luckap79]

I love how dr Lauren pronounces the names.

[@ThomasSmith-os4zc]

I go there every time I go to Mexico and I'm always expressed.

[@tohernandez9730]

Very nice video, and excellent information, saludos desde cdmx

[@TheCarlosLomaChronicles]

Excellent video.

[@sjenner76]

Excellent video. I would add one gloss: the collapse of the Aztec Empire cannot be purely attributed to the Spanish, but should be seen, at least in part, as a revolt by peoples conquered by the Aztecs. The destruction of the sacred precinct of the Aztec capital has another purpose, than just the desire to dominate. The cult of brutal human sacrifice, especially on the scale on which the Aztecs practiced it, was a horror to the Spanish, and part of what motivated the peoples under the heel of Aztec rule and who supplied by-in-large the sacrificial victims, to join the Spanish when they landed.

[@blnzoad]

Wrong! You exaggerate what you've read. We do not know the extent of sacrificial ceremonies that occurred. The neighboring peoples lived, traded and made commerce with the open markets into the Aztec Empire. Spanish forces gave them empty promises and undue influence. To the later part of your comment, Aztecs treated their captives humanely and made their deaths have meaning unlike the brutal massacre of the Spanish

[@sjenner76]

blnzoad, your position is very much against the weight of the evidence and scholarship. First, human sacrifice was central to Aztec ritual. And it was practiced on a large scale by the Aztecs, who specifically captured victims and demanded human tribute to honor their gods and solidify their power. I generally recommend David Carrasco, City of Sacrifice (who does a good job of weaving the contextual narrative); Scott Neuman, Aztec Tower of skulls reveals women, children sacrificed, NPR (June 5, 2017) (documenting a skull tower unearthed near the Templo Mayor, conforming Spanish accounts and more).

[@applesandgrapesfordinner4626]

@KC Builds There's more nuance to the fall of the Aztecs. As someone with Mexican heritage and an appreciation for the indengenous culture, it's safe to say the both Aztecs and Spaniards weren't innocent. All we can do is learn from history, not dwell on centuries old hatred.

[@richlisola1]

It was horses, small pox, natives conned into joining the Spanish, and to a lesser degree 📜 Spanish armor and weapons.

[@davidboleyn4793]

Thank God

[@Sasha0927]

I don't blame the Spanish for being astounded - I haven't seen a place quite like this one either! The chacmool reminds me of myself over the weekend, lol. That bowl would be filled with various flavors of popcorn. 😌 I can't imagine the carnage and chaos as this temple was razed to the ground. What an effort to destroy it... I've watched latin series about criollos and modern Mexico, but haven't heard much about art in either case, so it's nice to get more context for my novelas.

[@antran4465]

Thank you.

[@andsay92]

they didnt realise, real 'gold' was the culture and cities back than, so bad

[@Shinyboy29]

That includes human sacrifices as well as part of their culture

[@jgp7414]

​@@Shinyboy29and that same time in Europe they were burning "witches" by the thousands. Still a rich cultural history

[@filho4437]

@@jgp7414 Not even close to the same scale. The Aztecs murdered thousands a year, and they didn't even bother to accuse them of crimes. They just slaughtered people to appease their god.

[@renacimientodelsol5620]

Great video!

[@ulungprabowo]

I am curious on how we can know the shape of the top part of templa mayor if the left over is only lower parts of the temple.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Researchers have looked at written colonial descriptions and drawings (one was shown in the video). Ceramic models also exist and don't forget, each of the seven layers encase the older temple that was built before it.

[@ulungprabowo]

@@smarthistory-art-history Ah I see. Thank you!

[@bobwilson7684]

it is a very big missconception saying reconquest of spain, there was no such spain before the muslims, the actual capital of spain was founded by muslims...and there was never any sort of project or idea of concept for unifying the peninsula, other than the romans wanting to make rome bigger, and that is also why there has been several civil wars at spain, it was never been a unified population with common original identity, there was no reconquest of anything, it was an expansion of chirstianism. very huge missconception.

[@callmeic]

Roman's had it before the Muslims.