According to tradition, the Mexica people founded Tenochtitlan in 1325 on a marshy island in Lake Texcoco after seeing a prophesied sign, an eagle perched on a cactus, an image still central to Mexico's national symbolism.
Background
Engineers built causeways connecting the island city to the mainland and developed chinampas, artificial farming plots built up from the lakebed, to feed a rapidly growing urban population.
“A city built on floating gardens grew, within two centuries, to rival Europe's largest capitals.”
The Key Events
By the early 16th century, Tenochtitlan had grown into one of the largest cities in the world, with an estimated population comparable to or larger than most contemporary European capitals, before it was besieged and largely destroyed by Spanish forces and their Indigenous allies in 1521.
Legacy and Lasting Impact
Modern Mexico City was built atop the ruins of Tenochtitlan, and ongoing excavations, including at the Templo Mayor site, continue to uncover artifacts from the Aztec capital beneath the modern metropolis.
- Tenochtitlan's population at its height is estimated at over 200,000.
- The eagle-on-a-cactus founding legend still appears on Mexico's national flag.
- The Templo Mayor archaeological site sits beneath modern-day Mexico City.
References & Further Reading
- Michael E. Smith, *The Aztecs*
- Britannica, entry on Tenochtitlan
- INAH (Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History), Templo Mayor project
- Ross Hassig, *Aztec Warfare*
