According to legend what was aztlan

He had promised to return, she said, but he never had. People in Aztlan could choose their age, said Coatlicue: they were immortal. The reason the people in Tenochtitlan were not immortal was that they consumed cacao and other luxury items. The old man refused the gold and precious goods brought by the returnees, saying "these things have ruined you," and gave the sorcerers waterfowl and plants native to Aztlan and maguey fiber cloaks and breechcloths to take back with them.

The sorcerers transformed themselves back into animals and returned to Tenochtitlan. Several of the remaining books left by the Aztecs, called codexes , tell the story of the migration from Aztlan—in particular, the codex Boturini o Tira de la Peregrinacion. The Mexica told the Spanish that their ancestors had reached the Valley of Mexico about years before, after having left their homeland, traditionally located far north of Tenochtitlan.

Historical and archaeological evidence shows that the migration myth of the Aztecs has a solid basis in reality. In a comprehensive study of the available histories, archaeologist Michael E. Smith found that these sources cite the movement of not just the Mexica, but several different ethnic groups. Smith's investigations concluded that people arrived in the Basin of Mexico from the north in four waves. The earliest wave 1 was non-Nahuatl Chichimecs sometime after the fall of Tollan in ; followed by three Nahuatl-speaking groups who settled 2 in the Basin of Mexico about , 3 in the surrounding highland valleys about , and 4 the Mexica, who settled among the earlier Aztlan populations about No possible candidate for Aztlan has yet been identified.

There is an archaeological site in Wisconsin called Aztalan , but it is not the Aztec homeland. Edited and updated by K. Kris Hirst. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products.

List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Nicoletta Maestri. Archaeology Expert. Nicoletta Maestri holds a Ph. In some tales, Aztlan is viewed as a land of paradise for all inhabitants. In the Codex Aubin , Aztlan was a place where the Aztecs were subject to the Azteca Chicomoztoca - the tyrannical elite.

To escape the Chicomoztoca, the Aztecs fled Aztlan, led by their priest. In the legend, the god Huitzilopochtli told them they could not use the name Azteca, and they would be known as Mexica. It began on May 24, , which was the first Aztec solar year. From the 16th Century Codex Boturini. Created by an unknown Aztec hand in the 16th century. Although Aztlan has never been physically identified, it has been described as an island. Rather than an island in the sea, it is an island upon a lake.

Scholars have made many attempts to locate Aztlan, in hopes of finding the place where the Aztecs, later known as Mexica , originated. Some have argued that the search for Atlantis and the search for Aztlan are one and the same, as these are simply two different names for the same land. However, this has been disputed, and many scholars searching for Aztlan believe it to be a separate land from the lost city of Atlantis. One big mystery surrounding Aztlan is exactly how far north the area would have been located.

With searches extending all the way up into Utah, it is possible that the Aztecs did not originate in Mexico at all, but that their culture was formed in an area that is now the United States prior to their migration to the area now known as the Valley of Mexico. Some have argued that if this were true descendants of the Aztecs who are in the United States today may try to assert that they are not undocumented migrants but descendants of the Aztecs who are merely returning to their homeland.

Chicomoztoc — the place of the seven caves. The mythical origin of the "nahuatlaca" tribes. From the "Historia Tolteca chicimeca". A postcortesian codex from Although many have searched in hopes of finding Aztlan, archaeologists do not believe that its discovery will yield much in terms of ruins or artifacts.

Finding Aztlan will offer a glimpse into the history of the Aztecs and where they originated, although it is agreed that where the Aztecs originated is not nearly as important as their migration to the Valley of Mexico and the events that occurred thereafter.

There are three methodological problems that arise when trying to determine where Aztlan was located. Instead, it is likely that they zig-zagged as they traveled, making stops that would have lasted for various durations. It may be difficult to differentiate between a temporary destination and the duration of the entire journey. An ancient temple in mystical light.

Will the legendary city of Aztlan ever be found? These three methodological problems intensify the difficulty in establishing whether Aztlan was a real location where the Aztecs originated, or if it was merely a legendary place that is symbolic of the Aztecs.

To this day, the actual existence of an island known as Aztlan has not been confirmed. Many have searched for the land, in hopes of having a better understanding of where the Aztecs came from and perhaps a better understanding of ancient Mexican history. However, like other lost cities, it is not clear whether Aztlan will ever be found.

Perhaps it once was an island, which has since sunk to the bottom of the lake, or it has somehow been altered or destroyed. Perhaps it is a land that does not exist in a physical sense, and was a creation of legendary tales explaining where the Aztecs originated.

For now, it remains a legendary place where the Aztecs formed and became a powerful civilization before migrating to what is now known as Mexico City. How Far North? M R Reese is a writer and researcher with a passion for unlocking the mysteries of ancient civilizations.

She believes that only by understanding where we come from, can we truly understand our life path and purpose. She has earned Read More. Pine Valley mountain range Dixie National Forest Not to mention the south facing side of Pine Valley Mountain.. Atlantis comes from the Greeks. Atlan is the key word in the name.

In the time of Plato, it would have been pronounced more like Aztlan but with out the 'z' sound. Also, if one reads Plato's description of Atlantis and compares it to Cortez description of Tenochtitlan, they are nearly identical albeit it Tenochtitlan was smaller.

Lake vs Ocean is not really a concern IMO as that could easily be something mis remembered in oral tradition or the Aztec could be referring to another recreation in the mainland North America.

Besides, when Atlantis sunk, those on the Eastern side went to Africa, where did those on the Western side go to? Maybe determine and compare 'North' from geological history of magnetic 'North' with todays North to arrive at a probable date for this event to have occurred If the determination points to a geomagnetic vector distributes one such alignment as then being 'North', we may have a handle on the veracity of the Legend..

Why do you post such racist comments? What makes you think that Anglos are so racist that they would lie about the pyramidal pyres? Methinks YOU are the true racist! Ancient Origins has been quoted by:. At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings.