The arrival of Spanish conquistadors in 1519 marked the decline of the Aztec Empire, influenced by both military conflict and religious beliefs. Today, many Mexicans still honor their Aztec heritage.

The Aztecs only seemed to form an Empire. They “lived in independent tribal or civic groups and created a religious art and architecture without rival in the Americas.” ...

Archaeology & History These Rare Aztec Manuscripts, Long in Private Hands, Were Just Acquired by Mexico The artifacts are bound for Mexico’s National Library of Anthropology and History.

The Spanish and the Aztecs don't know what to make of each other in Alvaro Enrigue's new novel, "You Dreamed of Empires." He talks with NPR's Scott Simon about getting into a 16th-century mindframe.

However, things quickly changed when the Spanish arrived in 1519. The conquistadors, together with an alliance of Indigenous tribes – formerly tribute-paying city states – laid siege to the ...

The destruction of the Aztec Empire in August 1521 changed world history more fundamentally than most other major historical events – but its 500th anniversary is being widely ignored throughout ...

In any case, by the time the Spanish conquistadors invaded in 1519, the Aztecs recognized a wide pantheon of gods, which included a goddess of death and the underworld named Mictecacihuatl.

The Aztec Empire flourished in the Valley of Mexico between A.D. 1325 and 1519 and was the last great civilization before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century.