AZTEC GEOGRAPHY
AZTEC STUDENT RESEARCH GUIDE
(C)1997 Thomas H. Frederiksen
All rights reserved
AZTEC GEOGRAPHY
ACATLAN- Mexica lake city meaning "place of reeds". Located in
the southern lake region.
AMANALCO- Mexica lake city meaning "sheet of water". Located in
the southern lake region.
ANAHUAC- Meaning "at the edge of the water", name applied to the
Valley of mexico. The Pacific coast as well as the Gulf coast
were called by this general geographic name.
ATIZAPAN- Mexica lake city meaning "whitish water". Located in
the southern lake region.
AZCAPOTZALCO - The ant hill Large metropolis. Important center
in pre-conquest time. Tecpanec capital, today part of Mexico
city.
ATLAMPA- Mexica lake city meaning "beside the water". Located on
the western portion of the lake.
ATLIXCO- Mexica lake city meaning "on the water's surface".
Located where the open water of Lake Texcoco began.
AZTLAN- Legendary land to the north, Chicomoztoc, or the home of
the seven tribes of the Mexica were located (the seven
caves?(*21)). "The White Place", and the "Land of the White
Heron", were names associated with Aztlan. Scholars have guessed
the location of this White Place, as anywhere from The Seattle
Washington area to Michoacan.
AZTEC- Derived from Aztecatl, meaning man of Aztlan, the
legandary home of the Mexica people of Tenochtitlan.
CACAHUATEPEC- Modern location Cacahuatepec, Guerrero. A Yope
state which was independant of the Mexica Empire and under
Spanish control in 1523. In Nahuatal the name meant "Place of
Cacao-bean Mountain".
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21 Within these seven caves lived the Four Hundred Mimixcoa, a
group of giants born from the earth goddess. Their father was
the sun and taught them to use weapons. The Mimixcoa defied
their parents and learned to make wine from cactus. The parents
bore five more children and gave them better training and weapons
and the new children conquered the Four Hundred and fed the blood
to the sun and the earth. The hearts were torn from the Four
Hunderd and this is the first recorded event of sacrifice. The
seven caves were given to the head of the five children,
Mixcoatl, singular form of Mimixcoa. The name Mimixcoa
translates to "Cloud Serpents". These five were the beginning of
the Chichimec dieties.
CAUSEWAYS- Great roads extending from Tenochtitlan to the
mainland. They were defended by large drawbridges. They ran
North, west and south. Causeways linked Tenochtitlan with
Tepeyac, now Guadalupe, with Tlacopan, now Tacuba, and to
Iztapalapa and Coyoacan (*22).
CHALCO- City in the Aztec empire south east of Tenochtitlan.
CHAPULTEPEC- Hill of the Grasshopper. Home to the Mexica
briefly. Now a major park in Mexico City.
CHICHIMECAPAN- Mexica lake city Meaning "the river of the
Chichimecs".
CHILAPA- Modern loacation Chilapa de Alvarez, Guerrero. A
subject state of the Mexica empire. Meaning "Area of Red-pepper-
water".
CHOLULA- Most famous for the massacre Cortes brought to the area
on his initial march to Tenochtitlan. Important center of the
Mexican highlands. The pyramid located there was dedicated to
Quetzalcoatl.
COLHUACAN ,HILL OF THE STAR(*23)- Topped with a pyramid and
overlooking the city of Tenochtitlan, this hill was the scene of
the New Fire Ceremony every 52 years. Today is a Mexican
national park called Cerro de la Estrella National Park, just
Southeast of the city. In ancient times known as Huixachtepetl
or Mixcoatepetl. A shrine to the fire god Xiuhteuctli was built
on the spot where Mixcoatl is said to have first drilled fire on
a fire board.
COYOCAC- Modern location in the province of Acapulco. A subject
state of the Mexica. Meaning "Hole-water-place".
CUAUHCHIMALLAN- Meaning "Wood-shield-side". Near Tetelpan,
Morelos. A subject state of the Mexica.
CUERNAVACA- Originally Quauhnahuac and currently in Morelos
region. Franciscans built a mission in 1525 in this area. In
Nahuatl Cuauhnahuac, meaning "Place in the Vicintiy of Trees".
HUEXOTZINCO - City state and traditional enemy of the Aztec in
Tenochtitlan. Today in the state of Puebla.
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22 Bernal Diaz related that the causeways were large enough to
ride eight horses abrest.
23 Just southeast of the Hill of the Star was Yahualiuhcan, the
location where the Mexica buried the ashes of dead warriors.
This was a small hilly area.
HUITZOCO- Modern location Huitzuco de los Figueroa, Guerrero. A
subject state of the Mexica. Meaning "Footplow-place".
IYAUHTEPEC- Meaning "Place of the Sweet Scented
Marigold(Mountain?)". Subject state of the Mexica. Modern
location Yautepec, Morelos.
IZTACCIHUATL-Volcano called White Lady by the Aztec and stands
near twin volcano Popocatepetl.
LAKES- The lake region of the Valley of Mexico was composed of
several lakes. With no natural outlet, flooding was a constant
problem that all Aztec rulers as well as Cortes fought with.
Today only a small portion of the once great lake system remains.
In the Aztec day the lakes were called: Lake Zumpango to the far
North, next Lake Xaltocan, followed by the large Lake Texcoco
which surrounded Tenochtitlan. Directly below the great city
were Lake Xochimilco and the last in the lake system and to the
west of Tenochtitlan and near the city of Chalco, Lake Chalco.
The lake regions were a major source of food for the Aztec and of
interest an algae was collected from the lake and used as
traveling rations for the ever moving Aztec armies.
MATLALCUEYE- She of the Olive Green Skirt. Aztec name given to
the mountain today known as La Malinche in the present day state
of Tlaxcala.
MAYANALLAN- Subject state of the Mexica. Meaning "Starved-man-
side". Modern location is in Mayanalan, Guerrero.
MEXCALTEPEC- Subject state of the Mexica current location in
Guerrero. Meaning "Cooked-maguey-place". Now known as
Mescaltepec.
MEXICO- Meaning, In the Navel or Center of the Century Plant.
Also known as "Place in the Navel of the Moon". Also refered to
as Tenochtitlan itself.
MEZTITLAN- Modern location is in Mestitlan de la Sierra, Hidalgo.
Independent of the Mexica but submitted to Cortes during the
seige of Tenochtitlan. Rebelled and was finally conquered by the
Spanish in 1524. Name Meaning "Moon Side".
MICTLAN- The land of the dead, of the Fleshless Ones, where the
dead go. Ruled over by Mictlantecuhtli and Mictlancihuatl, the
lord and lady of the dead.
MIMIXOCA- The four hundred, or infinate, stars of the north, the
skirt of the feminine aspect of Ometeotl, the creator god.
NAHUI-TOCHCO- Meaning "Place of Four Rabbit". Subject state to
the Mexica. Modern location is Nahuituxoc, Puebla.
OCUILLOHCAN- Meaning "A Place Characterized by Worms", or "One
That Has Become Covered With Worms". Located near Nahui-Tochco.
OHUAPAN- Meaning "Area of the Green Maize Stalk". Subject state
of the Mexica. Modern location San Agustin Oapan, Guerrero.
OZOMAHTLAN- Meaning "Monkey Side". Subject state of the Mexica.
Modern location Osomatlan, Guerrero.
POPOCATEPETL- Volcano called "Popo", by the Indians. Called
Smoking Mountain. Overlooks the Valley of Mexico.
OMEYOCAN- The thirteenth or supreme celestial layer of the Aztec
universe and home of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, the lord and
lady of duality.
TECUACUTLCO- Meaning "Statue Place". Subject state of the
Mexica. Modern location in the district of Atenango, Guerrero.
TEMIMILTZINCO- Meaning "Stone column little place,", or "Little
stone commumn place". Subject state of the Mexica. Modern
location in the Morelos region.
TENOCHTITLAN- Capital city of the Aztec. City built on an island
in Lake Texcoco. According to legend the site was indicated to
the Mexica by seeing an eagle perched on a nopal cactus(*24)
(tenochtli), with a snake in it's mouth(*25). Meaning "Place
next to the Hard Prickly-Pear Cactus". Tenochtli, hard prickly
pear, ti, next to, and tlan, place.
TEOCALTZINCO- Meaning "God house little place", or "little temple
place". Subject state of the Mexica. Modern location San Juan
Teocalcingo, Guerrero.
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24 The importance of the cactus in Mexica life is contained in
many sources and symbols. The Mimixcoa fall on cactus before
being sacrificed, the eagle designated the geographical site of
Mexico City by perching on a cactus, Mixcoatl's mantle consists
of five cactus plants, (symbol of the five Mimixcoa), the
nochtli, (fruit), was heart shaped, the heart torn from captives
was called quauhnochtli, "eagle cactus fruit".
25 This symbol is currently on the flag of Mexico and serves as
it's identifier. In Gruzinski's book, p.22, an interesting
supposition is made that the Mexica did not list the snake as
part of the story and that the snake was added by the Spaniards
after the fall of Tenochtitlan to represent the Mexica as more
evil to the rest of the world.
TEOTIHUACAN- Located thirty miles to the north of Tenochtitlan.
This city contains the famous pyramid of the sun and moon and was
one of the first urban centers in the valley. Home to the Toltec
empire.
TEPECUACUTLCO- Meaning "Mountain Head Taken Place". Subject state
of the Mexica. Modern location Tepecoacuilco de Trujano,
Guerrero.
TEPETITLAN- Mexica lake city meaning "beside the hill".
TEPOZTLAN- Meaning "Copper-side". Subject state of the Mexica.
Modern location Tepoztlan, Morelos.
TETELPAN- Meaning "Area of Rock Piles". Subject state of the
Mexica. Modern location in Morelos area.
TETELTZOMCO- Meaning "Rock pile little place". Subject state of
the Mexica. Modern location: barrio of Ohuapan, Guerrero.
TEXCOCO- City state and second in power of the three states that
formed the triple alliance. Considered the intellectual center
of the Aztec empire.
TLACHMALACAC- Meaning "Ballcourt-Spindel-Place". Subject state
of the Mexica. Modern location Santa Ana Tasmalaca, Guerrero.
TLACHCO- Meaning "Ballcourt-Place". Subject state of the Mexica.
Modern location Taxco de Alarcon, Guerrero.
TLALTIZAPAN- Meaning "Land chalk surface". Subject state of the
Mexica empire. Modern location San Miguel Tlaltizapan, Morelos.
TLAPAHCAN- Meaning "Dyer's Place". From verb meaning to dye
something. Subject state of the Mexica came under Spanish control
in 1521, or 1522. Rebelled several times and finally subdued in
1535. Modern location Tlapa de Comonfort, Guerrero.
TLAPALTECATL- A mountain near Tlaxcala. Meaning Color of Man.
TLATLAYAN- The land of fire.
TLAYACAPAN- Meaning " Area of Somethings's Nose". Surface?.
Subject state of the Mexica. Modern location Tlayacapan,
Morelos.
TLILLAN TLAPALLAN- Tillan(*26) is the black land or night,
Tlapallan is the land of the day or red. The Land of Sunrise,
where Quetzacoatl went after leaving Tula. Mythical explanation
of the death of the planet venus as these lands merge in the west
and Venus reappears as a morning star in the east, lighting the
way for the sun, and giver of life.
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26 Moctezuma II was said to spend time in a calmecac called
"Tillan calmecac, or the Black House". Sahagun relates that it
was a chapel or temple in honour of Cihuacoatl and staffed by
three priests who the goddess would appear to.
TOLLAN- Capital of the Toltecs, present day Tula. Founded by Ce
Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl near 968 A.D. City collapsed in
1168.
TOLTENCO- Mexica lake city meaning "beside the rushes". Located
in the soutthern lake area.
TULA- See Tollan
VALLEY OF MEXICO- Called "Of The Moon", by the Aztec.
XALTOCAN - Province near Tenochtitlan where the inhabitants
worshipped the moon as a principal diety. This seems to be the
only instance of moon worship in the Aztec empire.
XICOHTLAN- Meaning "Bee-side". Subject state of the Mexica.
Modern location Xicotlan, Puebla.
XIHUITONCO- Mexica lake city meaning "meadow".
XIUHTEPEC- Meaning "Place of Turquoise Mountain". Subject state
of the Mexica. Modern location in Morelos.
XOXOUHTLAN- Meaning "Green Side". Subject state of the Mexica
empire. Modern location in the Morelos region.
YOHUALLAN- Meaning "Night-side". Located in the region of the
mines of Tazco, modern location is ni Iguala, Guerrero. Subject
state of the Mexica.
