The Aztec: From Empire to AI

Overheard at National Geographic

National Geographic

Science, Society & Culture

4.5 • 10.1K Ratings

🗓️ 10 August 2021

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

August 1521: Spain’s victory over the Aztec launches colonization of Mexico, but Aztec culture will survive for centuries through preservation and practice. Aztec codices—16th-century Rosetta Stones that preserved Aztec language and deeds—laid a foundation that scholars are building on today as Aztec culture is woven into AI. For more information on this episode, visit nationalgeographic.com/overheard Want more? If you want to know more about what the Aztec were like before 1521, check out our history magazine piece. And learn how this anniversary is playing out in Mexico … especially during Covid. We only spent a few minutes with Nahua communities. To spend more time with them, take a look at Alan’s book “Corn is Our Blood: Culture and Ethnic Identity in a Contemporary Aztec Indian Village.” He and Pamela also have a new book coming out in 2022 called “Pilgrimage to Broken Mountain.” It’s a look at Nahua Sacred Journeys in Mexico. Plus, if the rain gods intrigued you, take a look at Jim’s book, “The Rain Gods’ Rebellion.” To learn more about Rafael’s MEXICA AI program, go to his website. If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:38.0	So we're in a village in rural Mexico, about a day's drive from Mexico City.
0:42.0	You can hear music emanating from a little house that has a statched roof.
0:46.0	But inside, that's where the action is. There's a ceremony going on.
0:51.0	The rituals often take place in little shrines, which are small houses.
0:58.0	That's Alan Sandstrom, an ethnographer at Purdue University Fort Wayne,
1:02.0	who spent decades researching the village and the people who live here.
1:05.0	He approaches the house and he joins the 40 or so villagers inside.
1:10.0	There would be musicians over in this corner playing, guitar and violin music.
1:15.0	The place would be filled with copal incense, like a fog, a beautiful smile,
1:23.0	like a prismistry or something.
1:27.0	They'd be dancing to the music, and it could be a dozen women in beautiful costumes dancing.
1:34.0	Some people decorate and alter with marigolds.
1:38.0	The whole thing would be this beautiful yellow orange.
1:42.0	They'd make a beautiful pinwheels out of palm, out of coil palm and flowers,
1:47.0	and put them on the altar. They'll stay in for the spars and the sky.
1:51.0	Meanwhile, others are making thousands of ritual paper figures,
1:55.0	cutouts meant to embody the gods, and then carefully place them on the altar.
	...

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