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THE FOUNDING OF TENOCHTITLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Origins
Migration
The Valley of Mexico
Aztecs Move South
A Crowded Valley
The Place of the Prickly
Pear Cactus
Challenges
Aztecs Modify the
Environment
Tenochtitlan- Aztec Capital
Glossary
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ORIGIN
The ancient Aztecs, also known as Mexica, did not
always live in the area that became the great city of
Tenochtitlan. They, along with many other groups,
originally lived in what is now Northern Mexico and the
Southwest region of the United States.
MIGRATION
Over one thousand years ago, however, there was a
great drought in this area. A great migration began.
Many of the groups living in this area began to move
south in search of land where they could grow their
crops and live comfortably. They found fertile land in
the Valley of Mexico.
THE VALLEY OF MEXICO
The Valley of Mexico is a plateau
which rises 7,000 feet above sea
level. It is surrounded by high
mountains and volcanoes.
Volcanic ash made the soil very
rich. Water from the snow-capped
mountains created several
shallow, marshy lakes. These
lakes made a great location for
fishing, hunting, and collecting
plants. They also provided salt
and water for cultivation.
A plateau with
mountains
nearby
AZTECS MOVE SOUTH
Leaving Aztlan
The Aztecs were the last
group to leave the droughtridden north. Legends tell
that they left their northern
home of Aztlan – Land of the
Heron – and followed the
words of their god of sun
and war, Huitzilopochtli, to
find a new home. This group
of people wandered through
the land for more than 200
years before finding the
fertile lands of the Valley of
Mexico.
A CROWDED VALLEY
Painting of the Valley
of Mexico
When the Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico,
about 40 city-states already existed. All of the
best land was inhabited by other groups. The
Aztecs took refuge on islands near the western
shore of Lake Texcoco. They still waited for the
sign from Huitzilopochtli.
THE PLACE OF THE PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS
According to legend, the Aztecs finally received a
sign. One of the priests saw an eagle on top of a
cactus on a small island in the middle of Lake
Texcoco. They had found the sign for which they
were searching. This was the place on which they
were to build their city, Tenochtitlan – Place of the
Fruit of the Prickly Pear Cactus.
CHALLENGES
This location would prove to be a survival
challenge for the Aztecs. Much of the water
surrounding the island was salt water. The island
was far from the mainland where the best land for
farming could be found. The land on the island
was muddy and swampy.
AZTECS MODIFY THE ENVIRONMENT
However, the Aztecs had great
knowledge and ingenuity. They
built aqueducts to bring fresh
water to the city. They constructed
canals for people to travel
throughout the city by canoe. They
built three great causeways to
connect the city to the mainland.
Finally, they created small,
rectangular islands from the mud
at the bottom of the lake. These
floating islands, called chinampas,
provided rich soil on which fruits,
vegetables, and flowers were
grown.
TENOCHTITLAN- AZTEC CAPITAL
This small island in the middle
of Lake Texcoco turned out to
be the perfect place to build the
city, Tenochtitlan. Natural
resources were in abundance.
The location in the middle of
the lake made it easy to defend
from enemies. Technologies
such as aqueducts, canals,
causeways, and chinampas
helped to provide all the
resources they needed. In the
center of the great, wide plaza,
a magnificent temple was built
giving thanks to the god of rain,
Tlolac, and the god of sun and
war, Huitzilopochtli.
GLOSSARY
cultivation: changing the land to grow crops
 drought: a long period of extremely dry weather
when there is not enough rain for growing crops
and supplying water
 inhabited: occupied or lived in
 migration: movement of a large group from one
region to another
 plateau: an area of high ground with a flat
surface
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