West-Indianischer Historien Erster Theil 38 (Vom Menschenopfer der Indianer zu Mexico)

Title

West-Indianischer Historien Erster Theil 38 (Vom Menschenopfer der Indianer zu Mexico)

The illustration shows human sacrifices at the Aztec temple in the center of Mexico City. The site is located on the grounds of the Templo Mayor, the main temple of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán (today in the historic district of Mexico City). Back side text.

ca. 1628

Artist

Bry, de - Merian (1528-1598)

In 1631, Matthäus Merian and Johann Ludwig Gottfried published Historia Antipodum, a heavily abridged, single-volume version of Theodor De Bry’s 14-part America series. After De Bry’s death, his sons continued the project. Merian, a skilled engraver, later married De Bry’s daughter and collaborated with Gottfried. The Historia Antipodum reorganized numerous travel accounts into three chapters covering nature, exploration, and recent colonial developments. Merian and Gottfried significantly reworked the content, merging reports and integrating illustrations into the text. Their depiction of the natural world and Indigenous cultures—drawing in part on José de Acosta’s writings—was particularly influential. The book stands as one of the most ambitious works of early modern travel literature.

Historical Description

Mexico City, is the capital of Mexico and the most populous city in North America. It is located in the Valley of Mexico (Valle de México), a large valley in the high plateaus in the center of Mexico. The city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan was founded by the Mexica people in 1325. The old Mexica city that is now simply referred to as Tenochtitlan was built on an island in the center of the inland lake system of the Valley of Mexico, which it shared with a smaller city-state called Tlatelolco. According to legend, the Mexicas' principal god, Huitzilopochtli, indicated the site where they were to build their home by presenting a golden eagle perched on a prickly pear devouring a rattlesnake. When the Spaniards arrived, the Aztec Empire had reached much of Mesoamerica, touching both the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. The city is the political, economic, social and cultural center as well as the country's largest transportation hub. The name México originally goes back to the Aztecs, who called themselves "Mexica. In German-speaking countries, the English-language designation Mexico City is also sometimes used for "Mexico City". For centuries, this basin has been the center of the country, long before there could be any talk of a Mexican nation. The city is surrounded on three sides by mountains - including the famous twin volcanoesPopocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl and the Sierra Nevada. When the Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico, they found a highly developed hydroponics: Corn, beans, tomatoes, squash and other foods were grown on irrigated land and floating gardens called chinampas. In the 15th century, the Aztecs began to build dikes themselves, which connected the island to the mainland. They also served as aqueducts. According to Aztec records, the founding of the city under the name Tenochtitlan dates back to 1345, when a band of nomads from the north settled on an island in Lake Texcoco. The Aztecs (actually Méxica) settled there after long years of wandering, during which they had subsisted on whatever had been available, voluntarily or involuntarily, in permanent settlements. According to their tradition, they had received the order from their god Huitzilopochtli to found a city at the place where they would find an eagle sitting on a cactus and eating a snake. They found it - on an island in the middle of the lake. Eagle, snake and cactus form the central motif of today's Mexican flag.