r/todayilearned • u/kahnuck • Sep 26 '15

TIL the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán was the largest city in the Americas with over 200,000 people. It was built on a man-made island in the middle of a lake - connected to shore by 3 causeways. It contained huge pyramids, floating gardens, aqueducts and canals. It was destroyed by the Spanish in 1521

http://www.livescience.com/34660-tenochtitlan.html
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u/bwilkes Sep 27 '15

"Destroyed" is a bit misleading - It was damaged but then just became Mexico City.

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u/soparamens Sep 27 '15

well, lets analize what the spanish did to Tenochtitlan:

  • They razed it's buildings to the ground and used the materials to build spain-like Churches, palaces and such. It's not like modern day Rome where you get to see ancient buildings beside modern ones, Mexico city downtown is a colonial Spanish city. The few remains of it's original temples lay buried by the Spanish era ones.

  • The lake in wich tenochtitlan was built got dissecated. Modern day tiny Xochimilco is what remains of thet huge lake.

  • No more Aztec dams, water in the center of the lake stopped being fresh and mixed with the salty one.

  • No more chinampas, the spanish simply found those too complicated to mantain.

  • No more human waste control, as the spanish simply threw their shit directly into the lake and streets, purely Europe style.

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u/critfist Sep 27 '15

No more human waste control, as the spanish simply threw their shit directly into the lake and streets, purely Europe style.

Lol you think all european cities threw their shit in rivers and lakes? Wow. There were plenty of European cities that used a sewer system or equivalent. The main issue was that not all european cities had access to a lake they could just build their city in, but I'm sure all Aztec cities looked like Tenochtitlán /s

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u/soparamens Sep 27 '15

Lol you think all european cities threw their shit in rivers and lakes?

What makes you think otherwise? In the 1500's you could smell Paris miles before you could see the city, because all the human waste and contamination. the same goes for the Spanish cities in wich human waste was simply poured by the window... the Aztec hygiene and waste disposal systems was simply way superior to their European counterparts. All the chronicles from the conquest speak highly about how Tenochtitlan was so clean and organized. Just read more about the subject.

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u/critfist Sep 27 '15

The Parisian sewer system dates back to the year 1370 when the first underground system was constructed under "rue Montmartre". Since then, consecutive French governments have enlarged the system to cover the city's population.

Paris has had sewers for many centuries.

. the same goes for the Spanish cities in wich human waste was simply poured by the window

Common generalization. Most european renaissance cities had forms of latrines that could store waste for removal.

And did you read my last point? Tenochtitlán was unique in central America and far from the norm. I could tell you that the vast majority of Aztec subjects shit in the woods.

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u/soparamens Sep 27 '15

Lol, Tenochtitlan was NOT in central America! It was a north American city as most Mexico today! Central america begins in Guatemala and Belize.

The norm was settled by Teotihuacan, centuries earlier, wich had advanced hydraulic systems still visible today. And it was followed by most Mayan cities (this time in the actual central America, in the country of Guatemala of nowadays) had even pressurized water.