Aztecs

Different types of potatoes seed are seen displayed in "Parque de la Papa" or Potato Park, in Pisac, Peru. One hundred and fifty type of tubers from the Sacred Valley highlands are native to Peru.

World News

If You Love Potatoes, Tomatoes Or Chocolate Thank Indigenous Latin American Cultures

12:22pm September 21, 2021

by Vanessa Romo

These delicious treats were cultivated and enjoyed by native people for hundreds if not thousands of years. But with the arrival of the Spanish in Latin America, they were shared around the globe.

An Italian rendering of Tenochtitlán from 1528.

World News

Taking In Mexico City's History By Canoe And Bike

4:34pm August 13, 2021

by Carrie Kahn

There is a lot to see around the Mexican capital. NPR's correspondent recommends canoeing and biking along some of Mexico City's tucked-away sites.

An artistic rendering of the retreat of Hernán Cortés from Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, in 1520. The Spanish conquistador led an expedition to present-day Mexico, landing in 1519. Although the Spanish forces numbered some 500 men, they managed to c

World News

500 Years Later, The Spanish Conquest Of Mexico Is Still Being Debated

1:24pm November 10, 2019

by James Fredrick

The meeting of Aztec Emperor Montezuma II and Hernán Cortés and the events that followed weigh heavily in Mexico half a millennium later.

At the end of practice at the Xochikalli cultural center in Mexico City, ulama ballgame players perform a brief dedication to Aztec gods.

An Ancient Ballgame Makes A Comeback In Mexico

8:09am September 16, 2018

by James Fredrick

Ulama is a pre-Columbian team sport played with a solid rubber ball that's bounced off players' hips. In olden times, the game is said to have decided the winners of wars.

An electron microscope image shows popcorn magnified 250 times

Science

The Oscar For Best Snack Goes To ... Popcorn, The 6,000-Year-Old Aztec Gold

3:05pm March 01, 2018

by Adam Cole

Zoom in and behold the science secrets behind popcorn's airy crunch — and learn about the snack's ancient origin — in this bite-sized video.

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A skull discovered at a sacred Aztec temple. A new study analyzed DNA extracted from the teeth of people who died in a 16th century epidemic that destroyed the Aztec empire, and found a type of salmonella may have caused the epidemic.

Salmonella May Have Caused Massive Aztec Epidemic, Study Finds

11:13am January 15, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

The 16th century epidemic, likely set off or exacerbated by European invaders, was one of the most deadly in human history. New evidence traces it to a type of salmonella that causes a deadly fever.

Archaeologists working at the Templo Mayor site of Aztec ruins in Mexico City, in August 2015. Scientists say the remains of women and children are among those found at a main trophy rack of human skulls, known as "tzompantli."

Aztec 'Tower Of Skulls' Reveals Women, Children Were Sacrificed

12:00pm July 05, 2017

by Scott Neuman

Some 650 skulls unearthed in Mexico City are believed to be the legendary Huey Tzompantli, a site for victims of human sacrifice first mentioned by Spanish conquistadors.

Science

From Aztecs To Oscars: Popcorn's Beautiful, Explosive Journey

3:06pm February 28, 2014

by Adam Cole

Long before it fueled moviegoers, popcorn helped lay the foundation for the Aztec empire. In our video, we look at popcorn under a microscope, where the rock-hard kernel's fluffy secret is revealed.

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