9. The Aztecs - A Clash of Worlds (Part 1 of 2)

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Beneath the busy streets of Mexico City, a buried god lies waiting to be discovered...

This episode, we look back at the age of the Aztecs. Learn how this society grew from nothing to create one of the world's largest cities in the middle of a lake. Discover Aztec riddles, poetry and songs, as well as the bloody ritual of the flower wars. And hear the remarkable story of how this thriving empire collapsed all at once, in a matter of days.

Credits:

Sound engineering by Thomas Ntinas

Paintings provided by Rick Ortega and Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau

Voice Actors:

Jake Barrett-Mills
Rhy Brignell
Shem Jacobs
Annie Kelly
Lou Millington

[phtevenz]

I tried watching History and Discovery Channel documentaries about the Aztecs, but they were literally unwatchable with the overly dramatic music and jump cuts like it was a bad action movie with very little substance. Thank you for respecting your audience enough let the history speak for itself! What a fascinating story you tell here.

[matthewstromberg]

Honestly, this is what the history Channel SHOULD have been.

[me]

The way you spent 16 min going from dinosaurs to horses and their extinction, just so you could point out the irony that the Aztecs would meet their downfall by Europeans coming over on horses was BRILLIANT.

[atzayacatlsalazar]

I love the fact that he enunciates everything really well. It shows great respect to every culture he works on. Greetings from México.

[joeborunda]

As a mexican... i´ve learned more interesting things in this episode than all of my history classes. thank you!

[justinakers]

Can we take a second to appreciate almost 2 hours of content with minimal ads. Perfect for listening to as I fall asleep

[safeysmith]

I really appreciate how this documentary ACTUALLY spends time retracing the history of the Aztecs and doesn’t just skim through it and go directly to the arrival of the Spanish like every other one does, even though this a series about the fall of empires!
Your work is very impressive! I really enjoyed it!

[hrodz]

Excellent work. As a Mexican I can tell you that this documentary on the Aztec empire is the best I've ever watched. Congrats!!!

[ElizabethAyotte]

Time Stamps

Please feel free to add other important moments below if I've missed anything! Thank you Paul for such beautiful work!

0:00 The Rediscovery of Tenochtitlan and the Stone of Coyolxauhqui
3:38 Introduction
5:23 Quetzalcoatlus
7:08 Chicxulub Asteroid
11:38 The Valley of Mexico
16:21 Human Settlement in the Americas
18:17 Teotihuacan, Tula & the Toltecs
20:52 Sources on the Mexica/Aztecs
25:48 Origin of the Mexica/Aztecs
30:07 Tenochtilan
33:20 Farming & Diet
37:31 Cultural Developments
41:32 Tenochtitlan as a Hub of Trade
43:44 Riddles!
45:04 Worship of Huitzilopochtli & Ritual Human Sacrifice
55:39 Itzcoatl
56:00 Chimalpopoca
57:03 Tezozomoc
59:12 Nezahualcoyotl
1:03:45 Fall of the Tepanecs
1:11:25 Tlacaelel
1:15:06 Militarism & Growth of the Empire
1:18:19 Communication & Administration
1:19:51 The Flower Wars
1:26:00 A Harbinger of Decline
1:27:50 Societal Development Across the Globe and Hemispheric Differences
1:41:15 The Meeting of the Two Hemispheres

[goser.cavazos]

As a Mexican- American historian, the end of this documentary-and the way you described the Ameridan people as ignorant to the approaching treat of European invasion, just as the dinosaurs were of the asteroid that destroyed their way of life, really hit me hard. Thank you for your creativity, Paul!

[MaxwellAerialPhotography]

Other Historians: to tell this story properly we go back a little and start from the beginning.
Paul Cooper: D I N O S A U R S

[starchan]

You produce some of the best history media content, not only on YouTube, but anywhere at all. The attention to facts, the writing and narration, the production quality are all magnificent. We're very fortunate to be able to be watch this, and even for free

[Maravillasdelmexicoantiguo]

The documentary was incredible, here in Mexico it is being a success with our followers. We appreciate that you have allowed us to be part of this project. Best regards.

[sunnirae]

I've literally listened to this episode at least 10 times while sleeping, and the imagery so far (I'm 20 minutes in), is answering so many questions. What a brilliant production.

[jeffsanders]

Fall Of Civilizations is by far the best series I have ever watched. Paul Cooper, THANK YOU for the time, attention and dedication you have invested in this project.

[armandoes]

I listen to these podcasts over and over and over when I go to sleep. They are simply perfect

[denniscarr]

I'm glad you set aside a whole episode detailing the history of Aztecs before the arrival of Europeans. Too often the only part of their history that is told is their conquest. They deserve to be seen on their own terms.

[abhinavg]

Paul and team - Thank you again for another masterful content. I’m going through your videos rather slowly and in random order, but every video elevates my senses and transports me to these amazing ancient & medieval lands / cultures. This is my second gift to your channel because I feel this incomparable depiction of world history needs continuous encouragement of all kinds. Thank you again - I never thought that an Aztec story could be so captivating. Brilliant 👏🏼

[patrickmccarron]

I love that you not only give the history of the people in your videos, but also the geographic and anthropologic context! It gives me a better understanding of the civilization in totality and why things happened the way they did.

[SSLuxray]

As a black American, ancient cultures and civilizations are so fascinating to me for obvious reasons. Learning about the advancements and highlights of the Aztecs, Maya, Inca, Olmecs, Toltecs, Tonga and other civilizations of the Americas makes me really happy because it shows how Eurocentric history has been for centuries that entire civilizations of brown and black ppl throughout Africa, Asia and the Americas were nearly forgotten. But now thanks to YT channels like this and others, we can all learn about history from all over the earth including Europe. All civilizations have contributed to the advancement of human civilization and way of life and all civilizations should be studied.