To help listeners better follow along I’ve provided this glossary of terms and their meanings to help fill in some more complex issues.
Axolotl – An amphibian native to the freshwater lakes around what was Tenochtitlan, including Lake Xochimilco. It is now critically endangered and mostly survives in private collections.
Aztec – A generalized term for the people of the Valley of Mexico, or more specifically the member cities of the Triple Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tacuba.
Chinampa – Sometimes referred to as the “floating gardens,” these man-made farming plots did not actually float, but were made by driving wooden piles into shallow lakewater, then filling that space with lake mud, compost, human waste and other organic soil materials in order to create arable land.
Mexica – A group of people that immigrated into the Valley of Mexico, eventually founding the cities of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco.
Petate – a woven mat of grass leaves or palm fronds. Used like a rug, they were for sitting or placing items on.
Tacuba – Also called Tlacopan, was the capital city of the Tepanec people and one of the three Triple Alliance partners with Tenochtitlan and Texcoco.
Templo Mayor – The main temple pyramid in Tenochtitlan. Located at the heart of the city in the Sacred Precinct, it was the site of the main festivals and sacrifices.
Tenochtitlan – Was the capital city of the Mexica people and one of the three Triple Alliance partners with Tacuba/Tlacopan and Texcoco. Today the ruins of Tenochtitlan lay below the streets of Mexico City.
Texcoco – Was the capital city of the Acolhua people and one of the three Triple Alliance partners with Tenochtitlan and Tlacopan/Tacuba.
Tlacopan – Also called Tacuba, was the capital city of the Tepanec people and one of the three Triple Alliance partners with Tenochtitlan and Texcoco.
Tlatelolco – An island city that was built by an offshoot Mexica group nearby Tenochtitlan. Eventually the cities merged and Tlatelolco was subjugated by the Tenochca Mexica.
Tlatoani – The chosen leader of the Mexica people and ruler of the the capital Tenochtitlan and all the provinces. The tlatoani was of noble lineage, but chosen by a council of leaders, not handed down hereditarily.
Tlaxcala – A confederation of four city-states that was an enemy of the Mexica.
Triple Alliance – A military and political alliance between the cities of Tenochtitlan, Tacuba and Texcoco. This alliance is often considered to be the political structure of the Aztec Empire.