Aztecs

The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico from 1300 to 1521. They were a confederation of three city-states, Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco, and Tlacopan, established in 1427, and dominated large parts of Mesoamerica from the 14th to the 16th centuries. Aztec culture shared many characteristics with other Mesoamerican civilizations, and the term "Aztec civilization" is best understood as a particular horizon of a general Mesoamerican civilization. The Aztec Empire extended its reach through a combination of trade and military conquest, but was never a true territorial empire. It reached its maximum extent in 1519, just before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés.learn more on wikipedia