The religion of the Aztec civilization which flourished in ancient Mesoamerica (1345-1521 CE) has gained an infamous reputation for bloodthirsty human sacrifice with lurid tales of the beating heart being ripped from the still-conscious victim, decapitation, skinning and dismemberment. All of these things did happen but it is important to remember that for the Aztecs the act of sacrifice - of which human sacrifice was only a part - was a strictly ritualised process which gave the highest possible honour to the gods and was regarded as a necessity to ensure mankind's continued prosperity.
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Timeline
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c. 1345 - 1521The Aztec civilization flourishes in Mesoamerica.
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1351New Fire Ceremony celebrated by the Aztecs.
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1403New Fire Ceremony celebrated by the Aztecs.
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1455New Fire Ceremony celebrated by the Aztecs.
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1487The Templo Mayor is completed at Tenochtitlan and inaugurated with the sacrifice of 20,000 captives.
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1507New Fire Ceremony celebrated by the Aztecs.
