Aztec Rising

Written by Miguel Jimenez | 25 September 2008

The Aztecs surely had some tough names to pronounce, but once you take a virtual tour of their empire through The Field Museum’s The Aztec World exhibit, you’ll want to train your tongue to tell your friends all about the god of war and other deities in this once-in-a-lifetime display of ancient Aztec treasures.

The Aztec World (opening Oct. 26) offers visitors the opportunity to view nearly 300 artifacts from distinguished museums in the United States and Mexico, including the Field’s own collection. The exhibit is special not only because it will exclusively show at the Chicago museum, but because it will pay the Aztecs their long overdue tribute through an all-encompassing exhibit of the rise and fall of their civilization. It respectfully covers the Aztecs 200 years of growth from a nomadic group to one of the most dynamic societies of all time.

Curated with the intention to provide visitors a tour through the empire, the exhibit’s journey begins at Lake Texcoco. (Brief history lesson: While in Aztlán, the debated ancestral home of the Aztecs, a god by the name of Huitzilopochtli [pronounced, wee-tsee-loh-POCH-tlee] advised its people to establish their city wherever they found an eagle devouring a serpent. That place was Lake Texcoco, where the city-state of Tenochtitlán was later built.)

Visitors are welcome into the exhibit by Tlaloc, god of rain, depicted on a blue pot with the fangs of a jaguar. This part of the exhibit focuses on the importance of Aztec gods. It transitions into a detailed look at the life of those Aztecs we hear very little about — farmers, artisans and merchants.

An up-close look at these common folks is made possible through the use of figures of family members and their prized possessions — including a vessel in the form of a drunken rabbit lying on its side, humorously made to store pulque, an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of the maguey plant. Other eye-grabbing artifacts include the “Eagle Man” in the “Warrior” section of the exhibit. Co-curator Gary Feinman urges visitors not to miss it — and he’s right. This life-size warrior of barbed wings and a face guarded in an eagle’s mouth, along with its significance in Aztec society, puts any blockbuster superhero to shame.

And just as striking is another life-size figure of the god of the dead, Mictlantecuhtli [Meekt-lahn-te-koot-ly]. The beautifully crafted figure leans over as his liver escapes his body out through his chest. It will stare at you with its round blank eyes and a long grin, innocently displaying its palms. Don’t stare back too long, after all it did receive blood sacrifices from the Aztecs.

The journey doesn’t end there. Closer to Tenochtitlán, visitors get a glimpse of the lives of the rich and famous. This gallery not only offers a chance to see some of the glamorous objects that were gifted to rulers, but it also provides a detailed description of the dutiful ruler position.

These exquisite art pieces, accompanied by rich stories intertwined with the history of the Aztecs, are what make the exhibit both visually exciting and educational. The Aztec World highlights the participation of every member of the community in Aztec society — giving visitors the chance to not only be amazed, but to draw parallels between the lives of some of the Aztecs and their own.

The Field Museum’s ability to gather such artifacts under one roof gives viewers a unique opportunity to view extremely sacred items up-close. With all its excellence, The Aztec World demonstrates the need for more exhibits of its kind in a country with a growing population of Latinos — urging other museums to put Latin American history on the main stage.

Here’s your chance to take yourself back hundreds of years to the Aztec empire. You can’t miss out on The Aztec World.

For more information, visit www.fieldmuseum.org