Almost 500 years on, the impact of Spanish conquistadores can be seen in the tall, ornate churches that crown the hillsides and plazas of Mexico’s cities and whitewashed walls of haciendas. But traces of earlier inhabitants remain in the remarkable temples and pyramids at Palenque and Teotihuacán, and in the traditions of dozens of indigenous cultures. Accompanying it all are the subtle spices of Mexico’s famous tortillas, tamales and enchiladas, washed down with bold red wines and heady tequila and mescal.
Mexico’s earliest known civilisation was the Olmec in the second century BC, a Mayan culture advanced in religion, architecture and mathematics, who reached their height between AD 600-900. The Toltecs were the predominant civilisation of this time. The Aztec Empire controlled vast territories from the Yucatán peninsula to the Pacific, with over 370 individual nations under their authority. Ruling from their capital city, Tenochtitlan, the Aztecs demanded heavy tribute from their subjects, which caused some to side with Cortés. The other factor on Cortés’ side was the lucky coincidence that 1519 was the exact year when legend had it that the Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl, would return from the east and so Cortés was mistaken for a god. After two years of fighting, the Aztecs were defeated. Mexico later achieved independence after the wars of 1810-21.
