Editing Tetzcoco (altepetl) (section)

== History ==
Tetzcoco was founded in the 12th century, on the eastern shore of [[Lake Texcoco]], probably by the [[Chichimec]]s.  In or about 1337, the [[Acolhua]], with [[Tepanec]] help, expelled Chichimecs from Tetzcoco and Tetzcoco became the Acolhua capital city, taking over that role from [[Coatlinchan]].

In 1418, [[Ixtlilxochitl I]], the ''[[tlatoani]]'' (ruler) of Tetzcoco, was dethroned by [[Tezozomoc (Azcapotzalco)|Tezozomoc]] of [[Azcapotzalco (altepetl)|Azcapotzalco]]. Ten years later, in 1428, Ixtlilxochitl's son, [[Nezahualcoyotl (tlatoani)|Nezahualcoyotl]] allied<ref name=Miguel>León-Portilla, M. 1992, 'The [[Broken Spears]]: The Aztec Accounts of the Conquest of Mexico.'' Boston: Beacon Press, {{ISBN|978-0807055014}}</ref>{{rp|xxxviii}} with the Mexica to defeat Tezozomoc's son and successor, [[Maxtla]].  Tetzcoco and the Aztecs of Tenochtitlan, with the [[Tepanec]]s of [[Tlacopan]], subsequently formalized their association as the [[Aztec Triple Alliance|Triple Alliance]].  However this was an uneven alliance as [[Tlacopan]] entered the battle against Azcapotzalco late. Tetzcoco thereby became the second-most important city in the eventual Aztec empire, by agreement receiving two-fifths of the tribute collected while Tlacopan received one-fifth.

Tetzcoco was known as a center of learning within the empire, and had a famed library including books from older [[Mesoamerica]]n civilizations.

[[File:Texcoco rattlesnake (Jami Dwyer).jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|left|[[Greenstone (archaeology)|Greenstone]] sculpture of a snake, from the [[National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico)|National Museum of Anthropology]].]]

===Palace, gardens and canal system===
Erected by the hill of [[Texcotzingo|Tetzcotzingo]], the royal residence had [[aqueduct (watercourse)|aqueducts]], baths, gardens, stairways and over 300 separate chambers.

The palace gardens were a vast botanical collection that included plants from not only the growing Aztec Empire but also the most remote corners of Mesoamerica. Remnants of the gardens still exist to this day and have recently been studied by a team of [[Discovery Channel]] scientists, who were able to demonstrate by means of modeling and computer simulation that the layout of the site had been carefully planned to be in alignment with astronomical events, with an emphasis on [[Venus]], and not simply aligned with the cardinal directions as previously assumed.

The water used to irrigate the gardens was obtained from the springs beyond the mountains to the east of Tetzcoco. The water was channeled through canals carved into the rock. In certain areas, rock staircases were used as waterfalls. After clearing the mountains, the canals continued downhill to a point a short distance from Tetzcotzingo. There the path to the city was blocked by a deep canyon that ran from north to south. Nezahualcoyotl ordered that the gap be filled with tons of rocks and stones, thus creating one of the major aqueducts in the New World.
{{clear}}

===Sacred hill===
The whole hill of Tetzcotzingo was also served by this canal system and converted by his designers into a sacred place for the rain god [[Tláloc]], complete with waterfalls, exotic animals and birds.

On the summit of the mountain he constructed a shrine to the god, laid out in hanging gardens reached by an airy flight of five hundred and twenty marble steps, a significant number, since according to Aztec mythology the gods have the opportunity to destroy humanity once every 52 years.