This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Mexico - Pre-Hispanic Age: Mexica Civilization

Mexica Empire, Triple Alliance

Last modified: 2004-07-31 by juan manuel gabino villascán
Keywords: mexico | aztec | mexica | tacuba | tlacopan | texcoco | labaro | cortés | nahuatl | amate | paper | pantli |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors


See:

See also:

The Nahuatl script: glyphs and amate

Nahuatl speaker use a symbolic (non-phonetic) "alphabet". The glyph in question was used to represent the city on written document but in the same way then writing down: "L-O-N-D-O-N".
Marc Pasquin, December 22, 2002.

Thank you Mr. Pasquin for clarifying this very important point. In other words, such glyphs used on pantlith, which were made of "amate" (from the nahuatl word "amatl", a tree ficus grabata of whose bark Mesoamerican peoples made a sort of yellowish paper named after it), should be understood something like "texts on flags". However, because such "pantlitl" were put at the entrance of the towns or cities, they could be also "signs" like those placed on roads.
For example:

  • Tenochtitlan: "written" or "spelled" in nahuatl is drawing a fruitful cactus over a stone at a lake. (the half of the present-day Mexico's coat of arms).
  • Mexico (Meshicco)-Tenochtitlan: the eagle plus Tenochtitlan (the current Mexico's coat of arms).
  • Tacuba (Tlacopan): Three flowers.
  • Azcapotzalco: an anthill.

By the way, because of the material (amate) the flags (pantlitl) were built, there is not physical or existent evidence of them. The main, and may be the only, sources about the matter are the pre-Hispanic and colonial chronicles and codex.

Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, December 25, 2002.

Mexica "Calpullis"

Mexico-Tenochtitlan was administrativelly divided into 20 calpullis, four of them were the most important ones and the political centers. Each had its own ensign, dressing, and organization.
The four main calpullis weres: Cuepopan, Moyotla, Soquiapan, and Atzacualco.
Out of these 20 calpullis, there is just pictogrphic testimony of the four main calpullis, accoding the Mendocine Codex
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, May 1, 2002