The sacrifices, involving animals and humans – usually war prisoners, taken from the losing sides of battles – were aimed at appeasing the gods, ‘feeding’ the deities to ensure prosperity and ward off danger. To be fair, this view is not without merit – literally hundreds of thousands of human skulls, believed to come from victims of human sacrifice, have been discovered at Aztec religious sites. The Aztecs are widely known for their ruthless, brutal ritual sacrifices. The end of the Empire’s reign came in 1521 in the form of Spanish conquistadors, who captured Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, overthrowing the Aztec Empire once and for all.

By the 15 th century, the Aztec Empire was the dominant force in the area.

The Aztecs rapidly expanded their territory and influence – their language, Nahutal, became the common language in central Mexico by as early as the mid-1350s. They were also known as the Tenochca or the Mexica. Most sources agree that the Aztecs were originally a nomadic tribe from northern Mexico, who arrived to settle in Mesoamerica at the beginning of the 13 th century. Not much is known about this ancient civilization.

This is why in this article, we’re going to focus on tribal tattoos of the Aztec civilization. Nowadays, however, designs inspired by specific tribes are gaining in popularity. Until relatively recently, tribal tattoos were seen in modern cultures as mostly generic – abstract patterns of spiky lines. Looking for some Aztec tattoo inspiration? Don’t miss these stunning design ideas!

Tribal body paint arms