The Aztec civilization was a powerful Mesoamerican culture that thrived in central Mexico from the 14th to the 16th centuries. Known for their impressive architecture, the Aztecs built grand cities like Tenochtitlán, which was located on an island in Lake Texcoco. They developed a complex society with a rich tradition of art, religion, and agriculture, relying heavily on the cultivation of crops such as maize. The Aztecs practiced a polytheistic religion, worshipping numerous gods, including Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, and Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent deity. Their society was organized into a strict hierarchy, with an emperor at the top, followed by nobles, priests, and commoners. The arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the early 16th century led to the decline of the Aztec Empire.