ABSTRACT
The primary function of water among the Hohokam was providing a livelihood based on large-scale farming and for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. In the Aztec world water would have a similar function, but also—in and around its capital city of Tenochtitlan—it would constitute a central means for defense of the city and also serve as the major mode of transportation for access to other resources and for trade. In Aztec religion, Chalchiuhtlicue was the water goddess and wife of the rain god Tlaloc. Rain was an essential part of life, especially in arid regions of Mexico. Tenochtitlan was the capital city and religious center of the Aztecs. The Central Valley of Mexico and adjacent valleys to the north, east, and west are part of the Central Mexican Plateau comprising several ecological zones. The Mexica returned to Chapultepec but were defeated again, with refugees escaping to the countryside while their leader was taken to Culhuacan to be sacrificed.
