The Market That Dwarfed Rome: Tlatelolco's Aztec Tianguis

When Spanish conquistadors first stepped into the great market of Tlatelolco, they were stunned by an order and abundance that rivaled anything in Europe. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the intricate world of the Aztec tianguis — a massive bazaar that served 60,000 shoppers daily. They examine the role of the pochteca, the merchant-spies who traveled vast trade networks; the cacao bean economy that served as currency; and the strict regulatory system enforced by judges at the market. The conversation also touches on how the market reflected Tenochtitlan’s social hierarchy, from the noble pipiltin to the common macehualtin, and how Spanish chroniclers like Bernal Díaz del Castillo recorded it. Finally, they discuss the market’s fate after the conquest and its echoes in modern Mexico’s tianguis tradition. #AztecMarket #Tlatelolco #Pochteca #CacaoCurrency #BernalDiaz #FlorentineCodex #Tianguis #Tenochtitlan #Mesoamerica #AztecEconomy #Nahuatl #Conquistadors #Macehualtin #Pipiltin #Cortes #History #FexingoHistory #AztecCivilization Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo