The exact beginning of the Aztec civilization is not clearly documented, but it is believed that they originated as a nomadic tribe in northern Mexico in the 13th century. The Aztecs settled in the Valley of Mexico, where they eventually founded their capital city of Tenochtitlan, on an island in Lake Texcoco. They formed alliances with neighboring tribes and began to expand their power and influence in the region through military conquest and diplomacy. The Aztec civilization reached its peak in the 15th and early 16th centuries, before being conquered by the Spanish conquistadors led by Hernan Cortes in 1521.
