This is a map of movement –a cartographic history of the migration of the Aztec from Aztlán to Tenochtitlan. It’s the only map of its kind thought to exist.

The footprints on the map tell the story of the places passed on the migration. Alongside the glyph for each location are symbols representing the amount of time spent in each place.

The original migration of the Aztec from the mythical Aztlán to Tenochtitlan marks the historical and symbolic evolution of the Aztec people: their blessing by the gods, founding events in their history, their heroes and leaders, and finally and their settlement on the island, from where they eventually dominated their world.

The community that produced the map has not been identified with certainty, but scholars believe it most likely was Chapultepec in the 1500s. So while it’s a significant item in the historical record, it also leaves us with as many questions as it does answers.