Before Europeans arrived in the New World, all the people in Mexico were descended from the first inhabitants of the New World who migrated from Asia. The Aztecs shared certain physical characteristics with their Asian ancestors. Their skin tones ranged in color from tan to brown. Their faces were broad with prominent noses and dark eyes, and their hair was black and straight. The Aztecs were short in stature, the men averaging about five feet, seven inches, and the women about four feet, ten inches. Both men and women had strong physiques and were capable of great physical endurance and hard work.

Aztec Grooming and Fashion

Women wore their hair long, but on important occasions they braided it with colorful ribbons and wound it around their heads. Pictures of women in Aztec books show the ends of their...