Download The Aztec - sheridanhistory

The Aztec
The Empire of Ancient Mexico
• The Aztecs were hunters
and gatherers who lived
in present day Mexico.
Just like the Maya, they
had sophisticated
Calendars. The
calendars would tell them
when to plant and
perform rituals. The
Aztec were fierce warriors
and eventually had the
largest empire in
Mesoamerica.
Geography
• The Aztec lived in the
high basin called the
Valley of Mexico.
Several shallow lakes
covered the basin
floor. The land was
fertile and the climate
was mild.
Aztec Capital
• Founded in 1325 on an
island in the middle of
Lake Texcoco. They
called it Tenochtitlan or
“place of the cactus fruit”
(The eagle and the
cactus). It was centrally
located, easy to defend,
provided good farmland
and allowed the Aztec to
strengthen their position
in the Valley.
Aztec Expansion
• In the early 1400’s, the
Aztec joined forces with 2
other city states in a pact
called the Triple Alliance.
With the help of their
allies, they conquered
most of the Valley of
Mexico. By 1502, under
Moctezuma, they reached
their height as an empire.
Way of Life
• Like the other
civilizations of the
Americas, the Aztec
were mostly farmers.
They were broken up
into 2 social classes:
Nobles and
Commoners. They
had schools, a written
language, and even
enjoyed poetry.
Way of Life - Agriculture
• The Aztec adapted to
their environment by
developing a farming
technique called
Chinampas. These
“floating gardens” were
created to produce food
for the whole population –
about 10 million in the
empire, 1 million in the
Valley of Mexico and
200,000 in Tenochtitlan
alone.
Religion/Sacrifice
• The Aztec were highly
trained warriors who were
dedicated to the practice
of war. Winning wars
allowed them to collect
Tribute. Tribute could be
goods or people. The
people (POW’s) could be
used for human sacrifice.
• The Aztec practiced
human sacrifice on a
HUGE scale…thousands
of people per year
(mostly POW’s) had their
hearts cut out in honor of
the gods. Priests would
perform these sacrifices
to appease the gods and
to ensure political control.
• In 1519 the Aztecs
came into contact
with Spanish
explorers led by a
man named Hernan
Cortes. The Spanish
eventually killed and
conquered the Aztecs
by joining forces with
other local tribes who
didn’t like the Aztecs.
• That’s All
Folks!!