Download AZTECS “Amid the jangle of bells bound to the ankle, the dust rises

AZTECS
“Amid the jangle of bells bound to the ankle, the dust rises like smoke.” Aztec War Poem
Key Words:
Tenochtitlan
chinampas
tribute
Teotihuacan
Tula
Aztlan
Key People:
Mexica/Aztecs
Huitzilopochtli
Tlacaelel
Tezcatlipoca
Tlaloc
Quetzalcoatl
Montezuma I
Monetzuma II
Bernal Diaz
Hernan Cortes
Facts:
Texcoco, the lake surrounding the Aztec capital city, produced a food that was nutritious and delicious
(salty to the taste) called tecuitlatl. Tecuitlatl is a form of algae that we can still find today at health food
stores and is called spirulina.
A popular Aztec board game was called patolli. The board, similar to the game we know as parches, had
a criss-cross pattern across which pieces were moved. Betting on games was a common pastime and
conquest accounts say some were addicted to the game. Addicts would walk around with their dice,
sitting mat, ready to play at any time.
Just prior to the Spanish arrival the population of Mexico is estimated to have been 25 million, followed
by a decline of 95% over the following 80 years.
The threat of a scarcity of resources was a crucial factor in the development of the Aztec social
organization.
The militaristic nature of Aztec society defined the bases of authority in the society.
The superior military skills of the Aztecs allowed them to dominate the Valley of Mexico during the 15th
Century.
Aztec culture and society were shaped by external influences both from the past and from their
contemporaries.
Questions:
How were the Maya lowlands different from the Valley of Mexico?
How were the Aztecs able to make the lands of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco habitable?
Can people who make human sacrifices be considered a civilization?
Describe how the arrival of the Spanish altered the natural environment around the ancient city of Tula?
Outline the events that took the Aztecs from Aztlan to become rulers of central Mexico.
Explain the connection between the widespread practice of human sacrifice and Aztec legends and
religious beliefs.
Why were the legal codes governing behavior more severe for the Aztec nobility than for commoners?
Explain how the education of Aztec boys and girls differed.
How did clothing reflect the social hierarchy of Aztec society?
Explain how the Aztec view of time differed from ours.
Explain three ways that goods were exchanged within the Aztec Empire.
How was the city of Tenochtitlan like and unlike the Italian city of Venice?
To a large degree the prosperity of the Aztecs was dependent on nature. Assess how successful the
Aztecs were at adapting to their natural environment. Include at least two specific examples.
List in order of importance the three major reasons the Aztecs were able to quickly build the dominant
empire in central Mexico, and give justifications for your answer.
Create a diagram illustrating the social hierarchy of Aztec society. Include all 9 groups.
Write a news story for the Aztec Chronicle explaining the events of November 8, 1519. Make sure your
story has an effective title and follows the proper format for a newspaper article.