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Aztecs
Introduction ( do not copy this slide,
just discuss)
 The Aztecs had a legend. They believed that one day they would spot an
eagle, perched on a cactus, holding a snake. When they saw this, it would
be the signal that they had found a place to call home. There, they would
settle down forever. Part of the legend was that their gods had told them to
settle down peacefully and build a capital city before they did anything
else.
 That's what they did. One day, a priest saw an eagle, perched on a cactus,
holding a snake in its mouth! He could not believe his eyes. He ran back to
the Aztec camp to tell his people what he had seen. This happened in the
Valley of Mexico, along the swampy shores of Lake Texcoco.
The legend….cactus, eagle, snake
Geography & Environment Interaction
 Developed on island in Lake Texcoco
 Developed Chinampas- floating gardening beds for growing crops
 They built canoes so they could hunt and fish.
 They created medicines from the many plants they found in the area
 They built dikes to hold back water in the swampy areas
 Question- why do we build dams? What purpose does this serve greater than holding
back water?
 They built their beautiful capital city on a swamp, thanks to the skills of their
engineers.
 Capital city Tecochtitlan which is now modern day Mexico city
 Made up of city states
Food Production
 Aztecs did not have cows, sheep, or goats.
 They grew chili peppers, corn, tomatoes, beans, and squash on the floating
gardens (Chinampas) they built on the marshy waters.
 They fished.
 They collected eggs, edible flowers, ate insects such as grasshoppers,
lizards, frogs, salamanders, and ants.
What is a Chinampa?
The floating gardens were actually rafts. The
rafts were anchored to the bottom of the lake,
or to a strong tree in the marsh.
They piled vegetation and reeds on top of the
raft to help provide good soil and drainage.
 On top of this, they piled dirt. They planted
seeds in the dirt and grew their crops.
Government
 The Aztecs were ruled by an emperor who was believed to be chosen
by the Gods
 The emperor lived in the palace in the capital city.
 There were many cities in the Aztec empire.
 A noble was in charge of each city but had to answer to the emperor
 Like the Mayas, they had several city states who ran thing there on way
day to day
 All people in every city state lived by the same laws, if you broke a low
punishment was harsh, mostly death
 All city states had to pay a Tribute to the Emperor
O Upward mobility for commoners was possible based on superior service
especially in war
Emperor (incarnation of
sun god)
Social Structure
 O
o Nobles, Warriors &
priests
CommonersCraftsmen,
merchants, traders,
farmers
Unskilled workersFarm laborers
Slaves
Economy (money, growth of
civilization)
Agricultural in origin
Development of specialization of labor
 Trade grows as artisans & craftsmen sell their
goods
Wealth from trade and tributes paid by
conquered peoples supported the empire
Religion
 Polytheistic
 Had ceremonial temples
 That's why worshiping their gods was a big part of Aztec daily life, and why their
priests were especially important in the Aztec culture. The priests told the
people how to behave so they would not anger their gods.
 All Aztec priests were religious leaders. Some were active in government. Some
acted as teachers. Some created the many records the Aztecs kept, written in
hieroglyphics.
 Believed in Human Sacrifice-believed necessary to prevent gods from
destroying the world increased the importance of war, as victims captured in
war were sacrificed…...more men were sacrificed than women
 The Aztecs built temples to honor their gods. Temples provided a place for the
music of worship, a place for the private ceremony of personal bloodletting,
and a place to conduct the many human sacrifices that the Aztecs believed
were necessary to keep their gods happy
Achievements
Chinampas
Architecture
Jewelry
writing
Calendar
Arrows & use of poison
Fall of an Empire
Tribute states joined forces with Spanish
explorers, led by Cortes’, to overthrow the
Aztec emperor,
Role of smallpox in weakening the empire
Technology in warfare gives Spanish upper
hand