Download the aztecs

Maize, a type of corn, was the
Aztec's main food source. The
Aztecs also ate tomatoes,
avocados, atole (a type of
porridge), tortillas made from
maize, and tamales, a kind of
envelope made from steamed
maize stuffed with vegetables
or meat.
The Aztecs had an alcoholic
drink called octli. An octli
gatherer would take the sap
out of the maguey plant and
put it in a large jug. Then
they would let the sap rot
and then they would drink
it. Octli was reserved strictly
for nobles, royalty, and
warriors.
http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/food.html
The Aztecs were the first to serve chocolate as a drink,
but they also mixed it with hot chili pepper to make a
really special beverage. Try something exotic with your
hot chocolate today. You can always reduce the amount
of chili if it's too hot for you.
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 red chili pepper, split with seeds removed
1 cinnamon stick, around 3-4"
1 1/2 oz chocolate (bittersweet)
Preparation:
Simmer milk in a saucepan with vanilla bean, cinnamon
and chili. Heat through for about a minute. Whisk in
grated chocolate, and continue to simmer until melted.
Remove from heat and let 'steep' for another 10
minutes. Strain out the spices and serve. Serves 2.
This "Aztec invention" really came along
long before the time of the Aztecs. However,
it was the Aztecs that introduced it to the rest
of the world. Groups such as the Zapotec (of
Mexico) and Moche (of Peru) popped their
own corn long before the days of the
Aztecs. But when the Spanish arrived,
Hernan Cortes saw popcorn for the first
time. It was used as an ornament on
headdresses, and to adorn their god Tlaloc,
the god of maize and fertility. The Spanish
wrote that the Aztecs had "a kind of corn that
bursts when parched and discloses its
contents and makes itself look like a very
white flower".
Identifying the Aztec temples has
been a tricky job at times. It's
been easy to simply assume that
large, monumental structures such
as pyramids are all either palaces
or temples, but that may not be
the case. Still, we do have a good
understanding of what happened
in the religious areas and how the
many of the buildings looked
hundreds of years ago.
Maquahuitl
Perhaps the best known ancient
Aztec weapon is the maquahuitl
(macahuitl). This is sometimes
compared to the sword, and it was a
powerful, close contact weapon. Like
the European sword, they came in two
varieties - one handed and two
handed. Made from wood (usually
oak), they were about 3-4" wide and 34' long. The two handed versions
might be slightly wider and as tall as a
person. Embedded in the edges was
obsidian (volcanic stone) or flint.
The Aztec civilization was a
highly advanced and filled with
unique customs, a
comprehensive language, and
amazing technology. The history
of the Aztec civilization is one
that has long been admired and
studied by people around the
world.
Aztecs Sports
Games and sports were an important component of the
Aztec culture. Beyond providing the Aztecs with a means
of entertainment and activity, ancient Aztec games had a
religious meaning and were often played as a part of
their ritualistic ceremonies or during sacrifice.
The Aztec economy was very
specialized and intricate. A
variety of goods were produced
within the Aztec empire,
including tools, pottery,
figurines, jewelry, cloth, and
baskets. These goods were
either made specifically for the
ruler or sold in the local
markets.
As the empire grew and became strong, many
peoples became a part of the Aztec system. In the
world of the Aztecs, the gods had power over
people, through the leadership of the emperor and
nobles, and of course through the
priests. Interestingly, though, when it came to law,
religion was less of a factor than in most of Aztec
daily life. Practicality played a larger role.
There are many different forms of
attire worn by the aztec and other
Mesoamerican peoples that lived in
the Aztec empire. The clothing styles
preferred by the Aztecs were similar to
the clothing that was worn by many
other groups in Mexico and lots of
Mesoamerica. Like any other culture
the Aztecs were influenced by their
environment which makes there style
of clothing very noticble! The most
basic form of clothing that an Aztec
could wear was breechcloth, which
was called "maxtlatl."
-The breechcloth was a type of Loincloh which is a type
of material.
-This piece of material would normally be in the shape of a
rectangle, and it would be placed between the thighs of the
person who wore it.
-It was held together by either a belt or string.
-The primary purpose of the breechcloth was to conceal the
genitals.
-The Aztecs would often wear the breechcloth under a cloak or
cape, and this cloak would be called the tilmatli.
-The tilmatli was important to the Aztec, it was worn to
determine the staus of a person who wore it in society.
- Most of these cloths above were worn by aztec men. The
women wore blouses which was called the huipilli, and they also
wore a skirt called the cueitl.
- Another form of clothing that was very important to the Aztec
was sandals. The type of sandals you wore determined your
overall status in Aztec society. In most cases, only the men of the
nobility would wear sandals, and many of the commoners didn't
wear much foot wear.
Feathers played an important
role to the Aztec. The rich
feathers worn by the ancient
Aztecs have become world
famous. Jewelry was of very
important and a large amount of
gold worn by the Aztecs is
testament to the power and
strength of their empire. The
clothing worn by the Aztecs is
very distinct, and it is one of
their most best characteristics.
-Religion was a very important part in the Aztecs life.
-They believe that there everything they do and their actions could either please or
displease the Aztecs gods.
-In cases where they displeased the gods, they would capture people and offer them
as sacrifices.
-These people believed that if they made human sacrifices that it would make the
Gods happy and they would be rewarded with nourishment.
-The Aztecs were very committed to their beliefs; their beliefs were huge and varied
in many different ways.
-The Aztecs believed in heaven and hell. In fact, they believed in multiple heavens
and hells, 9 hells and 13 heavens to be exact.
-The Aztecs named and worshipped nearly 1000 Aztecs gods. However, the most
important god to the Aztecs was the sun god.
-One of the most celebrated religious days was the O'Nothing Days. During this time,
priests would get dressed up like gods and go to an extinct volcano to perform human
sacrifices.
-These sacrifices would occur when the evening star raised high in the sky. The
sacrifice would be placed over either a stone chosen just for this purpose or an altar. The victims' hearts would be set on fire and torn out of their chests. Once removed
from their bodies, it would be lifted toward the sun and placed in a dish that was
believed to be sacred.
-The bodies would be pushed down the stairs of the temple. Lots of people easily
gave up their bodies, because they believed that it was an instant ticket to heaven.
In the Aztec culture, their belief of having an afterlife was very strong. However,
in many Western religions they believe that it depended on how you lived. On
the other hand the Aztecs believed that how you died determined where you
would end up. Individuals would immediately go to the sun god after death if
they died fighting in a war. Women who died while giving birth to a child also
enjoyed this privilege. Individuals, who died for any other reason, had to travel
through the underworld before reaching the resting place of the dead.
-Languages similar to the Aztec language have existed in Central Mexico for
perhaps 1400 years.
-As early as 600AD, languages known as Nahuan were spoken by people in the
area.
They believe that the people that spoke these languages came from the north in
groups, settling in Mexico.
-Speakers of languages such as Nahuatl (the Aztec language) began to gain power,
and by 1000AD (CE) it is likely that Nahuatl speakers were the dominant power.
-One of the last Nahuatl speaking groups to come to the area was the Mexica, who
would become a powerful force in the founding of the Aztec empire.
-As the empire grew, so did the influence of Nahuatl (also called Classical Nahuatl,
Mexicano or Aztec).
-It was a language of trade, and a language of prestige. It was used in literature
extensively.
The Aztec people were certain
ethnic groups of central Mexico,
particularly those groups who
spoke the Nahuatl language
and who dominated large parts
of Mesoamerica in the 14th,
15th and 16th centuries, a
period referred to as the late
post-classic period in
Mesoamerican chronology.
Just a few of the Aztec
accomplishments have
been the development of
mathematics, the canoe,
the highly specialized Aztec
calendar, and remarkably
helpful forms of medicine,
hot chocolate, popcorn,
mandatory education.
The Aztecs where very important to us
today, they showed us many thing like ,
boats , popcorn , calendars , and hot
chocolate. These may not seem like
important things today , but just think
what would happen if we didn’t have
these basic things in life.
As Aztecs grew in people. So did it’s
military. But they still knew they
couldn’t be the most powerful alone.
So they would team up with other
tribes in the area.
By doing so they would form an
alliance and in time created an
empire that extended from
Central Mexico to the Guatemalan
border.
Religion in Military
The Military power was due in part
to religious belief in warfare then
opposed to war as being part of their
duty. They took warfare as serious
business to not just expand but to
bring prisoners for sacrifice to their
gods and goddesses.
The prisoners were used for less
important rituals. Where as for
major rituals they would use one
of their own warriors (Who would
volunteer himself) since it would
be ultimate honor for him to either
be slain in battle or sacrificed. As
for Prisoners….they are less
fortunate and forced into such
where they are stretched upon a
convex stone and had their heart
cut out with a very sharp knife.
Battles and wars
For fights to commence between armies
loud shouting and pounding of drums are
heard first. Aztec warriors wore costumes to
scare their enemies away. Jaguars and
eagles are only two of the costumes worn.
But the costumes also stated spiritual status
that these warriors had.
Capturing prisoners
In battle the Aztecs would not kill their
enemies in battle but slice at the opponents
legs so they could be easily captured. And
thus they were sacrificed.
Armor
It was easy to tell rank by the amount of
time put into the armor the warrior wore.
Higher ranks wore more ornate while
common warriors wore normal armor.
One common shield was chimalli it was
made of different kinds of materials and often
had feathers or other features in front.
Another common shield is called Ichahuipilli.
The shield was about to fingers thick and
was resistant to obsidian clubs and the Atlatl.
It was used by the warriors of higher ranking.
Training
Aztecs from birth are treated as
future warriors. A baby boy was cut
from it’s umbilical cord where it was
dried and buried in a battlefield. It was
meant that the boy would grow up
dedicated to war and training to be a
warrior. The right for passage was
capturing their first prisoner.
Weapons
In order for the Aztecs to be great
warriors they needed weapons.
They’re weapons consisted of slings,
bows and arrows, knives as the most
common however noble warriors had
different weapons from common
warriors that were sometimes harder
for the opponent to recover. However
darts and spears were the most
common of their weapons.
The art of the Aztecs like any
other culture and religion came
from it’s history. Techniques and
themes of the art was influenced
by hundred/thousands of years of
artistry in that part of the world.
Owning art
The commons were not allowed
to even own works of art. If only
you were creating or selling art
were you allowed, but some of the
art would have to go to the higher
classes. They were generallly the
keepers of precious objects in the
Aztec empire.
Themes
The themes were mostly
reflected around the variety of
creatures of the areas. Some
common themes were jaguars,
ducks, monkeys, snakes, deer
and dogs.
Another theme of their art
was reflected around their
religion where the gods were
often depicted and they often
resembled that of animals. The
drawings of gods were often
sharp, angular and brightly
colored.
Of course, a lot of the art that has
been preserved was religion
related. The gods were often
depicted, and they themselves
often resembled animals of
various kinds. The drawings of the
gods were often sharp and
angular, brightly colored. Art
would often show gods, or priests
dressed as gods in a ritual, or
Aztec warriors in their finery.
Aztec music and
highly specialized
dance were an
important part of
religious ceremonies.
They were creative
and made a wide
variety of
instruments. Their
music and dance were
heavily based on their
religion.
http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-language.html
http://www.aztec-history.net/aztec_religion
http://www.aztec-history.net/aztec_clothing
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_Are_Som
e_Aztec_Accomplishments
http://www.aztec-history.net/aztec_military
http://www.aztec-indians.com/aztec-music.html
http://www.aztec-indians.com/aztec-art.html