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AZTECS Growing Empire - from a territory called Aztlan (meaning place of reeds) - named Aztecs for the area Aztlan - called themselves Mexica or Tenochca Language - Nahuatl - words used today from their language include: - Acapulco, Mexico, avocado, chocolate, tomato Social Classes - 4 main classes - 1st class: upper class nobles (land owners) - 2nd class: commoners - farmed calpolli land made crafts & gave tribute to nobles in return for protection rd - 3 class: serfs: farmed nobles’ land - 4th class: slaves – captives in war; criminals; citizens unable to pay debt Aztec Society – clan was the basis of all Aztec society & government - clan comes from the word “calpolli” (meaning house) - Great Speaker – all powerful ruler at the top - rules governed how they dressed, what kind of houses they could live in, & what they ate - each calpolli owned most of their land - elected officials created a democracy - voted on important decisions - governed their lives - women could not vote - arranged marriages - could not marry in own clan Aztec Calendars Aztec Warriors - women became part of husband’s clan - 2 types - Lunar (Counting of the Days) - Solar (Counting of the Years) - Lunar calendar – based on phases of the moon - # of dots represented months - glyphs represented days - year started with the alligator - each of the 20 days had its own name - Solar calendar – similar to our calendar - used 52 year time periods to divide history like our 100 years (century) - believed they lived in the 5th time period - time periods known as “suns” (lived in 5th sun) - calendar – was a sun stone - 12 feet in diameter - weighed over 20 tons - sun god in the center - war was a way of life - importance reflected in religion, ceremonies, social structure, schooling, and dress - special war ceremony held at birth of boys - boys entered military training school at age 6 - boys became warriors at age 10 - warriors became Aztec citizens after capturing or killing 4 prisoners - becoming a jaguar or eagle knight was highest honor - shields: made of stone or reeds used in battle, given as gifts, or traded shield designs unique to each warrior - showed rank & feats of bravery Aztec Medicine - combination of religion, belief in magical powers, & the use of plants & herbs to make medicine - believed illnesses had 1 of 3 cause 1-punishment from an angry god or goddess 2-an enemy used black magic to cause it 3-natural causes - practiced magic to avoid illness - priests tended the sick - serious illnesses were treated by the “cure doctor” or “shaman” - rubbed body of patient to remove “magic dart” causing illness - used plants, roots, herbs, & barks to make medicines - rubbed parts of plant on skin to relieve aches & pains - patient inhaled fragrance of plant or smoke of burning plant - combined dried plants with liquids to make medicines Montezuma - great emperor of the Aztecs - helped empire grow - 2 theories for his death - some people believe that Cortes stabbed Montezuma to death - some people believe that the Aztec people were angry that Montezuma let Cortes take over without a fight because he believed Cortes was a God; so they stoned him to death Spanish - Hernando Cortes: leader of the Spanish explorers (conquistadors) Arrival - looking for gold riches & slave labor - conquer the Aztecs in 3 years with the help of enemy tribes - remaining Aztecs become slaves - wipe out Aztec civilization - victory due to better weaponry & disease (small pox) Spanish brought to Aztec cities killing many people