Download Part II : Document Based Questions

NAME: _________________________ DO THE ESSAY
 Describe 3 parts of Aztec civilization
 Give an overall evaluation of whether Aztec culture was barbaric or civilized use facts to
support your answer
Document #1: Society
“When we saw all this beauty, we didn’t know what to think, and we doubted whether all that
we saw was real. A series of large towns stretched themselves out along the banks of the lake
Texcoco. Many canoes (boats) were in the water everywhere around us. We passed over
bridges and before us lay the great city of Mexico (Tenochtitlan) in all its splendor (glory).”
-Bernal Diaz del Castillo, The Conquest of New Spain
Question #1: Describe the author’s impression of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan.
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Document #2: Economy
“Everyday 60,000 people gather here to buy and sell goods. Everything is available
including food, clothes, gold silver, leather, bone, mussels, coral, cotton. In the main market
there is a law court. “
-Hernando Cortes, Letters of Information
Question#2: Explain why the economy (business) of the city of Tenochtitlan would be
considered advanced for its time.
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Document #3 Religion
“The Aztec practice of human sacrifice (offering to the gods) was an important part of their
religion. Human blood was the correct food for the gods. It was believed that the sun, especially
needed human blood in order to survive and rise again. The fear that human sacrifices helped the
Aztec Empire keep their power. Most sacrifice victims included people captured during war and
criminals.
There were many different sacrifice techniques. Rain rituals (ceremonies) involved killing
children hoping that their tears would bring rain. Springtime rituals included priests wearing the
skins of the whipped victims. Other ceremonies involved shooting arrows into captives that
were tied up. The most common form of sacrifice was to march or drag male captives up the
steps of a pyramid, where they were stretched across a sacrificial stone while four priests held
the arms and legs and another priest stabbed a black stone (obsidian) knife into the chest and
pulled out his beating heart.”
-Robert Miller, Mexico: A History
Question #3: Describe the reasons for human sacrifice and explain the different forms of human
sacrifice.
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Document #4 Religion
AZTEC HUMAN SACRIFICE RITUAL
Question #4: How would you describe the Aztec human sacrifice ritual
shown above?
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Document #5: Aztec Farmins
To produce enough food to support their population, the Aztec constructed
chinampas or floating gardens, in swampland and shallow water. The Aztec
capital of Tenochtitlan was built on an island in the middle of lake Texcoco
(which later dried up and is now the site of Mexico City), limiting the amount of
available dry farmland. This 16-th century painting shows farmers making a
chinampa by laying soil on top o a wood frame floating in the water. In the top
right corner there is a close up of chinampas floating in the lake Texcoco.
Document #5: Why is creating a new way to farm advanced?
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ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS
Aztec Drawing Human Sacrifice
On the same day Diaz was wounded by an arrow
as he stood up to the waist in water fighting with
the Indians in canoes. He never makes much account
of any of his wounds, but sets them down just as
he sets down any other detail of his life. As they
were struggling on the causeway on the evening of
the same day, once more the melancholy sounding
drum was beaten on the great temple, and from
a platform high up upon the building came the noise
of cymbals and of horns. When they looked up they
saw a sight which, fighting as they were against great
odds, must have made their blood run cold and sent
a chill deep down into their hearts. Ten or twelve
Spaniards were driven up with blows and kicks before
the statue of the great god of war called Huichilobos ;
feathers were stuck upon their heads, and then, with
160 BEKNAL DIAZ
blows from instruments like flails, 1 they made them
dance before the idols. After they had danced they
threw them down and cut their hearts out with sharp
knives made of flints, and offered them before the
statues of their gods.
The Indians kicked their bodies down the temple
steps to where the butchers stood, who cut them up
like sheep. Their flesh was eaten, stewed with red
pepper, 2 at a banquet, and the wild beasts devoured
their entrails. " These cruelties all of us saw from
our own camp. . . . The careful reader may imagine
for himself how it affected us and how each one of us
gave thanks to God that he had not been carried
off that day and sacrificed." 3