Download Mesoamerica Aztecs

Mesoamerica
Aztecs
What Will we learn?
 Environment
 Cities
 Language/Writing
 Economy
 Government
 Religion
 Achievements
Peak of Aztec Power
 Roughly 1325-
1521
The Aztecs
Aztecs
 Video (0:00 – 12 Mins)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZyB47qGXoI
The Aztecs
 Environment
 Valley of Mexico
 7,500 ft above sea level
 Fertile soil
 Several shallow lakes
 Lake Texcoco
The Aztecs
 Cities
 Teotihuacan
 Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan – Templo Mayor (Great Temple)
Tenochtitlan – Extra Information
 As the empire grew, so
did the
temple/pyramid.
 Expanded the structure
and covered over it.
 Temple was rebuilt on
the same location 7x.
Tenochtitlan – Templo Mayor (Great Temple)
Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan – Human Sacrifices
 Aztec were FAR more into human sacrifices than the Mayans.
 Became almost like a “frenzy”.
 Institutionalized / Ritualistic
 Literally believed that the sun would not rise if they did not have
human sacrifices.
 Blood = Precious water. Most valuable thing to offer to the gods
and they needed blood in large quantities.
Tenochtitlan – Human Sacrifices
 Sacrifice
 Altar
 Running blood
 Channels
 Heart placed as an offering
 People captured from other villages, tribes, prisoners
 Ripped out the beating heart with an obsidian blade
 Decapitated the person after sacrifice
Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan – Figurines Found in the Temple
Tenochtitlan
 Military Dominance
 Fiercest Fighters
 Killing on the battlefield
became an art form.
The Aztecs
 Lang/Writing
Pictographs or glyphs
Not a complete writing system that can
communicate all things
The Aztecs
 Economy
 Demanded tribute from those they conquered
 Traded Obsidian
The Aztecs
 Gov’t
 Created Triple Alliance with:
 Texcoco
 Tlacopan

Ruled from the Atlantic to the Pacific and south to Guatemala
 Emperor/King at the top – absolute power
 Claimed lineage with the gods and ruled over everyone else
 Power weakens under Montezuma
The Aztecs
 Religion
 Based on belief of the struggle
between good and evil
 Polytheistic – over 1,000 gods
 Offerings to the gods:
 Dramas
 Songs
 Dances
 Sacrifice to the Sun God- Cut out human hearts
Teotihuacan Aztec Pyramids (Sun and Moon)
At the top of the Sun Pyramid
The Aztecs
 Achievements
 2 main calendars
 Planned city of Tenochtitlan
 Causeways or bridges to city
 Chinampas: Floating Gardens
Decline of the Aztecs
 Spanish conquistadors led by Hernando Cortes conquered the
Aztecs.
 Aztec leader Moctezuma II was killed.
 Mexico speaks Spanish today because of the conquistadors.
 Modern day Mexico city was literally built right on top of
Tenochtitlan.