Download What do we need to know about the Aztecs?

The Aztecs
 What do you remember about the
Aztecs?
The Aztecs: People of
the Sun
Aztec Empire:
Present Day Mexico
Dates: 1325 – 1521
The Aztecs
What do we need to know about the
Aztecs?
 When? Where?
 What were the most important features
of their customs, rituals, and social life?
 Most important (types of) leaders?
 Describe life in Tenochtitlan, their
capital city?
Customs
Aztec Marriage
 When a boy is in his late teens or early
20’s, his family invited his teacher to
dinner.
 Parents gave the teacher an ax – to
symbolically “cut” the boy free from
school!
 Now the boy can marry!
Aztec Marriage (cont.)
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Marriages were
arranged.
Bride: red paint on her
face; red feathers
pasted on arms and legs.
Strongest/oldest
female relative carried
her to the man’s house
for the wedding.
Their clothes were tied
together!
Now they are married.
Aztec Marriage (cont.)
The Marriage Vows
Bride told to trust her husband,
take care of him, and obey him.
Groom told to be hardworking,
thoughtful, and to think of her
and her family before himself.
He can take other wives later,
but the first is his most important
Aztec Crime & Punishment
 Laws: Based on religion
– Polytheistic; Gods of nature (mostly)
 Crime not a big problem since people
didn’t want to offend the gods
 Elders were most respected.
–They were the judges!
 If guilty, punishment happens right away
 And what might that punishment be?!
Aztec Crime & Punishment
(cont.)
What were some examples of punishments for
specific crimes?
Sold poorly made goods?
– Goods taken and destroyed!
 Stole something?
– Pay back 3 times the price or become a slave!
 Keep committing crimes?
– Death! Could be drowned or skinned alive!
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Then….
There were the
sacrifices to the Sun
Gods!
Aztecs: People of the Sun
Sacrifices
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The Sun needed to be given
blood to survive
Victim could be drowned,
beheaded, burned, skinned
alive or
Heart could be cut out! And
it needed to be still beating!
At times, the man who was
sacrificed had his body
painted white and wore a black
mask signifying the starstudded night. It was believed
that he would reinforce with his
Aztec Recreation
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Most popular game
was…
Ollamaliztle:
Combination of
soccer and basketball.
 Could only touch the
ball with thighs, knees,
buttocks
 Sometimes…the losers
would be killed!
Aztec Warfare
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Aztecs honored war and
its warriors
From age 12, boys taught
how to fight.
At age 17, Aztec boy in
army for 5 years at no pay!
More enemies captured,
more rewards.
Idea was to capture enemy
if you could; not to kill him.
Why?
Aztec Education
Two kinds of schools
 ‘One run by priests for
the sons of nobles.
– Taught to be rulers
and high priests
 Another for the sons of
peasants
– Taught to be warriors
 Girls stayed at home.
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Aztec Social Classes
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Seven different social classes
– in this order – top to bottom:
The ruler, his family, and other
nobles.
priests
warriors
middle class merchants
craftsmen
peasants
slaves
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Review of the Aztecs
In what part of the world was it? ___________
When was it? __________________
Who were the most important leaders? _________
What was unique (special) about Tenochtitlan,
its capital city? _________________________
What was the Aztec religion? _______________
What were some of their customs and daily
activities?
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
What was their education like?
_____________________________________