Download MCC Aztecs

The Aztecs
The Aztecs

A tribe of hunters and farmers
who migrated to the shores of
Lake Texcoco in the 1200s.

Founded Tenochtitlan in 1325.

Empire borders stretched from
the Gulf of Mexico to the
Pacific Ocean and as far south
as Guatemala.

Became a powerful tribe that
was skilled in the art of war.
Tenochtitlan

Capital city of the Aztec
empire.


Most modern city of the
time.
Empire grew to more
than 5 million at its peak.

Built on an island, in
Lake Texcoco, that had
been enlarged until it
was two square miles.

Had a population of half
a million people.

The city was connected
to the mainland by three
causeways/bridges.

Divided into four districts.

Modern day Mexico City
is built over the ruins of
Tenochtitlan.
Aztec Warfare

Aztecs conquered surrounding tribes and forced
them to pay large tributes.

Tribute = Taxes

Conquering other tribes allowed the Aztecs to
gain wealth and slaves for sacrifice.

The conquered peoples were not happy and
were easily convinced to revolt against the
Aztecs.
Aztec Government
 As
the civilization grew, they formed citystates that were governed by an emperor.
A
council of nobles always chose the
emperor from members of the royal family.

The most important emperor was Montezuma.
Montezuma

Became emperor in 1502.

Built many temples, water
conduits, and hospitals.

Expanded the empire as far south
as Honduras.

Even though the other
conquered tribes disliked him,
he was thought of as a great
ruler by the Aztecs.

Brought the Spaniards to
Tenochtitlan.
Religion

Polytheistic – many gods

Each village and each occupation had its own
patron god.

Worshipped over 60 gods and goddesses – some
helpful, some harmful.

To win favor from the helpful gods, the Aztecs
made offerings to them.

Sometime these offerings were human
sacrifices.

Pyramids were used as Temples.

Sacrifices were made on an altar at the top of
the pyramid.

Blood would run down the steps.

Most sacrificial victims were prisoners of war.
Quetzalcoatl – God of learning and the
priesthood, also god of arts and crafts
Huitzilopochtli – Sun god an god of war, chief
god of the town of Tenochtitlan
Tlaloc – Rain god, most important to farmers
Homoyoca – Ancient Sun god
Advanced Civilization
 Aztecs



had . . .
Mathematical system to maintain their empire
Calendar systems to organize their empire
Farming system was very efficient

Developed irrigation systems to help their crops grow
during dry periods.
Aztec Calendar

Used two types of calendars.



The lunar calendar had 260 days


Lunar = based on the moon
Solar = based on the sun
Divided into 13 months, each month having 20 days.
The Lunar calendar was considered magical and
used to decide which days would be used for
religious ceremonies and rituals.
Aztec Calendar

The solar calendar had 365 days



Divided into 18 months, each month having 20 days.
This calendar helped them determine planting and
harvesting times.
The extra five days were “nothing” days added
to the end of each year and were considered
unlucky.


No activities were performed during the “nothing”
days.
At the end of the 5 days the Aztecs gave a sacrificial
victim to the gods.
Aztec Calendar Stone
* Discovered in 1790
* 12 feet in diameter and weighs 20 tons
Solar Calendar
Lunar Calendar
Aztec Calendar
The image of the Sun
god Tonatiuh is
carved in the center
of the Aztec calendar
stone.
Other carvings
represent the Aztec
days and religious
symbols.
Each month was
represented by a dot.
The individual days
were given a specific
name and symbol.
Art

Art used religious subjects and themes.

The best remaining examples of Aztec art
are architecture and sculpture.

Used stone, wood, jade, turquoise,
metal, emerald, and volcanic glass.

Most Aztec gold treasures no longer exist
as they were taken and melted down to
reuse the gold.

Many buildings and pieces of artwork
were destroyed by the Spanish.

Aztecs also made pottery and woven cloth.
Aztec Sports

Tlachtli is a ball game that was played during religious
ceremonies.

Court Requirements



The object of the game was to put the ball through the
ring.


Played on a court. In the shape of a capital “I.”
A vertical stone ring was in the middle of the side walls.
They used a hard, rubber ball. This ball could only be moved by
the players’ hips, knees, legs, and elbows.
This game was used to determine who was to be
sacrificed next.

THE WINNERS!!!!
Agriculture

Slash and burn method.

Terraces and Canals

Chinampas were small islands formed
in lake and swamp area.

Made by digging mud at the
bottom of the lake or swamp and
piling it into little mounds.

Sometimes called floating gardens,
even though they did not really
float.

Common foods



Corn (Maize), beans, squash
Sweet potatoes, tomatoes, papayas,
Rubber, cotton and cacao beans
Language

Had no alphabet.

Wrote in glyphs (pictures).

Paper was made from the bark of
the wild fig tree.

The bark was soaked and
beaten into sheets.

These sheets were coated with
a varnish and stuck together.

They were then folded like an
accordion (codex).

Spoke Nahuatl.

Some Aztec words

Acapulco, Mexico, avocado,
chocolate, and tomato.
The END of the Aztecs

1519

Spanish conquistador
Hernan Cortes lands on
eastern coast of Mexico
looking for gold
• Conquistador = Spanish
explorer or soldier


Had 11 ships, 500 soldiers,
1000 sailors and 16 horses
In order to prevent his men
from leaving, he burned his
ships.
• Success or death.

Cortes trained his men and
nearby natives that disliked the
Aztecs.

By the time he reached
Tenochtitlan, he had 1500
fighters . . . 1000 were
natives.
Cortes & the Aztecs

The Aztecs saw Cortes and his men, and
believed that he was an Aztec god,
Quetzalcoatl, who had returned to earth.

He was taken back to Montezuma (emperor)
and Tenochtitlan, where he saw what he
called “the city of gold”.

Cortes was given gold in the hopes that
he would take the gifts and leave.

After two years of struggle, Cortes and the
Spanish were able to defeat the Aztecs in
1521.

During this time, Montezuma was a
prisoner in his own palace.

Cortes hoped he could rule the Aztecs if
he kept their leader hostage.

240,000 Aztecs were killed, and the city was
destroyed.
How were the Spanish able to
conquer the Aztecs so easily?

Guns

Cannons

Horses

Thought the men and their
horses were one creature.

European diseases

Smallpox

1520 – thousands died

The Aztec enemies helped the
Spanish
Life after the Aztecs

Major consequence of the Spanish conflict with the
Aztecs . . .
 Creation of a new Spanish empire by the end of the
1500’s.
 Stretched from the southern tip of California to
the tip of South America.

Thousands of colonists moved from Spain to settle in
the New World.
 Influenced religion, customs and trade.