Download Tenochtitlan

Aztecs
• The first Aztecs were farmers from northern
Mexico.
• Migrated south around the 1100s.
• All that was left for the Aztecs was a swampy
island in the middle of Lake Texcoco.
• The Aztecs lived in what is known as the
Valley of Mexico in central Mexico.
Tenochtitlan
• Tenochtitlan was the capital city of the
Aztec Empire.
Legend of Tenochtitlan
The gods told the Aztecs to search for an
eagle holding a snake in its beak perched
atop a cactus. This is where they were to
build their capital city. The Aztecs saw
this sign on a swampy island in lake
Texcoco.
Legend of Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan
• Today, Tenochtitlan
is Mexico City
How did the Aztecs build a city in
the center of a lake?
• Tenochtitlan was built on an island
– Travel and trade difficult.
• To make it easier to get to and from their city, the Aztecs built
three wide causeways to connect the island to the shore.
– Raised roads across water or wet ground
– Made of rocks covered with dirt.
• Tenochtitlan was surrounded by water, but the water was
undrinkable.
– Built a stone aqueduct, or channel, to bring fresh water to
the city.
• The city’s island location also limited land
available for farming.
• Built “floating gardens” called chinampas.
• Made by putting soil on rafts anchored to
trees in the water.
• Surrounded a central island that was the heart
of the city.
• The Aztecs also controlled a huge trade
network.
• Towns had a market where local farmers and
artisans brought their goods to trade.
• Luxury goods such as gems and rare food.
Government
• The Aztecs created an empire through
conquest
• Conquered people and local rulers had to
pay tribute to the Aztecs
• The Aztecs had an emperor
• The Aztec Emperor’s main job was to lead
in war
• Aztecs were polytheistic
• Huitzilopochtli was
the main Aztec god.
(weets se lo poch tlee)
• The Aztecs built massive temples and
pyramids dedicated to their gods
Pyramid of the Sun
Pyramid of the Moon
• Human sacrifice was a common practice of the Aztecs.
• For the reconsecration of Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan
in 1487, the Aztecs reported that they sacrificed 84,400
prisoners over the course of four days.
• To give the sun strength to rise
each day, human sacrifices were
offered.
Inca
• The Incas began as a small tribe in the
Andes.
• Capital = Cuzco
• In the mid-1400s a ruler named Pachacuti
led the Incas to expand their territory.
Where did the Inca live?
• The Inca controlled an empire in the Andes
Mountain region of South America.
• The Incas didn’t want the people they
conquered to have too much power.
• Made the leaders of conquered areas move
out of their villages.
• Brought in new leaders who were loyal to the
Inca government.
• The Incas made the children of conquered
leaders travel to the capital to learn about
Inca government and religion.
• The children then went back to rule their
villages, where they taught people the Inca
way of life.
• To unify their empire, the Incas established an
official language, Quechua.
– All official business had to be done in that
language.
• They kept records with cords called quipus.
– Knots in the cords represented numbers.
– Different colors stood for information about crops,
land, and other important topics
Social Structure
• Inca society had two main social classes—an
upper class and a lower class.
– Upper = Incas
– Lower = Conquered peoples
• Upper Class
Kings, priests, government officials
• Men worked for the government
• Women had household duties
• Lower Class
Farmers, artisans, or servants.
• Farmed on government lands, served in the
army, worked in mines, and built roads.
• The Sapa Inca (emperor) had absolute power.
• The emperor claimed to be the son of the sun.
• The emperor was also the empire’s religious
leader.
• The empire was divided into four regions with
the capital at Cuzco.
Uniting the Empire
• The Inca built a massive road network
through mountains and across rivers and
gorges.
• The Inca were polytheistic.
• The primary god was Inti, the sun god.