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Ms. Cannistraci Name:__________________________ Date:_____
When the Aztec people finally found a place to settle down, they did so on rather
marshy land around a lake. Some of the land was not very good for gardening. As the
population grew, the Aztecs needed to find a way to grow more food. They could
have built further away from the cities, but then they would need to guard the fields
from robbers.
Instead, the clever Aztec engineers created “floating” gardens (which were called
Chinampas). The floating gardens were actually rafts. The rafts were anchored to the
bottom of the lake, or to a strong tree in the marsh. They piled vegetation and reeds on
top of the raft to help provide good soil and drainage. On top of this, they piled dirt.
They planted seeds in the dirt. The gardens were used to grow chili peppers, corn,
tomatoes, beans, and squash.
It was somewhat difficult to harvest the food since the gardens were floating in marsh
water. To solve this, Aztec engineers built mud and stone walls around each floating
garden. The walls acted as walkways between the gardens.
The floating gardens solved some of their problem, but as their population grew, they
needed more land. Their engineers solved this by designing dikes to hold back water.
They filled in the marshlands and swamps just as they had the rafts, the floating
gardens.
… Chinampas added both living and agricultural space to the island. Houses could be built
on chinampas after they were firmly in place, and the plots were used to grow a great variety
of products, from maize and beans to tomatoes and flowers. The Mexica [Aztec] built
chinampas all around Tenochtitlan, like their neighbors in the freshwater lakes to the south.
They were, however, constantly faced with the danger of flooding, which brought salty water
across the chinampas and ruined the land and crops. Lake Texcoco accumulated minerals
from the river water running into it, which caused the water to be brackish [mix of fresh and
salt water]. In the mid-15th century, this problem was solved; a dike was built, separating the
western section of the lake where Tenochtitlan was located and protecting the city from salty
water and some flooding.…
Source: Frances F. Berdan, The Aztecs, Chelsea House Publishers
… The capital city, which may have had a population as high as 200,000 to 300,000 in the early
sixteenth century, was a superb example of planned growth. By building out into the lake, the
Aztecs consolidated and enlarged the original two islands which in turn were linked to the
mainland by three large causeways. Fresh water was brought to the city from the mainland by
aqueduct.…Source: Jeremy A. Sabloff, The Cities of Ancient Mexico: Reconstructing a Lost
World, Thames and Hudson
How did the Aztecs adapt to their swampy environment?
Cite textual evidence to support the benefits of the Chinampas?
Cite textual evidence to support the problems of the Chinampas?
Ms. Cannistraci Name:________________________ Date:_____
Document 1: Emperor, City-States, Laws, Punishment, Expansion, Tribute
The Aztecs were ruled by an emperor, who lived in the palace in the capital city.
There were many cities in the Aztec empire. The emperor placed one noble in
charge of each city. The nobles were supposed to report to the emperor and run
their city as the emperor directed. But in truth, most nobles ran their cities any
way they wanted. Like the Mayas, the Aztecs developed city-states, cities with
their own way of running things day by day.
However, the laws of the Aztec people were for all people, in all cities. These laws
were written down. If you broke the law, your punishment was listed, along with
the law. Everybody knew what would happen to you if you broke a particular law.
Many of the laws included a punishment of death if you broke the law. The laws
were very harsh.
There was one way to escape punishment, but it was only good onetime. This was
called the one time forgiveness law. If you confessed your crime to a
priest before your crime was discovered, you would be forgiven once. You would
receive no punishment for that crime. However, if you ever broke another law,
you would be punished.
The Aztec government was well organized, but both the emperor and the nobles
had their hands full with the problems of a growing population. They needed to
grow more food, to build more schools, to fill more storehouses, and to create
more temples. They also needed more captives, people they could sacrifice to
feed their hungry gods.
Around 1400 CE, the Aztecs decided the answer to many of their problems was
war. The Aztecs demanded tribute from conquered tribes. Tribute was paid in the
form of food, clothing, building supplies, captives, and whatever else of worth the
conquered tribe might owe. Either the tribe paid the tribute, or Aztec warriors
would sacrifice the entire tribe to the Aztec gods.
Ms. Cannistraci Name:________________________ Date:_____
Document 2: Daily Life
The rich nobles lived in luxury. The Aztecs had slaves to do much of the work for
them. The poor did not have slaves. The poor worked all the time.
The Rich: The rich lived in homes built of sun-dried brick and sometime stone. The
homes had a coating of white wash to make them sparkle in the sun. Homes had
a separate place for steam baths. Water was poured over hot stones to generate
steam. Bathing was an important part of daily life. Steam baths were taken every
day. Their clothes were colorfully embroidered and decorated with features. They
carried fans made of feathers. Feathers were a sign of status.
The Poor: The poor were most farmers. They lived in huts with thatched roofs.
They had little furniture. They wove mats for the floor and baskets to hold their
belongings. They did have blankets. They had pots for cooking. Each home had a
garden where the poor could grow food for themselves. Their clothes were simple
and NEVER decorated with feathers. It was against the law for a commoner to
carry anything made of or decorated with feathers. If they broke this law, they
were killed.
The Aztec men, both nobles and commoners, got married when they were about
20 years old. The women were younger, about 14-15. Marriages were arranged,
usually by a professional matchmaker. The bride's family gave a feast in honor of
the marriage. The feast could last for several days. On the day a woman married,
she was carried piggyback, on the back of the matchmaker, who delivered her to
her new home. The matchmakers were usually old women. Sometimes it was
hard for them to carry a young bride, but it was part of their job. After the bride
arrived at her husband's home, the bride and groom tied their coasts together in
front of the hearth, or cooking area, of his home. Once their coats were tied, they
were married. All people, including children, had to follow a set code of behavior.
Everything was written down. These were laws. They had to obey the laws or they
could be killed. All kids went to school, even slaves. Everyone had to know the
laws and follow them. The Aztecs honored exceptional athletic ability. So it's not
surprising that they also loved dangerous sporting events. But they also loved
poetry. Their poetry was about love, and children, and war, and good deeds, and
proper behavior.
Ms. Cannistraci Name:________________________ Date:_____
Document 3: Specialization
The Aztecs made every child - boys, girls, and slaves - go to school. There were
different schools for different purposes, but everybody had to go. It was the law.
Kids were taught proper behavior and a specialized profession. Teachers were
highly respected. Being a teacher was a specialized profession. Most people in the
Aztec empire ended up being farmers, fisherman, and hunters. But some were
trained to be soldiers, doctors, priests, merchants, traders, craftsmen, ball
players, engineers, builders, and matchmakers. Soldiers were highly respected
and highly trained. They were fierce fighters. They almost never lost. The Aztecs
were nearly always at war. The Aztecs needed captives to feed their hungry gods
and tribute (from the captured tribe) to increase their wealth. Some soldiers lived
long enough to retire. Those who did retired in comfort and wealth. Traders had
an easy time of it. Other tribes were afraid of the Aztecs. They did not try to hurt
the traders in any way. The Aztecs almost always, well, pretty much always, got
the best deal in any trade. Traders brought back cocoa beans, jaguar skins,
precious metals, and gorgeous jewelry. They sold their goods to merchants in the
city. Merchants also specialized. A merchant might sell only jewelry or only
baskets. There were almost no robberies because Aztec punishment was swift
and deadly. In the capital city, there were as many as 60,000 people in the
marketplace buying and selling wares. No one used money. Goods were bartered
and small differences in value were evened up using cocoa beans. Priests also
specialized. All priests were religious leaders. Some were active in government.
Some acted as teachers. Some created the many records the Aztecs kept, written
in hieroglyphics. Some conducted the many sacrifices needed to feed the hungry
gods. Doctors were trained in the Aztec schools. They made about 1000 different
medicines. They healed wounds and set broken bones and even offered dental
care. Like all specialized professions, engineers and builders were highly
respected. Trained in the Aztec schools, they were people who built the floating
gardens, the temples, the pyramids, the plazas, the homes, and the palace.
Aztec craftsmen were truly talented. Since all kids had to attend school, those
who had a talent for art were pulled from the regular school and placed in the art
school. They were taught how to use gold and silver and paints and clay in their
art. Much of the Aztec art was colorful and religious. Athletics were highly
respected, especially ballplayers. Some athletics were professional athletics. For
the very best, this was a specialized profession.
Ms. Cannistraci Name:________________________ Date:_____
Document 4: Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan was the Aztec's capital city. By the early 1500s, it was home to about
300,000 people. It was a beautiful city, with ornate temples and open plazas and
tons of little shops, each specializing in a certain goods. There were restaurants,
and places you could grab some finger good and a drink. There was fresh food
and meat for sale. There were hairdressers, medicine shops, basket shops, herbs
and embroidered clothing. Artists were everywhere, painting and sculpting in the
marketplace. The city was alive with people and color and culture.
Mexico City was built on the ruins of the Aztec capital city. Like the Aztec capital,
Mexico City is a beautiful city, rich with history and culture. Like the Aztec capital,
Mexico City is a highly populated city. To get more land, Mexico City covered up
the lake.
Today, Mexico City is experiencing the same problem that the engineers in
Tenochtitlan experienced hundreds of years ago. The city is built on a swamp. It is
sinking. The city fathers, both long ago and today, keep trying to shore the city
up. It may be a hopeless task. Only time will tell.
Ms. Cannistraci Name:________________________ Date:_____
Document 5: Written Code of Behavior
The Aztecs had strict rules of behavior. There was only one correct way to behave
in every situation. Situations included what you wore, what you carried, how you
walked, what you said, what you ate, how you greeted each other, how you
treated your children and other people. There were even rules on facial
expression and how you waved your hands.
All kids had to go to school. It was required because every citizen in the Aztec
Empire had to know the way to behave correctly. It was the law. These laws of
behavior were written down. If you did not behave correctly, you could be killed.
Here are a few of their rules of correct behavior:
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Do not mock the old
Do not mock the sick
Do not mock one who has sinned
Do not complain
Do not make wry faces
Do not interrupt the speech of another
Do not carry a fan unless you are a noble
Ms. Cannistraci
Name:__________________________ Date:______
Be prepared to share your claims with the class. 10 minutes for your research
Based on the textual evidence you investigated argue whether the Aztecs was a
complex and advanced civilization before the arrival of the Europeans.. Be sure
to include cited textual evidence to support your claims.
Take notes on your classmate’s responses as we share out our findings.