Aztec Culture

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Aztec Culture
What we think the Aztec capital might have looked
like in 1400.
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Terms to Know

• Tenochititlan Aztec capital, now part of Mexico
  City
• Chinampas Floating Gardens mounds of soil
  built with swamp mud so they could farm in the
  lake
• Polytheism Belief in many gods

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Aztec Farming (Chinampas)
Floating Gardens made farming possible in the
swamps of Lake Texcoco.
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Ancient Structures of the Aztecs

• The Aztecs were a people who lived in what is now
  Central Mexico. They first came to this region
  in the 1300s and dominated the region from the
  1300s to the 1500s. Their religion included
  human and animal sacrifices. Their diet included
  a new food known as chocolate, made from fruit of
  the cacao tree.

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Topic Aztec Origins

• - Question How did the Aztecs get to Mexico?
• - Gods told them to move to Valley of Mexico in
  1200s and to look for an eagle, sitting on a
  cactus
• - When arrived, other tribes already claimed the
  good land
• - Finally saw the eagle in Lake Texcoco (near
  present day Mexico City), settled there, and
  began to build their capital city

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Tenochtitlan (the capital)
Formed on an island Easy to defend and protect
Soggy land made growing crops difficult, until
they adapted
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Lake Texcoco and Tenochtitlan
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Aztec Gods

• Quetzalcoatl Huitzilopochtli Tlaloc

God of Rain
God that created the world
God of Sun and War
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Topic Aztec Life

• Question What was life like for the Aztec?
• Brutal most did not live to be 50
• Built canals for trade and crops
• Lake gave them fish, ducks, algae
• Lake also protected them from attack

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Aztec Culture Factoids
Food Most Vegetarian. Included corn, beans,
squash, apples, algae. Starvation common during
bad crop years.
Warfare To protect, and defend nation.
Training promoted, ranks kept it organized.
Education 2 main schools run by priests. Boys
learned warfare, girls learned motherly duties.
Recreation Liked hard work, the little free
time they had included music, board and ball games
Social Classes - Ruler on top, priests, warriors,
traders, craftsmen, peasants, slaves.
Aztecs
Sacrifices Done to please Gods by giving blood,
hearts most were prisoners honored to do it. How
many? 4000/yr. Priests were cannibals!
Crime and Punishment Gods liked good behavior,
cages instead of jail, quick punishments.
Marriage Arranged by parents, four days of
feasting after ceremony, no divorce allowed,
multiple wives OK