ALL ABOUT

THE AZTECS

By Daud Asif

ContentsIntroduction

Houses & BuildingsGods & Religion

Food & DrinkLeisureClothes

Aztecs TodayGlossary

How did the Aztecs settle in Mexico?

The Aztecs arrived in the valley of Mexico in 1195. After 55 years they settled near a lake called Lake Texcoco. When the Aztec empire was at its most powerful in the early 1500s, it stretched all across Mexico. They had 500 towns and 15 000 000 people.

Aztec Houses & BuildingsPoor Aztec’s houses were made out of straw and sticks. The houses only had one room with no chimney or window. Their walls were made out of stones and sun-dried and their floors out of mud.

Rich Aztec houses were made out of stones and bricks. The houses were two floors tall and also had a steam room which were similar to the common Aztecs.

Major Aztec GodsQuetzalconti was the creator of humans. He retrieved human bones for blood and his name means feather serpent. He symbolised death and resurrection.

Huitzilpochtli told the Aztecs where to build their city. He was fed with human sacrifice and was also the God of War. His name means warrior of the south and his disguise was an eagle.

Tezcalipoca was the God of the night sky and he was disguised as a Jaguar. His name means smoking mirror and he knew what people were doing and thinking.

Food and DrinkMaize is a type of corn that the Aztecs ate. They also ate tamles, which is an envelope steamed with hot maize and stuffed with meat or vegetables.

The Aztecs also ate chocolate, which was saved for warriors and noblemen. The chocolate was made into a drink which was mixed with ground maize. It provided stamina and was used for the sacred rituals. Rich Aztecs drank and alcoholic drink called Octli.

Aztec LeisureTiachtli was a game played with a rubber ball. The court was shaped like a capital I, it was 50 metres long and 10 metres wide. The aim of the game was to shoot the ball into a vertical hoop with no hands, only your knees!

Patalli was a gambling game played with dried beans and pebbles. The board was shaped like a capital X. The aim of the game was to keep aiming at the board until the played had run out of beans.

Aztec ClothesRich Aztec men wore cotton clothes, sewn with colourful threads. They also wore togas and ponchos. Poor Aztec men wore clothes made out of Maguey plant fibre. They also wore lucky charms made out of paper, stones or bones.

Women wore wrap around skirts with short sleeve tunics, they sewed their own clothes ad for their family and rulers.

Aztecs TodayToday 1 000 000 of ancient Aztec relatives are still living and working in Mexico. Brilliant art and games are still used today. Maybe one day you could visit to learn more...

GlossaryAmulet - a good luck charmEmpire - a large area of land ruled by an EmperorMaguey - a plant used to make houses and clothesMaize - a type of cornNoblemen - respected menOctli - an alcoholic drinkPoncho - a jumper without sleevesResurrection - life after deathSacred - something that is hiddenSerpent - french for snakeStamina - energy