The Aztecs

Can you guess what these artifacts were

used for?

Ruler’s Head-dress

Bi-face tool for cutting, scraping or

spreading

Aztec Drum

Arrowheads

The Aztec Empire1200s - 1521

(use this to answer questions #8 & #9)(use this to answer questions #8 & #9)

Aztec social structure…

society was divided into 3 social classes;

the nobility (pilli)

the peasantry (macehualli or ‘people’)

and slaves.

(use this to answer questions #1, #2, #4 and the Aztec hierarchy on the back)

Aztecs had social mobility (they could move up in class & rank…Anyone could challenge the ruler at any time, but there were rules & regulations…

Aztec Family life…

In the context of the family, men and women played distinct roles.

Aztec women married at about 16.

In school, boys were taught arts and crafts, and girls were taught to cook and other necessities.

They did not flatten their heads for beauty.

(use this to answer questions #10 & #20)

Aztec Warfare & religious beliefs…

War was a very important activity. They believed that the gods had sacrificed themselves for mankind, that their blood had given man life, and that the Sun was nourished with the blood of human hearts. This belief led them to sacrifice prisoners at their temples. They didn’t have jails.

They believed that war was required to provide food & energy for the sun so that it could continue on its course. They believed when the 4 original gods decided to create the sun they 1st had to create war so that the hearts and blood needed by the sun would be available. No, they didn’t use animals in their ceremonies.

The Aztecs murdered (sacrificed) at least 2 people every day, one in the morning and one in the evening. Often they sacrificed many more. It is estimated that the Aztecs sacrificed 30,000 people per year. That is roughly 82 per day or 5 per hour (from sun up to sundown)…or one every 12 minutes!!! One account describes 20,000 Aztec sacrifices in a single day! (use this to answer questions #3, (use this to answer questions #3,

#5, #13, #21 & #22)#5, #13, #21 & #22)

Aztec slavery…

Slaves also constituted an important class. Some argue that it wasn’t even like real slavery. First, Aztec slavery was personal, not hereditary: a slave's children were free.

You could become a slave as punishment for a crime.

A slave could have possessions & even own other slaves.

Slaves could buy their liberty, and slaves could be set free if they were able to show they had been mistreated or if they had children with or were married to their masters.

Typically, upon the death of the master, slaves who had performed outstanding services were freed. The rest of the slaves were passed on as part of an inheritance.

(use this to answer questions #4 & 6)

Aztec art, language, and architecture…

The Aztec sculptures which adorned their temples and other buildings were among the most elaborate in all of the Americas (to please the gods). Many of the sculptures reflected their perception of their gods and how they interacted in their lives. The most famous surviving Aztec sculpture is the large circular Calendar Stone, which represents the Aztec universe.

(use this to answer question #17)

What do you think this piece of Aztec art represents?

Which class (Nobility, Peasantry, or slaves) do you think this piece of Aztec art represents? What about this one?

Language… The Aztecs spoke a language called Nahuatl (pronounced NAH what L). (Comanche, Pima, Shoshone and others in North America also spoke Nahuatl). The Aztec used pictographs to communicate through writing. Some of the pictures symbolized ideas and others represented the sounds of the syllables. Variations of this language are still spoken in some of the more remote areas of Mexico in which the indigenous cultures are still alive.

(use this to answer question #18)

(use this to answer question #19 )(use this to answer question #19 )

Agriculture…• Farming was the principal activity. Much of

Aztec life was built around farming, which was extremely necessary to feed the growing population. Since the land that the Aztecs farmed was not fertile enough to grow enough food to support the population, the Aztecs were forced to invent methods to increase productivity. These methods included irrigation, fertilizer, and even building terraces on hills that were previously not farmable.

• Without many hills, terrace farming was not widly practiced by the Aztecs. Their most famous invention were the chinampas. Chinampas were floating gardens built on swamps. The process of making chinampas was a relatively simple one. First, canals were built through the marshes and swamps. Then, the mud from the canals was placed on mats, which were made from weeds and straw. Then, trees were planted at the corners. When these trees took root, they secured the chinampa firmly in place. Once the floating island was secure and useable, the Aztecs used it to plant their principal crop: corn.

(use this to answer questions #11 & #12)

They also grew various vegetables (avocados, beans, chili peppers, squash, and tomatoes), sometimes even flowers. After a crop (usually corn) was harvested, the Aztecs had several ways of dealing with it. One common way of preparing corn was to mash it with a round grinding stone (called mano) against a flat stone (called a metate). From this process, the Aztecs got a corn meal. This corn meal was used to prepare tortillas, which was the main food of lower classes. The Aztecs also noticed that sap on the sapodilla tree could be hardened into a chewable gum. The liquid was referred to as "chicle", and commonly used by the people of Aztec society.

(use this to answer question #7)

Modern-day ChinampasModern-day Chinampas

The upper classes also ate tortillas, but had other choices for food.

These choices included:

Turkeys ducks geese.

Hernan Cortes showed up on the shores of central Mexico with 550 men, 16 horses, 14 canons and a few dogs. They were greeted by messengers from the Aztec ruler Montezuma. They had never seen white men, horses, or canons before.

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(use this to answer (use this to answer question #14 & #15)question #14 & #15)

The Spanish!!!The Spanish!!!

SpainSpain

AztecAztec

EmpireEmpire

Hernan CortesHernan Cortes

• The Aztecs had a population of 5,000,000 (25,000,000 counting their conquered neighbors). Hernán Cortés & the Spanish had only 500 people. How could 500 defeat 25,000,000? 4 reasons:

• 1) Thanks to the Spanish most of the Aztecs died of smallpox  1) Thanks to the Spanish most of the Aztecs died of smallpox  • 2)  The Spanish Conquistadors were able to convince enemy tribes to join them to 2)  The Spanish Conquistadors were able to convince enemy tribes to join them to

overthrow the Aztecsoverthrow the Aztecs• 3) Cortes conquered the Nahuas and Tlaxcaltec (Tlaxcalans) first, converted many of 3) Cortes conquered the Nahuas and Tlaxcaltec (Tlaxcalans) first, converted many of

their woman and married Malinche (Donna Maria), who spoke Maya and Nahuatl and their woman and married Malinche (Donna Maria), who spoke Maya and Nahuatl and helped the Spanish with translation and valuable infohelped the Spanish with translation and valuable info

• 4)  The Aztec warriors’ weapons were no match for Spanish arms4)  The Aztec warriors’ weapons were no match for Spanish arms

• By 1521, the Aztecs were completely overthrown

• When did they come?

• From where did they come?

• What happened?

• Who did they conquer and how?

THE AMERICAS: Maya - Inca - Aztecs

North AmericaNorth America

South AmericaSouth America

CENTRAL America

CENTRAL America

Pacific O

cean

Pacific O

cean

Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean

Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean

Gulf of Gulf of MexicoMexico

Caribbean Sea

Caribbean Sea

Andes M

ountains

Andes M

ountains

• The Incas had an army of 40,000 and population of 20,000,000. Francisco Pizarro and the Spanish had only 180 people. How could an Army of only 180 defeat an army of 40,000

men? 4 reasons:

• 1) Thanks to the Spanish most of the Incan army died of smallpox  1) Thanks to the Spanish most of the Incan army died of smallpox  • 2)  The Spanish convinced other tribes, already under Incan rule, to side with them & overthrow the Inca2)  The Spanish convinced other tribes, already under Incan rule, to side with them & overthrow the Inca• 3) The Inca were in the middle of a civil war and already killing each other. The ruler Atahualpa and his brother 3) The Inca were in the middle of a civil war and already killing each other. The ruler Atahualpa and his brother

were fighting for control of the empirewere fighting for control of the empire• 4)  The Incan warriors’ weapons were no match for Spanish arms4)  The Incan warriors’ weapons were no match for Spanish arms• By 1535 Incan society was completely overthrown, Pizarro moved the capital from Cuzco to Lima

• The Aztecs had a population of 5,000,000 (25,000,000 counting their conquered neighbors). Hernán Cortés and the Spanish had only 500 people. How could an Army of only 500 defeat an empire of 5,000,000? 4 reasons:

• 1) Thanks to the Spanish most of the Aztecs died of smallpox  1) Thanks to the Spanish most of the Aztecs died of smallpox  • 2)  The Spanish Conquistadors were able to convince enemy tribes to join them to overthrow the Aztecs2)  The Spanish Conquistadors were able to convince enemy tribes to join them to overthrow the Aztecs• 3) Cortes conquered the Nahuas & Tlaxcaltec (Tlaxcalans) first, converted many of their woman and married 3) Cortes conquered the Nahuas & Tlaxcaltec (Tlaxcalans) first, converted many of their woman and married

Malinche (Donna Maria), who spoke Maya & Nahuatl & helped the Spanish with translation & valuable infoMalinche (Donna Maria), who spoke Maya & Nahuatl & helped the Spanish with translation & valuable info• 4)  The Aztec warriors’ weapons were no match for Spanish arms4)  The Aztec warriors’ weapons were no match for Spanish arms

• By 1521, the Aztecs were completely overthrown, and the survivors joined Cortés

The Spanish!!!The Spanish!!!

SpainSpain

AztecAztec

EmpireEmpire

Incan Empire

Incan Empire

Hernan Cortes

Hernan Cortes

Fran

cisc

o P

izar

ro

Fran

cisc

o P

izar

ro

The Spanish!!!The Spanish!!!

Match the Words to Match the Words to the correct Empirethe correct Empire

Capital is Tenochtitlan 1st powerful empire

Conquered by Cortes

Flattened headsConquered by Pizarro Near present-day

Mexico City Alpaca & Llamas

Andes Mountains

Blue symbolized deathMachu Picchu

80 sacrifices per dayNo written languageApocalyptoTerrace FarmingChinampasEmperor’s New Groove

Peru, Chile, Equator Guatemala, Belize