Was the Aztec Civilization Great? Dylan I. Maxine W.

Introduction The Aztecs were a very advanced people who had an interesting start. They originated in northwestern Mexico as hunter-gatherers. According to legend, a God told then to leave their homeland and look for a promised land. Supposedly, they would find this land when they saw an eagle sit on a cactus and devour a snake. The Aztecs listened to this God, and left their home. They wandered for 200 years before finding a swampy island in the Valley of Mexico. They quickly adapted and conquered most of the surrounding land. They ruled from around 1300 to 1519, when the Spanish came.

What led to the rise of the Aztec civilization?  The Aztecs kept on being shunted from country to country, because they kept on killing the leaders of the countries they didn’t belong to.  The Aztecs got evicted from their country, and had to search for a very long time for a place where the sign that the god showed them. When they found that place, they found the spot was perfect for them to start farming.  They started building their empire there. They conquered other Mexican cities, and made the inhabitants pay taxes, or “tribute,” to them for every year they stayed there.

What types of architecture did they have?  If you were rich, as in a Noble, priest, and such, your house would be finely constructed by an Architect that was well known. Your house would be made of stucco or stone.  If you were poorer, your house would be made of adobe.  Architects were not as highly thought of as they are today. They made a lot of money, though, because they usually built rich Noble’s houses.

Aztec Pyramid

What were the Aztecs religious beliefs?  The sun was believed to be the source of all life. Huitzilopocthli was the sun God. The Sun God would only feed on people’s blood and hearts, and if he went hungry, the world would come to an end.  People had to be sacrificed. After the first sacrificial ceremony, there came a great rain and the crops grew bountiful. The Aztecs believed that this was as a result of the sacrifice. So from then on, every month they would perform a sacrifice. People thought that being sacrificed was not bad; on the contrary, they considered it a blessing. They thought this because they were being fed to the Gods.

Aztec Statues

What was the Aztec government like?  A social rung, somewhat like the Egyptian Pyramid, was what made the people’s social status. (The status’s from least to greatest: Slaves, Serfs, Commoners, and Nobles.)  Everyone below a Noble had to pay tribute every month. The Nobles practically lived on other people. The Nobles went to the different countries that the Aztecs owned, and went to collect the tribute they owed.  There was one supreme ruler that made all the decisions.

Aztec Calendar

What led to the fall of the Aztec civilization?  Spanish Explorers came and killed the Aztecs, and brought over a lot of diseases including small pox, and pneumonia.  Many of the Spanish brought them over to Spain, and forced the Aztecs into slavery.  Those who stayed were wiped out by famine, or left the country because nothing was left.

What is life today like where the Aztec civilization existed?  What was the Aztec civilization is now modern day Mexico, because the Aztecs settled on the outskirts of Mexico. There are many people in Mexico now, the country is heavily populated. The Nahua do not do sacrificial ceremonies anymore, because it is considered manslaughter.  Most of the Aztec celebrations are still practiced today. The descendants of the Aztec, called the Nahua, like to do these things.  A very popular ceremony is called Volador. Men race each other to the top of a pole, while swinging on ropes.

Journey of the Aztecs Setting  Desert between places  Towns of others  Leaders circle Characters  Moctezuma  Huitzilopochtli  Ahuizotl

Storyline Continued Plot The Aztecs leave their home in search of a new land, because Huitzilopchtli tells them of a bountiful promise land. As they travel their food runs low and they are forced to kill snakes and eat fly’s eggs. They continue listening to the complaints of the followers since they must wear animal skins rather than cotton since they are always wandering. The leaders call a meeting and discuss their predicament. They begin to argue until Ahuizotl leaves and brings most of the people with him.

Storyline Continued He leads them until he dies and his son, Moctezuma leads them the last twenty years and is shown the eagle as a reward. He prays in thanks that whole day while they rest under the scornful eyes of the other civilizations in the valley. The next day he looks out to see a shimmering island and leads his people to it. When they arrive, they realize that it is nothing but a swamp, yet they begin life and make a beautiful city.

Conclusion The Aztecs were a very interesting people to research. The most fascinating thing about them was their devotion to their religion. The Aztecs were not only known for their strange religion ways, their government and architecture were also fascinating and is also what they are well known for today. Studying the Aztecs was very interesting, and someday, I would like to visit the coast of Mexico myself and see the ruins of the Ancient Aztec Civilization.

Bibliography  Hull, Robert. (1998). The Ancient World, The Aztecs. Austin, Texas: Steck-Vaughn Company  Baquedano, Elizabeth. (1993). Aztec, Inca, and Maya. New York, New York: Dorling Kindersley Limited.  Hamilton, Jill. (1994). The Visual Dictionary of Ancient Civilizations New York, New York: DK Publishing, Inc.  Cordova, Jacqueline. (1999). Across the Centuries. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 