The Aztecs Created by Christina Dunne

Who Were the Aztecs? At first the Aztecs were a tribe of wanderers in the southern part of North America. Eventually they settled in the Valley of Mexico where Mexico City now stands. They built their city around a lake called Lake Texcoco.

What was the land like in this area? The land was high in altitude. Mountains surrounded the lakes found in this area. There was a lot of swampy marshland.

When did this civilization begin and end? The Aztec civilization lived in Mexico for more than three hundred years from 1200 to 1521. The Aztecs are considered the last and greatest Indian Empire to have existed in Mexico.

Where did they settle? The Aztecs settled on an island in the lake. It was very swampy. To add to their land, they began to build rafts. The rafts were covered with the rich mud from the lake-bottom. They became floating gardens known as chinampa.

What crops did they grow? Maize or corn was a major crop. They also grew squash, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and sweet potatoes. Meat was eaten only occasionally. Chocolate was a favorite drink but was very expensive.

The Aztecs were builders. The Aztecs built dirt roads to promote trading. They also used these roads to communicate with others. Runners were used to carry letters and goods. One road led from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

Aztecs were builders and engineers. To connect their island with the main land, they built causeways. Causeways are raised roads across wet ground or water. They also built movable bridges for flood control and protection from enemies.

Aztecs built temples and pyramids The step pyramids were large layers of stones that rose high in the sky. The Aztecs built step pyramids with two staircases that led to a temple or shrine at the top. At the shrine the Aztecs performed human sacrifices to their gods.

What types of homes did the Aztec live in? The wealthy lived in white stone or adobe homes that were one story that had patios and gardens. The poor lived in mud and grass huts.

Aztecs were builders and engineers. They built an aqueduct to bring fresh water to their city from a hill miles away.

How did the Aztecs transport people and goods? The Aztecs used canals and canoes for travel and transportation on water. They used the dirt roads they made to journey on land.

The Aztecs were record keepers. The Aztecs kept careful records of their history and legends. They made accordion style books. They used picture writing known as hieroglyphics.

Hieroglyphics

Aztecs were warriors The Aztecs were powerful warriors. They defeated many groups living in their region and made them a part of their empire.

The Aztecs were craftsmen. They made decorative pottery by coiling or shaping clay with their hands. They did not use a pottery wheel.

What were some of their other crafts? The Aztecs mined copper, gold, and silver as well as gemstones such as emeralds. They made beautiful and decorative jewelry out of these materials.

Aztec Jewelry

What was Tenochtitlan? Tenochtitlan was the capital city of their empire. It was built on the island in Lake Texcoco. The Europeans called it the “Venice of North America”. Europeans were amazed by the buildings and the riches that abound. The city flourished until the year 1519 when Hernandez Cortes and his Spanish army arrived.

Who Was Cortes? Cortes was a Spanish explorer who came to the land of the Aztecs in search of gold. Once he learned of the riches of the Aztec Empire, he wanted to conquer them and claim their gold for Spain. Hernando Cortes defeated five million Aztecs with less than 1000 soldiers ending a civilization that had lasted for more than three hundred years.