The Aztecs

Origins Migrants from the north “Aztlan” One of seven Chichimecan tribes Mexica vs. Aztec Looking for eagle with serpent (legend has it…) “People without faces” Took on culture of previous cultures (Toltecs)

Language Nahuatl Many Spanish words derive from Nahuatl Tomate/tomatl Milpa/ milpa Atole/atolli Camote/comotli Tecolote/tecolotl Over a million speakers today in Central Mexico (rural) Place names abound (Xochimilco, Acapulco, Chapultepec, etc.)

Tenochtitlan 1325 Lake Texcoco Vision of/from Huitzilopochtli (patron god) in form of an eagle, with serpent on cactus (Mexican Flag) Swampy, marshy setting . Due to the cities locations, limited land was available for creating homes, public spaces, and agricultural plots. To solve this problem, the Aztec people began to reclaim shallow lake area by taking mud from the bottom of the lake bed and building land plots that were suitable for building homes on.

250,000 people at most

Templo Mayor Spanish literally built their civic and religious centers right on top of the Aztecs’. Templo Mayor was recently excavated from underneath, right near the national cathedral on the Zocolo.

Triple Alliance Mexica of Tenochtitlan were most powerful group. Allied with two other city-states to control most of current-day Mexico: Texcoco, Tenochtitlan, and Tlacopan

Huitzilopochtli Aztec God of War Often represented like a hummingbird Warrior spirits said to come back as hummingbirds

Aztec Eagle Warrior

Human Sacrifice Debt: Return for gods sacrificing selves for creation of sun, moon, earth. Human blood needed to keep the light, the sun, life Enemy captives Victims placed on special stones atop temple pyramids Hearts cut out by special priests, offered up to gods Form of intimidation vs. enemies One part of larger religious practices, including domestic altars, non-human sacrifices, music and dance exaggerated by Spaniards for own purposes

Quetzalcoatl God of learning and patron of priests Plumed serpent Was tricked by jealous gods, drunken, fornicated with his sister, and fled to the east in horror, promising to return Aztecs initially thought Hernan Cortes was Queztalcoatl returning

Aztec Time Five Suns: Each ends in a cataclysmic event We are in fifth sun Must keep it going to survive Two calendars: 365 day xiuhpohualli (year count) 120 day tonalpohualli (day count) sacred calendar (13 x 20)

Aztec government: Nobility King (tlotoani) Ruled the city-state; selected by council of nobles Lords with titles (tecuhtli) War heroes appointed to beGenerals, judges, governors Lesser nobles (pilli) Warriors (tequiua)

AzTEC Social Organization Nobility vs. commoners Nobles (hereditary) 10% (gov’t and economic control) Commoners (90%) Macehualtin (workers, taxpayers, backbone of Aztec society) Tlalmaitl (serfs) no land, no taxes Tlacotin (slaves) Slaves were non-hereditary Not a lot of social mobility

Aztec students being disciplined by their teachers at school (Codex Mendoza) All Aztec children attended school, though their curricula varied by gender and social class. Each calpulli had a school for commoner children known as a telpochcalli. The purpose of the telpochcalli was to train young men to be warriors, and boys generally began their training at the age of 15. Noble children and exceptionally gifted commoner children attended the calmecac schools, where they received training to become priests and government officials. While military training was provided, the calmecac offered more academic opportunities than the telpochcalli. Children typically began attending the calmecac between the ages of 6 and 13. The schools imposed harsh punishments on their students for misbehavior and the calmecac were especially strict because noble children were held to a higher standard than commoner children

Arts and Sciences Pictographic written language Poetry Stone sculptures Obsidian tools Astronomical observations Health and medicine Prismatic blades of obsidian, manufactured by specialists using a difficult and sophisticated method, had the sharpest edge known to science. Advanced knowledge of herbs for medicinal purposes, using guava leaves for dysentary,