Aztec Civilization 1250-1522 A.D.

Aztec Location <- LAKE TEXCOCO

Aztec Location Located in the Valley of Mexico around Lake Texcoco Legend said find a cactus with a bird perched that had a snake in its mouth Land dry Aztecs shifted from hunting to farming

Aztec Location Located in the middle of a lake Capital city Tenochtitlán – present day Mexico city Located in the middle of a lake Linked to mainland by strips of land

Aztec Location - Tenochtitlán

Aztec Location Teotihuacán Dominated the Valley of Mexico from 100-750 A.D.

Aztec Government Aztecs had one king/emperor who ruled over all – chosen by a council of nobles and priests Nobles served as judges, officials, and governors Wore elaborate gold jewelry Most crimes punishable by death or being sold into slavery

Aztec Government- Emperor

Aztec Economy Economy based on agriculture Farming Chinampas – “floating gardens” on reed mats piled with earth Filled in lakes and made channels for irrigation Grew corn, squash, and beans

Aztec Economy- Chinampa

Aztec Economy Aztecs conquered others and made them pay tribute, or money paid by conquered people

Aztec Religion Fought with darkness each night to raise the sun Polytheistic Chief god was Huitzilopochtli, the sun God Fought with darkness each night to raise the sun No promise the sun would win and rise Sacrifice ensured sun would rise

Aztec Religion- Human Sacrifice About 20,000 per year Bodies taken to the top of pyramids ,chests were cut open, heart ripped out, and body thrown off Mostly prisoners of war, some slaves, some nobles Constant warfare necessary to have enough prisoners of war around to sacrifice Some historians say bodies were sometimes eaten by royalty

Aztec Religion- Human Sacrifice

Aztec Religion- Human Sacrifice

Aztec Religion- Cannibalism

Aztec Society Emperor Nobles Priests who appointed King and conducted rituals Merchants who took goods like weapons and rope for skins and cocoa Carried goods on their backs by a strap over their foreheads Traded by feet or by small boat Also served as spies

Aztec Society Commoners who farmed land Warriors who could rise in status by capturing and killing enemies Landless peasants wandered in search of work Slaves were mostly prisoners of war and criminals Could own land Could buy freedom

Aztec Society Merchants Farmer

Aztec Intellectual & Artistic Achievements Priests were the keepers of knowledge and the writers of history Schools ran for sons of nobles

Aztec Intellectual & Artistic Achievements – Calendar 365 day calendar and a 260 day ritual calendar Calculates the end of the world as December 21, 2012

Aztec Intellectual & Artistic Achievements – Medicine Treated with herbs Used prisoner of war bodies to study anatomy – could set bones Steam baths used as treatment

End of Aztec Civilization Spanish came in 1519 A.D. search of Gold, God, and Glory Led by Hernan Cortes Aztec thought Cortes was the god Quetzalcoatl

End of Aztec Civilization Emperor Montezuma II (Moctezuma II) taken hostage and neighboring tribes joined Spanish 3/4ths of the Aztecs died from war and disease