1. The Aztecs

2. 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)

3. 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.)

4. 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.

5. 250,000 people at most

6. 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.

7. 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

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

9. Aztec Eagle Warrior

10. 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

12. 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

13. 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)

14. 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)

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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,