1. Religious Beliefs of the Aztecs
In this lesson, students will be able to define the following terms:
The Aztecs
Tenochtitlan
Religious Beliefs of the Aztecs
Aztec Human Sacrifice
Cortes
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2. The Toltecs built an empire in central Mexico around the same time as the Mayas.
Around 1160, the Aztecs destroyed the Toltec capital.
The Aztecs built a new capital called Tenochtitlan.
The Aztecs
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3. Like the Mayas before them, the Aztecs
built beautiful pyramids. The Aztec
capital of Tenochtitlan had temples,
pyramids, gardens, and markets.
The God like king, his family, and thousands of servants and officials lived in an enormous palace in the capital.
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4. Tenochtitlan The Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, was
built on an island in Lake Texcoco in
1325.
Over 200,000 Aztecs lived in the capital.
They protected themselves by building causeways that could be lifted if they were under attack.
The Aztec capital was a religious center as well as a bustling center for trade and commerce.
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5. Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes description of Tenochtitlan 1519
“The city has many squares where markets are held and trading is carried on. There is one square… where there are daily more than 60,000 souls, buying and selling, and where are found all the kinds of merchandise produced in these countries, including food products, jewels of gold and silver, lead, brass, copper, zinc, bones, shells and feathers.”
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6. Mexica (Aztec) Society
Mexica warriors were the elite
From the Mexica aristocracy
Wealth, honor, and privileges
Mexica women had no public role, but were honored as mothers of warriors
Mexica women active in commerce and crafts
Primary purpose to bear children: women who died in childbirth celebrated
Priests also among the Mexica elite
Read omens, presided over rituals, monitored ritual calendar
Advisers to Mexica rulers, occasionally became supreme rulers
Most information comes from Spanish sources, recorded after the conquest
Courage Culture
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7. Society Continued Most Mexica were cultivators or slaves
Paid tribute and provided labor service for public works
Slaves worked as domestic servants
Artisans and merchants enjoyed prestige
Artisans valued for skill work, especially luxury items
Trade could be profitable, but also risky
Cultivators worked on chinampas (small plots of reclaimed land) or on aristocrats' land
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8. Agricultural Achievements
…Chinampas added both living and agricultural space to the island. Houses could be built on chinampas after they were firmly in place, and the plots were used to grow a great variety of products, from maize and beans to tomatoes and flowers. The Mexica ( Aztec) built chinampas all around Tenochtitla.
The Aztecs grew crops by: Chinampas (Manmade islands)
Agricultural Achievements
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9. The Aztecs worshipped many gods.
The Aztecs believed that the god of the sun required human blood to rise. Human sacrifice ensured that the sun would rise.
Human Sacrifice
The Aztecs believed in many gods.
They were polytheists who followed a theocratic form of government.
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10. Aztec priests regularly engaged in human sacrifice to ensure that the
sun would
rise.
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11. Aztec human sacrifice frequently
occurred at the top of Aztec pyramids.
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12. The most common form of sacrifice was performed outside, on the top of a great pyramid. The victim was spread-eagled on a round stone, with his back arched. His limbs were held, while a priest used an obsidian knife to cut under the rib cage and remove his heart. This method was used when honoring the sun god, Huitzilopochtli.
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13. For nearly 200 years, the Aztecs made war with neighboring ethnic groups.
Sometimes the Aztecs engaged in warfare simply to acquire victims for human sacrifice.
Skilled warriors were greatly valued in Aztec culture. – Through war Aztecs became very rich
Warfare
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14. Cortes, a Spaniard, conquered the
Aztecs in 1519.
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15. The Aztecs believed that the Spaniards
were gods and showered them with
gifts. One Aztec legend claimed that one of
their gods would return one day from
the East. Initially, the Aztecs believing
Cortes was this god, welcomed Cortes.

16. The Spaniards eventually attacked the Aztec capital and killed
Montezuma. Finally, the Aztecs
surrendered. Spain had broken
the power of the once mighty
Aztec empire.

17. The Spaniards
had better
weapons and
horses.
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18. Ultimately, Aztec society was destroyed
by the superior weapons of the Spaniards
and smallpox disease.
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19. Questions for Reflection:
Who were the Aztecs and where did they live?
Describe the Aztec capital.
Why did the Aztecs engage in human sacrifice?
Who was Cortes and what did he do?
Why were the Aztecs defeated?
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