1. Aztecs – c. 1350- 1550 A Continuation of the Olmec and Maya cultures

2. Location / Geography Central Mexico (not the Yucatan) Capital at Tenochtitlan (island)‏ 500,000 people Total Pop: 10-20 million

3. Politics Theocracy led by divine king/Priest Military – nearly constant brutal wars for conquest, collect tribute, captives for slaves and sacrifice

4. Economics Agriculturally based merchants are limited by what they can carry since they don’t have large pack animals Chinampas – huge floating islands for agriculture The great market – daily trade in the merchant section of large cities

5. Chinampa

6. Religion Polytheistic Many Temples based on astronomy for worship, agricultural planning and sacrifice Each holiday included ceremonies involving human sacrifice/cannibalism Fatalistic and cyclical view of the world

7. Social Large gap between upper/lower classes Role of Women – decide fate of prisoners, domestic chores (grinding maize), can inherit land Common people in constant fear of war/sacrifice/slavery

8. Intellectual calendar, numbers and pictorial writing similar but not identical to Maya Capital built on an island required great planning and coordination

9. Art Temples Gold objects Sculpture Skull racks

10. Conquered by Spanish Spanish conquistadors led by Cortes crush the Aztecs during the 1530s More on that later