Aztec - Lecture Note

The Aztec The Aztec civilization developed into one of the most advanced civilizations in the world. They lived in an area centered in the Valley of Mexico. This is a huge oval region of fertile land surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. The climate in this region is warm and mild. There is large system of lakes in the middle of the valley. The Aztecs built the center of their empire, the city of Tenochtitlan (tay nohch Tee tlahn), on an island in the center of Lake Texcoco ( taysh KOH koh). The Aztec empire was ruled by an Emperor who ruled from the capital city of Tenochtitlan. The Aztec people believed that the Emperor was descended from the gods. Aztec emperors were chosen by a council of priests, nobles, and warriors. Because of this process, there were no dynasties in the Aztec government. To help make rule of the empire easier, it was divided into city-states. These city-states were ruled by local leaders who were loyal to the emperor. City-states had to pay a tribute, or yearly tax, to the emperor. Most Aztec people were farmers. Their most important crop was corn. The location and climate of the region was suitable for growing many other crops as well. For example, they grew tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, onions, sweet potatoes, and cocoa beans. Because farming was so successful and the empire was growing, people could take up other jobs. This is called job specialization. Many of the Aztec people became artisans and craftsmen. Trade grew in the empire. Artisans sold their goods. Traders brought back raw materials and special stones from other lands that the artisans used in the making of their goods. Every Aztec town had a market. The Aztec did not use money. Instead the people bartered to get the items they needed. Cocoa beans and cloth were considered especially valuable items to the Aztec people. In Aztec society, the emperor and his family were considered to be the most important group. Nobles, priests, and government officials were below the emperor but were considered to be important also. They were given special rights that the ordinary people did not have. The largest group in Aztec society were the commoners. This group contained the farmers, small merchants, and craftspeople. At the bottom of Aztec society were the slaves and farm workers. Clothes were a status symbol in Aztec society. Laws existed about what clothing different groups could and could not wear. The Aztec were a highly advanced civilization with many achievements. They had a form of hieroglyphic writing symbol. This system used pictures and symbols to represent words and sounds. They wrote on bark and animal skin. The Aztec created books called codices. Aztec craftspeople became very skilled at making gold and silver jewelry. The Aztec created two calendars. One was a sacred calendar. The other was a seasonal calendar that helped them to know when to plant and harvest their crops. The Aztec also built elaborate temples, palaces and important buildings out of stone. The temples were used to help them worship their gods. The temples were multiple stories high. They were pyramid shaped and they were carved and painted inside and out. A Closer Look Chinampas The Aztec settled on an island in Lake Texcoco. They needed much more farmable land than the island provided in order to support their citizens. The Aztecs made "land" on the lake by building chinampas. These were floating fields built on mats made of reeds. The Aztecs created this land by piling up layers of plants and mud . The Aztec perfected this technique and grew many crops "on the lake". Religion The Aztecs were polytheistic. They believed the gods controlled every part of their lives. They worshipped gods and goddesses of nature such as the gods of rain, water, and corn. The main gods were the god of war and the sun god. Throughout the empire, temples were built and dedicated to the gods and priests led the Aztecs in worshipping them. The Aztecs said prayers, played music, and offered gifts to the gods. In their homes, people had small altars with wooden statues where they could worship the gods. They believed that the most valuable offering given to a god was blood............ human blood.