The Aztecs

1. The Aztecs www.artzia.com

2. Background • Originally named Mexica • Located in what is now central Mexico • The empire lasted during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries CE http://www.geocities.com/kimmykim7072003/aztec_empire.jpg

3. The Aztec Empire The Aztec Empire is part of Mexico today. According to Aztec legend, the gods told the nomadic people who had entered the Valley of Mexico to search for an eagle peached on the top of a cactus. The eagle would be holding a snake in its beak. When they saw the sign on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco they established the city of Tenochtitlan Mexico’s Flag

4. Background • Tenochtitlan was the capital city and is located in what is now present day Mexico city • The Aztec empire caused the biggest demographic explosion in Mesoamerican history http://www.mte.asd103.org/art/images/Aztec.jpg

5. Tenochtitlan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec

6. Tenochititlan Over the years Tenochititlan grew into a great city with open plazas and market places.

7. Tenochititlan • "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”

8. Government • The Aztecs where ruled by a single emperor called the Huey Tlatoaniwhich roughly translates to “The Great Speaker”and was located in the capitol city of Tenochtitlan • There was also a ruling counsel comprised of the wisest and most powerful leaders from the Calpulli • Calpulli is a group of extended families that controlled the use of local lands and performed other territorial and social functions

9. Government • Each urban settlement had a calpulli and four main leaders would be selected to a governing board the most powerful being named Tlatoani • The Tlatoani from the all over the emperor would then comprise the main ruling counsel in the capital city • The Aztecs grew rapidly by conquering nearby cities and would force them to pay tributes • These tributes would eventually result in the increased welfare of the common people

10. Montezuma Montezuma was the Emperor of the Aztecs in the Sixteenth Century. He was a conquering king who often went to war with his neighbors. He kept the gods on his side by making human sacrifices to the gods.

11. Food and work The Aztec used a lot of herb and prayer in their medicine. The Aztec also developed a writing system with pictographs that gave a image of the story. Aztecs ate corn and beans. Tortillas grilled and dipped in tomatoes. They also ate pancakes stuffed with tadpoles.

12. Social Structure • The Aztec society was divided into three social classes: the macehualli (people) or peasantry, the pochteca or merchants and traders, and the pilli or nobility • Slaves or tlacotinconsisted as a large part of the Aztec society • Though people were born into a certain class it was possible to move up the ranks within a life time

13. Religion • Main deity in the Aztec religion was Huitzilopochtli and was known as both the sun god and war god • Human sacrifice was practiced heavily in the Aztec religion • The Aztecs believed that by performing these sacrifices that it gave power to the gods which in turn would insure the survival of the Aztec universe

14. Religion • War captives were used in the sacrifices and in times of peace the Aztec would have to resort to ritualistic warfare or flower war • In the year 1487 the Aztecs reported killing 84,400 war prisoners in four days at the great pyramid of Tenochitlan • After a town was conquered the inhabitants where no longer eligible of sacrifice and became Aztec citizens

15. Quetzelcoatl Quetzelcoatl was a former white skinned and bearded priest. He came from the east and promised to return. The god of civilization and learning.

16. Huitzlopochtli Huitzlopochtli:the sun and war god. He battled the forces of darkness each night and was re-born each morning. There was no guarantee the sun would win, so human sacrifices were made.

17. Art • The favored form of art in the Aztec empire was sculpture • Most Sculptures were made from limestone, which is still abundant in Mexico today • Aztec sculpture was like most other Mesoamerican cultures and was mostly directly related to religion http://library.thinkquest.org/16325/y-art.html

18. Art • The Aztecs also made other religious and non-religious artifacts such as jade masks • Clothing was also a popular art form and women from around the empire would use bead, flower, and metal decorations • These artifacts were sold in markets by visiting merchants www.latinamericanstudies.org/.../aztec-mask.gif

19. Architecture • There where four main types of architecture in the Aztec society: sacrificial temples, emperors temple, common homes, and shrines of the gods http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/aztec.html

20. Sacrificial Temple http://www.chipotletx.com/assets/images/aztectemple.jpg

21. Emperor’s Palace http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/aztec.html

22. Homes http://www.sylviastuurman.nl/stories/four corners/english.php

23. Shrine of the gods

24. The Aztec Calendar Their Calendar was very sophisticated for their time. It consisted of 360 days a year, over 18 months, excluding five days for sacrifice. It is approximated that this calendar was used 100 year before the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar we use today.