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What was Tenochtitlan?
A city built in 1325 in the middle of Lake Texcoco, estimated to have had a population of 150,000-300,000 people. It was one of the largest cities of its time.
When was Tenochtitlan built?
1325
What feature provided the city with freshwater?
aqueducts
What did dykes do?
control flood waters and drive salt water away
how many causeways linked to Texcoco’s shore?
3
Who used these causeways?
Aztec warriors, traders & tribute bearers
How did the Aztecs reclaim marshy lands from the lake?
dug canals through the marshes and piled mud on either side to increase the island’s size
What was the main temple of Tenochtitlan?
Templo Mayor
what was the templo mayor made of?
monumental stone
who was the templo mayor built for?
Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc
What were Chinampas?
Floating gardens created by the Aztecs for farming. Soil was loaded onto rafts made of wood and vegetation, and trees were planted on the corners to anchor the rafts to the lake bottom.
What did the Aztecs grow?
Maize, beans, squashes, tomatoes, chilli peppers, decorative flowers
what animals were eaten?
fish, geese, axayacatl, agricultural worm
What is the marsh fly that was eaten by Aztecs?
Axayacatl
Alcoholic Aztec drink. What was it made of?
Pulque, Agave
Wild hallucination-inducing mushrooms were prevalent among…
religious class and poets
What was Tlateloc?
A great market in Tenochtitlan where various produce and goods were sold
What was sold at Tlateloc?
cocoa, quetzal feathers, obsidian, paper, gold, silver, salt, tortilla, maize, turkey eggs, custard apple, tuna, all tropical fruits
Why was Sacrifice important for the Aztecs?
The Aztecs believed that offering blood and human lives to the gods was necessary to prevent the Sun from dying and the world from coming to an end.
Who were sacrificed
prisoners, extreme cases where family might offer someone in order to procure favours from the gods, rebellious slaves
about how many people were sacrificed?
between 10 000 - 50 000
Where did sacrifices take place?
top of Templo Mayor
How many priests were involved in the sacrifice process?
5
What would happen to the body after sacrificing it?
thrown down stairs of temple and taken by owners to be eaten
What would the priests do to the person being sacrificed?
held on stone tablet by four priests, other priest slices abdomen and takes out beating heart
what would be taken during sacrifice process and what would happen to it?
the heart would be placed in a special bowl
What was Tzompantli?
An enormous rack of skulls discovered in Tenochtitlan, consisting of rows of skulls and mortar lined up on vertical posts connected by crossbeams. It was used for display and ritual purposes.
What is Tlachtli?
A sport played by the Aztecs where a ball had to be shot through hoops using only the hips and elbows. The game ended when the shadow reached a specific line.
What is Volador?
A ceremonial ritual performed by four men dressed as birds who climbed a high pole and dived down while being attached to ropes. The drummer on top of the pole kept them swinging around before they touched the ground.
Outline the Aztec Social pyramid
emperor at the top, followed by the nobility, merchants and craftsmen, farmers and laborers, and peasants and slaves at the bottom.
What colour clothes did the emperor wear?
turquoise-green clothes
Everyone had to approach the emperor…
barefoot, with downcast eyes, bowing when meeting him
who was the great priest?
the emperor
at what did noble boys join priesthood?
17
What was the most important honour for a priest?
To perform human sacrifice
what percent of the population were nobles?
10-20%
what did nobles wear?
brilliantly feathered costumes
Nobles were the only people allowed to…
wear jewellery, decorated capes, and to live in two storey houses
what could noble members become?
priests, military leaders or emperor advisors
merchants and craftsmen class included…
goldsmiths and stonemasons
which class often acted as spies?
merchants and craftsmen
At what times did Aztec warriors not fight?
at night or harvest times
Aztec warriors aimed to , instead of
stun and capture, kill
What was the name for Aztec armour?
Ichcahuipilli
Define ichcahuipilli
quilted armour covered in feathers
What is the name for Aztec shields?
chimalli
Define chimalli
brightly covered shield decorated with feathers
What is the name for Aztec clubs?
Maquahuitl
Define maquahuitl
clubs made of obsidian and wood
What is the name for Aztec spear throwers?
Atlatl
Define atlatl
spear thrower
What were Aztec long bows called?
tlahu tolli
What would happen to the obsidian on Aztec weapons after the first strike?
They would shatter and would need to be prepared
Who made up the army?
common people
What is the name for nobles leading warriors into battle?
Pipiltin
How could you raise your rank in the army?
capturing more people
Why were eagle and jaguar warriors revered?
respective animals were known for agility and ferociousness
what was elite warrior membership based on? Who could become one?
taking captives, anyone from a commoner
What did Eagle warriors wear?
headdress that was either blue, yellow, red or white, decorated with feathers and beak and ichcahuipilli completely covered in bright feathers
What did Eagle warriors do?
scout
What did jaguar warriors wear?
jaguar skins and helmets resembling jaguar head
Why did jaguar warriors wear jaguar skins?
to give them the strength of a jaguar
Who were the most deadly Aztec warriors?
shorn ones
What did the shorn ones do to their hair
wore long braids on the left side and shaved the rest of their head
how could warriors who hadn’t taken anyone captive be identified?
long lock of hair at the back of head
What happened when you took your first captive?
lock of hair was cut, allowed to paint face, received capes
what happened when you took your second captive?
allowed to wear sandals in battle, received new capes and bodysuits decorated in red feathers
What were Aztec boys taught?
basic fighting skills and practiced with clubs and spears
What were noble boys taught?
received more training, learned war tactics, military strategies and how to lead armies
When did boys join the war? what did they do?
around 15, carried weapons and supplies and watched battles to learn from older warriors
when did boys become warriors?
17
what were flower wars?
small planned battles with real fighting for young warriors
what happened to those who disobeyed orders or ran away? (Aztec warriors)
often killed by other Aztecs
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