Aztec society before the Spanish

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