Aztec notes

Aztec Civilization Study Notes

Aztec: Geography

  • Location: The Aztecs built their civilization on islands in Lake Texcoco.

  • Capital: The capital city was called Tenochtitlán.

    • Advantages of building on an island in a lake:

    1. Water for crops: Access to freshwater resources for irrigation.

    2. Food supply: The lake provided a source of food.

    • Disadvantages of building on an island in a lake:

    1. Flooding: Risk of flooding could damage infrastructure.

    2. Difficult to build upon: The unstable ground may have posed construction challenges.

Aztec: Tenochtitlán

  • Urban Structure: Tenochtitlán was crisscrossed by canals.

    • Transportation: Canals served as the major streets of the city.

    • Trade: Merchant canoes transported goods to the city’s main market, Tlatelolco.

    • Tribute: Various goods such as

    • Gold

    • Silver

    • Beautiful feathers

    • Cocoa

    • Bark paper

    • Human sacrifice victims
      were brought into Tenochtitlán through these canals.

  • Source: Jeremy A. Sabloff, The Cities of Ancient Mexico: Reconstructing a Lost World, Thames and Hudson from the NYS Global History and Geography Regents Exam, January 2014.

Aztec: Chinampas

  • Definition: Chinampas were ingenious agricultural systems created by the Aztecs, consisting of floating gardens.

  • Benefits:

    • Added living and agricultural space to the island.

    • Houses could be built on chinampas once they were stable.

    • Grow a variety of products:

    • Maize

    • Beans

    • Tomatoes

    • Flowers

  • Challenges:

    • Constant risk of flooding:

    • Salty water flooded the chinampas, damaging crops.

    • Lake Texcoco had brackish water due to mineral accumulation from rivers.

  • Solution:

    • Mid-15th century dike construction: Separated the western section of the lake to protect Tenochtitlán from saltwater and some flooding.

  • Source: Frances F. Berdan, The Aztecs, Chelsea House Publishers from the NYS Global History and Geography Regents Exam, January 2014.

Aztec: Government

  • Political Structure:

    • City-States: The Aztec civilization was organized into city-states.

    • Emperors:

    • Appointed by the gods

    • Held supreme power

    • Resided in Tenochtitlán

      • Montezuma II: Ruler at the empire's height.

      • Acamapichtli: The first ruler of the Aztecs.

  • Legal System:

    • Strict laws enforced

    • Existence of courts determined punishments.

Aztec: Achievements

  • Cultural Contributions:

    • Poetry: Celebrated as the highest form of art in Aztec culture, often focused on gods, religion, and daily life.

    • Art:

    • Sculptures typically depicted their gods.

    • Featherwork involved intricately woven feathers creating cloaks and headdresses.

    • Language:

    • Nahuatl: The language spoken by the Aztecs.

    • Utilized glyphs for writing, with manuscripts called codexes.

    • Only priests possessed the ability to read and write.

Calendar

  • Types of Calendars:

    1. Day Count: Utilized for religious festivals.

    2. Solar Year: Employed for tracking time.

Medicine

  • Herbal Remedies:

    • Utilized herbs to cure illnesses, with over 100 remedies documented.

    • Steam Baths:

    • Used to eliminate toxins from the body.

Aztec: Religion

  • Deities:

    • Huitzilopochtli: The God of war, sun, and sacrifice. Primarily regarded as the most important god.

    • Quetzalcoatl: The God of wind and life, known as the “feathered serpent.”

  • Priests:

    • Responsibilities included ensuring proper sacrifices and performing religious ceremonies and rituals.

Aztec: Human Sacrifice

  • Beliefs:

    • The Aztecs believed that the sun required human blood daily to rise.

    • It is estimated that over 20,000 human sacrifices occurred, though these figures are widely debated among historians.

Aztec Collapse: Part One

  • Spanish Conquest:

    • Motivations for Spanish explorers/conquistadors included:

    1. LAND

    2. GOLD

    3. SPREAD CHRISTIANITY

Aztec Collapse: Part Two

  • Hernan Cortes' Arrival (1519):

    • Encounters the Aztecs who mistake him for the god Quetzalcoatl and offer gifts.

    • Cortes' greed for gold and gifts leads to tensions with Montezuma II, who becomes suspicious.

    • Cortes takes Montezuma II prisoner.

    • Initial Aztec counterattack results in the expulsion of Spanish forces temporarily.

    • Montezuma II is killed in the ensuing conflict.

Aztec Collapse: Part Three

  • Cortes Returns (1521):

    • Cortes arrives equipped with advanced weaponry: armor, cannons, swords, and guns.

    • Introduction of horses and dogs, unknown to the Aztecs.

    • Spanish brought disease (Smallpox) which decimated the Aztec population due to lack of immunity.

    • End of 1521: The Aztecs surrender, and the Spanish gain control.

Reflection Questions

  • Considerations for Reflection:

    1. What lesson can be learned from the Aztec civilization relevant to modern societies?

    2. What aspects of contemporary society might astonish the Aztecs, positively or negatively?

    3. In what ways might modern problems be addressed by insights from Aztec society?