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42 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Tenochtitlan
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-Aztec Capital
-may have had a population of over 200,000 -larger than any city in Spain or England during that time |
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Aztlan
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-the source of the name Aztec
-today we refer to the people as Aztecs, but they call themselves Mexica or Tenochca |
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Valley of Mexico
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-central pert of the country
-they settled here in the 1200s -about 7,500 feet above sea level surrounded by tropical rain forests,but the high altitude gave the region a mild climate |
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Nahuatl and Picture Writing
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-language spoken by the Aztecs
-many words come from this ancient language -picture that represented ideas, or sounds -never developed an alphabet |
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Lake Texcoco
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-Tenochtitlan is found on an island in Lake Texcoco
-Eventually the lake was filled and became the site of Mexico City, the modern capital of Mexico |
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Early 1400s
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-by the early 1400s, the Aztecs had gained control of their region and established a number of city-states
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City-State
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-each city-state had its own government and distinct culture
-3 major city-states, Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan, formed an alliance that became the Aztec Empire -at one time, 489 cities paid tribute and taxes to the empire |
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Montezuma I
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-the greatest emperor who ruled from 1440 to 1468/9
-he expanded the empire from the Atlantic to Pacific coasts and from Central America to what is now Guatemala |
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Calpolli
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-a large Aztec family group
-word means "big house" -each Calpolli owned a plot of land -calpolli is a true democracy |
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Upper-Class Nobles
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-highest class
-owned land in addition to that of their Calpolli |
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Commoners
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-farmed the Calpolli land or made crafts and gave tributes to the Nobles in return for protection
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Serfs
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-farmed the land of the Nobles
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Slaves
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-lowest class
-they were either captives in war, criminals,or citizens who became unable to pay their debts -became household servants or worked alongside the serfs in the fields |
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Aztec Houses
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-small houses made from adobe brick
-roof made of thatched straw -homes had little furniture -woven straw mats lay on the dirt floors replacing beds and chairs |
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Organization of House
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-rooms of the house surrounded patio
-kitchen and eating area was the largest room, fire in the middle of the room |
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House Members
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-included the husband and wife and their unmarried children, as well as other relatives of the husband
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Telpuchcalli
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-a school sponsored by the family's tribe
-both boys and girls could attend the schools -training at the school included lessons in citizenship, history and tradition, religious ceremonies, and arts and crafts -the boys also learned about methods of warfare at age 13 -the girls also learned singing and dancing skills |
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Calmecac
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-a special school to train priests
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Clothing
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-wore mostly cotton clothes with some decoration sew on
-poorer Aztec wore cloth made of fibers from the maguey plant -decoration on clothing indicated the wealth and social rank of the person -members of the upper class wore colourful and and highly embroidered clothing |
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Learning A Craft
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-carved jade and other precious stones into small decorations
-used small tools -sold some crafts in the market |
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Food
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-women served the meal to the men of the household and then ate their own meals separately
-members of the family brought maize, beans, squash, chili peppers, and tomatoes from the fields -the men hunted to provide deer, rabbits, ducks, and geese -they also raised dogs and turkey for additional meat -Aztecs did not have cattle or pig so they had little fat in their diet |
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Tortilla
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-corn was the main diet of the Aztecs
-twice daily, the women baked cornmeal pancakes which the Spanish later called a tortilla -the Aztecs filled the pancakes with other foods much like our tamales and tacos today |
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Chicle
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-came from a gum tree
-is the basis for modern day chewing gum |
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Clans and Tribes
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-clan was the basis of all Aztec society and government
-each person was the member of an extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, brothers and sisters -groups of the extended family joined to form clans -20 clans joined to form a tribe |
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Council
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-each tribe chose a leader to be in the council
-members of the council then chose one member to be its chief -chief was in charge of civil and religious affairs -council enforced the laws of the clan and punished wrongdoers |
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Lunar Calendar
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-based on the phases of the moon
-260 days, 13 months each having 20 days -they thought this calendar was magical -the priests used it for religious ceremonies and rituals and for important activities |
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Solar Calendar
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-365 days, 18 months each containing 20 days
-the last 5 days were the "nothing days" the Aztecs thought the 5 days were unlucky so they did not give them names |
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New Fire Cermony
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-both Aztec calendars used 52 year divisions
-Aztecs had a major celebration at the start of the 52-year cycle which included the New Fire Ceremony -priest extinguished the temple's altar fires, and the citizens let their household fires go out -at midnight of the new era, the priest would light a fire on the chest of a sacrificial victim -people would then light a fire stick from the altar fire and used it to light their home fires |
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Aztec Temples
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-temple was visible from miles away and stood on the top of huge pyramid structures
-great staircases rose up the side of the pyramid |
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Sculpture
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-most sculpture came from temple decorations
-animals and representations of the gods were favourite subjects -stone was the most often used material however, other example remain made of jade, turquoise, emerald, and volcanic glass -the Aztecs also made items made of metal, which most of (gold) was melted by the Governor of Cuba after Cortes brought it back from his expedition |
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Pottery
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-craftsmen made clay pottery
-some of it was plain and for everyday use -they also created very colourful and elaborate ritual pottery |
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Weaving
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-women wove the cloth which was dyed, embroidered, and decorated
-the higher a person's status, the more elaborate the decoration of the clothing -Aztecs also excelled at feather weaving which was used to make cloaks, headdresses, etc. |
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Tlachtli
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-most important Aztec game
-similar to a Mayan game call pok-a-tok -started as a sport, then became a ritual game -played during religious ceremonies -sometimes sacrificed the loser to the gods |
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Patolli
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-most popular board game
-move around the board to and back to home base to win -cross shaped design painted on a board -beans painted with dots as dice, maize as markers -also played as a gambling game |
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Macuahuitl
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-most important weapon
-a sword edged with sharp pieces of obsidian glass |
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Tribute
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-tribute was everything the losing tribe had to give to the winning tribe
-often the losing team paid tribute for many years |
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Hernando Cortes
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-leader of third Spanish expedition in 1519 in search of riches and slave labor for the plantation in Cuba
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Conquistadors
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-Spanish soldiers who conquered the natives of the new world
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Montezuma II
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-became emperor in 1502
-grandson of Montezuma I -great Aztec chief -according to an old Aztec legend, the god Quetzalcoatl had sailed across the sea and would return someday which Montezuma thought was the Spanish -since he offered no resistance, the Spanish took Montezuma prisoner |
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Missionaries
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-religious people who go into foreign country to convert the natives to their religion; usually Christians
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Small Pox
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-the Spanish brought it with them from Europe
-the natives had no resistance to this new infection -many died because of it including warriors |
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Defeating the Aztecs
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-in 1520, the Aztecs rebelled against the Spanish causing them to leave and return in May 1521
-the result of this was a bloody civil war and with it, the fall of the Aztecs |
