Quiz Questions

1. Who is the god of games?

2. What is the basketball like game the Aztecs played?

3. Who is the god of rain?
4. What 3 factors contributed to the fall of the Aztec Empire?

                                               Games

1. 9 Levels

2. Inca Ball

                            The Fall of the Aztec Empire

      Many factors contributed to the fall of the Aztec empire. Here are a few of the obvious ones.

                                                          Sacrificing

       Killing thousands of people for their gods declined the population. Because of this, The Spanish out ranked the Aztecs. Also many sacrifices caused hatred around the surrounding people. Such as the powerful city-state, Tlaxcala, who joined the Spanish in the end because many of their eople were killed.

                                               Diseases

        Disease played a huge role in the fall of the Aztec Empire. When Cortes and his army were in Mexico, another Spanish army came from Cuba to make sure that he followed orders. Cortes didn't want none of that, so he went to fight the army. In that new army was an African being held as a slave who had smallpox which is very contagious. One of Cortes' men contracted the disease.  When they returned, the Aztec army quickly overwhelmed the Spanish, killing many and causing the rest to retreat.  The soldier was killed, and, likely when his body was looted, an Aztec caught the disease. Forthwith, the smallpox spread across the population. Unfortunately, the people had no resistance and they did not know how to treat it. It is said that 25% of the population had died by the smallpox.

                                               Tactics

      The Aztecs got wise to the ways of the Europeans, and they almost won. But, Cortes still used clever tactics in the final siege that, in combination with his native allies and the epidemics of disease, brought about the fall of the Aztec empire.

References:

1. http://www.aztec-history.com/fall-of-the-aztec-empire.html

                                                     Art 

         During the time of the Aztecs, they had a lot of art depicting their culture and their life. In their art, they would use insects, birds, fish, and animals. They also used many of their gods in their art. They would often show gods, or priests dressed as gods in a ritual, or Aztec warriors in their finery. Stories were written in pictures which also gave art an opportunity. The pictures may show the latest conquest, their daily lives, or the sacrifices of the priests. Art was made out of gold, feathers, silver, copper, coral, clay, jewels, and stone. Mosaics were also commonly used in Aztec art. Ancient Aztec art looks very lifelike.  Many of their statues of people, as well as animals, looked amazingly realistic.  They also show age, and a great deal of expression. Most of their art was about death. It reflected the people's passion to avoid death and disaster, and then to conquer even that if it came. They also had masks that would be covered in turquoise or shells.

Aztec double headed serpent

References:

1. http://www.aztec-history.com/ancient-aztec-art.html

                                                     Food

        Aztec food was a rich combination of many foods that we take for granted today. Maize was there main food product. Corn could be ground into flour and used to make tortillas (a sort of flat bread, sometimes used to wrap a filling to make tacos), tamales and even drinks. The Aztecs also had beans and squash. They also ate chilies, tomatoes, limes, cashews, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and chocolate.  The Aztecs domesticated bees for honey, and turkeys for meat and eggs, also dogs and duck.  They hunted and fished as well, and used animals such as deer, rabbits, iguana, fish, and shrimp for food.  Even insects, such as grasshoppers and worms were harvested. Also large amounts of algae were collected from the surface of the Texcoco Lake water. The Aztecs used it to make bread and cheesy type foods. The cocoa beans were used to make a thick chocolate drink, but far different than the hot chocolate we know today. Since they didn't use sugar, the Aztecs added peppers, corn meal, and spices. 

Maize (Corn)

References:

1. http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-food.html

 Climate and Location

         Because of where the Aztecs lived it had an huge effect on what kind of weather they had. The Aztecs were known as a Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica people of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. They called themselves Mexica. The capital of the Aztec empire was Tenochtitlan. It was built on raised island in Lake Texcoco. The Aztec lived in the Valley of Mexico in South-Central Mexico. The empire stretched for more than 80,000 square miles through many parts of what is now central and southern Mexico. It reached from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf coast and from central Mexico to the present-day Republic of Guatemala. Because of the high altitude of the Aztec's mainland, it was cool. The average was around 12 degrees Celsius. This made there area only good for limited amounts of crops and because there was also frost sometimes, the crops could easily die. The rainy season the Aztecs experienced lasted from May to October. The rainfall amount was about 450 mm in the north and up to 1000 mm in the south. 

The Aztec Empire

References:
1. http://www.crystalinks.com/azteculture.html

2. http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico/aztecs.html

3. https://sites.google.com/site/theamazingaztecs/aztec-climate-and-enviroment

            Clothing & Jewelry

         The Aztecs had a great variety of colorful clothing. The ones that made the clothing were the women. the clothing was generally made of cotton, or ayate fiber, which was made from the Maguey Cactus. This was accomplished by first twisting cotton and fibers onto a stick, which was weighted down with a clay spindle whorl, in order to make thread. Through their simple hand tools, they were able to use this thread to make cloth for use in capes and loincloths for the men. The females wore sleeveless blouses with a long wraparound skirt, and the men wore the capes generally over one shoulder. Slaves and the common people would wear only a simple loincloth. If the man had a higher social status it might be embroidered or have fringes on the two ends. The men would also wear a cloak made from a triangular cloth known as a tilmatli or tilma. They could use it like an apron to carry things or worn as a cloak. On the other hand, the upper class wore more brightly colored clothes and also wore symbols with their particular affiliation on the clothing, pendants, and feathers too. Jewelry was also a very important part in how they dressed. To the Aztecs, the amount of decoration on the clothing indicated the wealth of the wearer. The Aztecs favorite addition to the clothing was copper, gold, jade, silver, turquoise, and emerald. But, the upper class would wear bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.

Aztec women clothing

Brightly colored Aztec fabric

  

Aztec jewelry

References:
1. http://www.aztec-indians.com/aztec-clothing.html
2. http://www.aztec-history.com/ancient-aztec-clothing.html

  Architecture

      Aztec architecture was very different from what we see today. It was elegant, simple,bold, and powerful. It mixed colors and symbols that helped create unique styles. The powerful temples were the masterpieces of the Aztecs,but there was more beautiful architecture than these mighty temples. The Aztecs relied on cosmology, astronomy, and religion. Their massive cities reflected  their beliefs and the important key in understanding their history and culture, and how this affected their buildings and constructions. These temples perfectly represent how the Aztecs architecture is powered by their desire to sacrifice to their gods and their religion and beliefs. For construction, the Aztecs used tools such as stones, chisels, and blades. To form the base of their buildings, the Aztecs used a volcanic stone called tezontle. They also used local stones like rubble and limestone that were found in the area. Many symbols were incorporated into Aztec buildings and architecture. Here are some of the symbols and what they represent. The eagle represents the sun and of war. The serpent symbolizes water and fire. The Conch shell represents fertility. The frogs and the sea creatures symbolize Tlaloc Symbols.

Aztec architecture

References:
1. http://www.legendsandchronicles.com/ancient-civilizations/the-ancient-aztecs/aztec-architecture/

Education

         Imagine what you would have to learn in ancient Aztec civilization compared to today's. All boys  at the age of fifteen went to a telpuchcalli, a "house of youth." They learned the history and religion of the Aztecs, the art of war and fighting, and civic duties of everyday citizenship. The boys were trained in war and there were great competitions between schools. This sometimes led to fights. The boys attended either a calmecac or a cuicacalli. A cuicacalli is more of  a military school. Children of nobles attended a calmecac that was connected to the temple. The children learned to live prudently, to govern, and to understand the history and ways of their elders, under very strict priestly teaching. Learning in the calmecac was essential for advancement within the royal government. Calmecac students had extra religious duties such as lessons in history, astronomy, poetry, and writing.  There children learned the religious duties of priests and its secret knowledge, for the distinction between government and religious duties was practically non-existent. Unfortunately, this public education was only limited to boys. The girls on the other hand, had a separate calmecac school. The Macehualtin or literally "workers" were tradespeople, peasants, and builders. The children of this class went to a local school called telpochcalli. Over there they were taught basic occupational skills, the elements of warfare, and good citizenship. They also learned the fundamentals of their history and religion and the trade or craft specific to his calpulli or class. Some Macehualtin children who were bright were sent to a calmecac, where they would have more emphasis placed on scholarship in preparation for advanced careers.

In Aztec society, females were thought of as subordinate to men, so they were mostly taught from home. They started spinning at age four and cooking at age twelve. The schooling of girls was a basic training for marriage, except that noble girls spent a year at the age of twelve or thirteen helping in the temples. Because of this temple training, some girls went on to become priestesses even though one of the most important religious positions, the Snake women, were held by men. There were some temples and gods that had priestesses, who had their own schools, but their real   place in the hierarchy is not known. Women took little direct part in government or religious life, but did carry some influence behind the scenes.  Aztec Calmecac School References: 1. http://aztec.com/page.php?page=education

                                               Videos

                                                                   Aztec Sacrifice

                                                               Aztec Civilization

                                          Religion cont.

The Calendar and the Sun

The ancient Aztec religion was highly focused on keeping nature in balance.  One false step could lead to natural disaster.  The weak sun could stop moving.  In the sky was a constant battle between light and darkness, a battle that would someday be lost.

Huitzilopochtli (Hummingbird of the South) was the warrior sun (either the sun god or the one who fights for the sun god, Tonatiuh (the name given to Nanauatl)).  Huitzilopochtli (or Tonatiuh) needed blood sacrifice in order to win the battle against darkness.  Either there would be ritual blood-letting, or actual people would be sacrificed.  Those sacrificed would rise to fight with him.  And so human sacrifices became more and more common in Mexico.  Often battles would be fought just to capture prisoners to sacrifice - the Aztec flower war (or Aztec flowery war).

Every 52 years, the people were terrified that the world would end.  All religious fires were extinguished, people all over the empire would destroy their furniture and precious belongings and go into mourning.  When the constellation of the Pleiades appeared, the people would be assured that they were safe for another 52 years.

The world in ancient Aztec religion was divided up into 4 quadrants, and the center - their city Tenochtitlán.  The heavens were divided into 13 ascending layers, and the underworld 9 descending layers.  The heavens and underworld may be better described as wheels within wheels, a more common form for the Aztecs than layers or lines.  The temple in Tenochtitlán was also the place where the forces of heaven and earth intersected.   

Aztec reincarnation

Aztec Sacrifice

            In spite of all the great accomplishments of the empire, it's the Aztec sacrifice that the people are often remembered for.  Why were sacrifices offered?  What were they like?

            Though the human sacrifice is the most talked about, there were actually many types of sacrifices in the empire.  The people believed that they owed a blood-debt to the gods.   They wanted to avert disaster by paying the endless debt.  Blood was a common theme - the sacrifice that the gods required.

So, animals would be sacrificed, as well as humans.  Also, there was ritual blood-letting, where people would cut themselves to offer their blood to the gods.

            Human sacrifice was practiced to some extent by many peoples in Mesoamerica (and for that matter, around the world) for many centuries.  But it was the Aztec empire that really took the ritual to new heights.  How many people were sacrificed by the Aztecs?  We don't know how many were sacrificed over the years - it's possible that some accounts are exaggerated - but it was probably thousands each year - tens of thousands or more altogether.  Some estimates claim 20,000 a year.

The Aztecs had 18 months in one cycle, and for each of the 18 months there was ritual sacrifice.  The victim would be painted as a part of the ritual, they would be placed on a slab where their heart would be removed and held up to the sun.  The body would be thrown down the stairs of the temple/pyramid.

The body would be disposed of in various ways, such as feeding animals at the zoo or putting on display (the heads).  There are some accounts of cannibalism, but it's uncertain if this was practiced to any great extent.

There were other ways that humans would be sacrificed - shot with arrows, drowned, burned, or otherwise mutilated.  Killing in a fight (like the Roman gladiators) also took place.

Both the empire's own people, and their enemies were sacrificed.  The warriors were often involved in a special ritual war called a xochiyaoyotl (or flower war/flowery war).  The object was not to gain territory or kill the enemy, but to capture them as food for the gods.  Both sides of the battle were required to fight, and they usually were willing participants.  The people would be captured instead of killed, and then sacrificed.

Aztec sacrificing

 References: 

 1. http://www.history.com/topics/aztecs

  2.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec

                                                 Religion 

      Ancient Aztec religion was a complex interaction of gods, dates, directions and colors. It seems that most of the preoccupation in the religion had to do with fear of the nature, and a fear of the end of the world.

By the time the Mexica's Empire (Mexica is the proper name for the Aztecs) was at its height, the political and religious systems were in close interaction. The actions of the ruling classes and common people can be best understood if we look way back to the Mexica's understanding of the creation, or rather creations, of the world. Because the religion was a mixture from various peoples, there are variations. We'll give a general overview here.

                                  In the Beginnings

       According to ancient Aztec religion, it took the gods 5 tries to create the world.  These attempts were foiled because of infighting among the gods themselves.  After he was knocked from his exalted position by rivals, the first creator, Tezcatlipoca, turned into a jaguar and destroyed the world.  Under similar circumstances, the world was created and then destroyed with wind, and then two floods.

Each time a creator-god would take a turn being the sun.  Finally the gods had a council, and decided one of them would have to sacrifice himself to be the new sun.  Nanauatl, a lowly, humble god became the sun, but there was a problem - he wasn't moving.  The gods realized that they all must sacrifice themselves so that humans could live.  The god Ehecatl sacrificed the others, and a mighty wind arose to move the sun at last.

This was no free sacrifice, however.  Not only would the people have to help this weak sun to keep moving, they would also be responsible to repay the sacrifice.  The world remained in a precarious position!

Once the sun was dealt with, the world had to be recreated.  Quetzalcoatl (meaning feathered serpent) was the one who would create humans.  Of course, people had been created several times before, so Quetzalcoatl descended into the underworld to retrieve their bones.  He tripped as he fled, and the bones shattered into different sized pieces, which is why people are all different sizes.  By adding his own blood to the mix, people came to life.

Tezcatlipoca, the first creator, who turned into a jaguar and destroyed the world

References: (On the last post of the continuing of Aztec Religion)

                                          The Aztecs Government & Emperors

       The Aztecs had a simple government unlike ours today. Their government was similar to a monarchy. The emperor or king who was the primary ruler was called the Huey Tlatoani which meant "Great Speaker." When the ruler died, a group of high ranking nobles chose the next one. It is said that the next emperor was usually a relative of the previous ruler, but not always his son. The empire ruled by indirect means, and it was made up of city-states. It was more of a system of tribute than anything else. The Aztecs did not exert authority over conquered lands. As long as the city-states paid tribute to them, they were independent from Aztec rule. Some famous Aztec emperors were Acamapichtli, Itzcoatl, Montezuma I, and Montezuma II. All of these rulers contributed something to their empire that helped the empire prosper. Acamapichtli, the first emperor of the Aztecs, helped them conquer Xochimilco, Mizquic, Cuitlahuac, Chimalhuacan, and Cuauhhuacan. He was a very successful leader in war, gaining five civilizations. Itzcoatl was the fourth emperor of the Aztecs. He conquered the Tepanecs and founded the Triple Alliance. Montezuma I, another Aztec ruler, helped them become the dominant power of the Triple Alliance. Because of this, the empire expanded. The ninth emperor of the Aztecs, Montezuma II, was the leader when Cortez and the Spanish arrived. He had expanded the empire to its greatest size. Unfortunately, he was killed by the Spanish.

The Aztec ruler, Montezuma I

References:
1. http://www.ducksters.com/history/aztec_empire/government_and_empire.php
2. http://aztec-empire.weebly.com/famous-people.html
3. http://www.crystalinks.com/azteculture.html

                                                         Ancient Aztec Games

                   The Aztecs played any game that tested their skill and endurance. One of these games was the famous Aztec ball game, Ullamaliztli. It was a very difficult game because you had to hit the rubber ball with your hip into the hoop. Their was a time limit to the game which was the sun. When the shadow reached the court, the game would begin. And when the shadow reached the other end of the court, the game was over. How the Aztecs kept score was by putting beads on a string. The team with the most beads won. This game was not only for entertainment, but for politics and religion as well, and the losing team got their captain killed. The second game is called Patolli. The Aztecs were very passionate about this game. It was a type of board game that was played by common people and nobles.The board was shaped like a cross. The god of Patolli and other games was known as Macuilxochitl. Sacrifices were made to the dice in hopes that the gods would bring victory. Patolli was all about betting, and it was a game of chance and skill. The Aztecs would bet stones, plants, and even themselves on the game.

The Aztec ball game, Ullamaliztli

References:
 1. http://www.aztec-history.com/ancient-aztec-games.html
 

                                                            The Aztec Gods

       The Aztecs worshiped many deities during ancient times. Some of them are Centeotl, Quetzalcoatl, Chalchiuhtlicue, Huitzilopochtli, and Tlaloc. The first deity, Centeotl, is the god of maize or corn. He is the son of Tlazolteotl, the goddess of fertility and childbirth. His name means "Maize cob Lord." Centeotl is pictured as a young man with maize cobs and ears sprouting from his head. He is shown holding a scepter with green cob ears. Centeotl's female counterpart is Chicomecóatl. Both of them oversaw the different stages in the maturation of maize. The second deity, Quetzalcoatl, is the god of civilization. His symbol is the serpent with quetzal feathers. Quetzalcoatl's name means Feathered Serpent and also represents life, laughter, sexuality, farming, music, and many other things. His name symbolizes the quetzal bird who represents the heavens and the wind. The snake represents the earth and fertility. Also his name means "precious twin" because he has a twin brother named Xolotl. The third deity known to the Aztecs was Chalchiuhtlicue, the goddess of lakes and streams. She is a patroness or a female sponsor of birth and she also plays a part in Aztec baptism. Her husband was Tlaloc and with him she was the mother of Tecciztecatl and the ruler over Tlalocan. She has an aquatic aspect named Acuecucyoticihuati, the goddess of oceans, rivers, and any other running water. She was a patroness of women in labor. It is said that Acuecucyoticihuati was the wife of Xiuhtecuhtli.  The fourth god was Huitzilopochtli, the god of war,  of the sun, and of death. His name is the same as the Nahuatl words huitzilin which means "hummingbird," and opochtli which means "left."His name actually means "the resuscitated warrior of the south." Huitzilopochtli has other names such as Xiuhpilli, "Turquoise Prince," and Totec, "Our Lord." They say that his animal disguise was the eagle. And the last deity is Tlaloc, the god of rain, fertility, and lightning. The Aztec's pictured him as a man wearing a net of clouds, a crown of heron feathers, foam sandals, and carrying rattles to make thunder. Tlaloc means "he who makes things sprout."

 

Tlaloc, the god of rain

 References:

1. http://www.allabouthistory.org/tlaloc-faq.htm

2. http://archaeology.about.com/od/caterms/a/Centeotl.htm

3. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Quetzalcoatl.aspx

4. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/597478/Tlaloc

5. http://www.ancient.eu/Tlaloc/

6. http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Pr-Sa/Quetzalcoatl.html