AZTEC LIFE

Essential Question

What makes a civilization great?

Civilization

An advanced culture in which people have developed cities, science, and industries.

Guiding questionsTextbook Pg. 8

How many people lived in the capital?

What was their capital like? What were their beliefs? How did they treat others?

The Aztec Empire

According to Aztec legend, the gods told the nomadic people who had entered the Valley of Mexico to search for an eagle perched on the top of a cactus. The eagle would be holding a snake in its beak. When they saw the sign on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco they established the city of Tenochtitlan.

Tenochtitlan

Chinampas“Floating Gardens”The primary chinampas crops were maize, beans, squash, tomatoes, and chili peppers, although chinampas were also used to grow flowers.

It is estimated that food provided by chinampas made up one-half to two-thirds of the food.

Huitzilopochtli

Huitzilopochtli was one of many gods that the Aztec believed in.

War and Sun God Nourished from

human blood. Without regular

offerings the sun would fall and all life would perish.

Human Sacrifice

Aztec Calendar

Each day controlled by two gods – one good, one bad.

Had a ritual year and a solar year.

Ritual year had 260 days.

Solar year had 365 days.

The calendars would synchronize together in 52 year cycles.

Cacao The beans were the

natives' "coins." A list of Aztec trading prices looked something like this:

1 small rabbit = 30 cacao beans 1 turkey egg = 3 cacao beans 1 large tomato = 1 cacao bean

Final Write

Write 3 paragraphs on whether or not the Aztec were a great civilization or not.

Describe what makes a civilization great and whether or not the Aztec met those expectations.