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Chapter 16 Section 3

Valley of Mexico �  Modern day Mexico

City

�  Lakes

�  Fertile soil

Early Civilization

�  Teotihuacan- “City of the Gods” �  Early 1st century �  Avenue of the Dead � Over 20 pyramids dedicated to the gods

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Early Civilization

Early Civilization

Teotihuacan

�  Thriving trade network � Obsidian- green or black volcanic glass

� Most valuable trade item � Used for weapons

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Obsidian

Teotihuacan Decline

� Historians believe �  Invasion of outside force � Conflict among ruling class

� Abandoned by 750CE

Toltec

�  900 CE � Capital- Tula � Built temples and pyramids

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Toltec

�  Tall pillars in shape of warriors �  Extreme warlike people

� Worship of war god � Need of blood sacrifice

Toltec

�  Topiltzin � Change religion � Quetzalcoatl or Feathered Serpent �  Sent into exile- Yucatan Peninsula

Aztec

� C. 1200 CE � City- States that survived fall of the

Toltec � Were called Mexica

�  Poor, nomadic people from No. desert

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Aztec Legend

� Huitzilopochtli- god of sun and warfare � Create their own city � Eagle perched on a cactus holding a

snake in its mouth

Aztec Legend

Aztec

�  Lake Texcoco- Center of the valley �  1325- Tenochtitlán

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Aztec

�  1428 joined Triple Alliance �  Texcoco and Tlacopan �  Leading power in the valley � Early 1500’s controlled over 80,000 sq.

miles

Aztec Government

� Empire was divided into 38 provinces � Estimated pop. 5- 15 million

Aztec Government

� Rulers govern different regions � Demand of tribute

� Gold, maize, cotton, jade

� Did not pay tribute- village would be destroyed

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Aztec Society

� Military leaders held great power �  Priests and gov’t officials- made up Noble

class

� Nobles owed vast estates

Aztec Society

� Commoners � Merchants, artisans, soldiers and farmers ○  Owned land

� Merchants acted as spies for the Emperor

Aztec Society

� Enslaved person �  Lowest class � Captives � Many different jobs

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Aztec Society

� Emperor at top � Power was absolute � Met with bare feet and eyes down

Tenochtitlán

�  Island �  Three raised roads to connect mainland

� Urban center- early 1500’s �  200,000- 400,000 �  Bigger than London

Tenochtitlán

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Tenochtitlan

� Huge market place- Tlatelolco � Goods come from chinampas

� marshy area of lake �  floating gardens

Tenochtitlan

� City center- � Great Temple ○  Twin temples on top ○  sun god and rain god

Tenochtitlan

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Aztec Religion

� Over 1,000 gods � Worshipped Toltec god- Quetzalcoatl

Aztec Religion

� Elaborate public ceremonies � Ritual song, dance, and drama � Many religious festivals

Aztec Religion

� Sacrifices � Huitzilopuchtli- cause of sun rising �  Fight evil to get to next day � Needed nourishment of human blood

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Aztec Religion

� Sacrifices- �  If sun does not rise- world goes into

darkness and would perish �  Practiced on mass skill �  All about quantity

Aztec Religion

� Sacrifices �  Top of Great Temple � Use of Obsidian knife to cut out beating

heart

Aztec Religion

� Sacrifices �  Enslaved person, criminals, people offered

as tribute �  Prisoners or war- preferred victims ○  Keeps Aztec at war

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Aztec Problems

�  1502- Montezuma II was Emperor � Empire begins to weaken � Wants more sacrifices and tribute

Aztec Problems

� Unrest and rebellion � Montezuma lessens demand of tribute � People start to see bad omens

�  Especially when the Spanish arrive

�  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG8WqEyXIyc