resources for teachers key stages 2 and 3 · pdf fileresources for teachers key stages 2 and 3...

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RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS KEY STAGES 2 AND 3

24 SEPTEMBER 2009 – 24 JANUARY 2010

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contents Essential information about your visit 3

Background information 4

Highlights checklist 12

Secondary schools: your visit 13

Primary schools: your visit 14

Activity sheets for primary schools 15

Adult briefing sheets for primary schools 27

PowerPoint presentation notes 31

Further information 36

Turquoise mosaic mask.

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essential information about your visit

Please read this information carefully

• Makesureyouhaveenoughadulthelpers(atleast1:6forprimary, 1:8 for secondary).

• Organisesmallgroupswithoneadultperprimarygroupandactivitysheets beforeyouarriveattheMuseum.

• OnarrivalattheMuseum,makeyourwaytotheFordCentreforYoungVisitors,downstairsintheGreatCourt.Allow20minutesforcheck-in,depositingbags,toiletsetc.

• Ifyouhavetimetofillafterfinishingyourvisittotheexhibition, considervisitingsomeoftheothergalleries,especiallyRoom27(Mexico)ratherthanwaitingintheGreatCourtorFordCentre.

Youmaybesharingtheexhibitionwithotherschoolstudentsand regularvisitors.Theresourceshavebeendesignedtominimisecrowding, sopleaseusethemassuggested.Ifanareagetsovercrowded,pleaseadvisestudentstoactsensiblyandwaittheirturnormoveontothenextactivityand come back later. Please look through all the resources so you are familiar with what the students will be doing.

Aztecs or Mexica?

The Aztecs are known by this name because a Spanish chronicle from the 1520snamedtheirhomelandasAztlan.However,theyneverreferredtothemselvesasAztecs–insteadtheycalledthemselvesMexica (pronouncedMé-shee-ka).AcademicsarenowseekingtoreturnthetermMexicatocommonuseandthisisthenametheexhibitionandthis resource pack will use to refer to the people popularly known as Aztec.

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background information Aftersomegeneralinformation,thissectioncoversthesixtopicsthat link to the activity sheets for students:

• Moctezumatheruler • Religionandthegods • Writingandthecalendar • Warriorsandwarfare • Houses,palacesandtemples • Tradeandtribute:materials

The Mexica

TheMexicaweremigrantpeoplewhoarrivedinthebasinofMexicointhe1200s.Theywerenotacceptedbythenativepeopleoftheareabutwereseenas intruders who could pose a threat. After attempts to integrate with local townsfailed,theMexicamovedtoLakeTetzcoco.Accordingtolegend,theMexicasawasignsenttothembyHuitzilopochtli,thepatrondeityandgodofwarandsacrifice,whichdesignatedanislandinthelakeastheplacewherethey should found their city. This sign was an eagle perched on a cactus and is stillusedonthenationalflagandmoneyinMexicotoday.

The foundation of an empire

ThecitythattheMexicafoundedwascalledTenochtitlan,locatedinthewesternareaofLakeTetzcoco.Developingthecitywasdifficultbecauseofalackofbuildingmaterialsandagriculturalland,andthepresenceofhostileneighbours.However,itdidofferfoodintheformofbirdsandfishandstrategically it was well located for defence and travel for trade by canoe. Tocombatthelackofagriculturalland,theMexicabuiltchinampas, floating gardens,bydrivingpilesintothemarshesandformingsmallareasoflandsuitable for farming.

Thecitygraduallydevelopedandby1430theMexicahadassimilatedaspectsof the surrounding people and developed into a structured society. The city hadaseriesofcausewaysbetweentheislandsfortransport,aqueductstocarryfreshwater(becauseLakeTetzcocowasasaltwaterlake)andsewerstodisposeofwaste.Toovercomehostilethreatstothecity,theMexicacreatedanalliancein1428betweentheircityandthecitiesofTetzcocoandTlacopan,referredtoastheTripleAlliance.ThisfurtherstrengthenedtheMexica’spowerandlaidthefoundationsfortheirterritorialandeconomicexpansion.Bythestartofthe1500s,theempirestretchedfromtheAtlantictothePacificandintowhatarenowGuatemalaandNicaragua.

Nezhualcoyotl’s D

yke

AtzacualcoCuepopan

Sacred Precinct

Palace of Moctezuma II

Dock for Tetzcoco

Causeway to Tepeyacac

Causeway to Tenayuca

Causeway to Iztapalapan

Causeway to Tlacopan

Causeway to Tlacopan andChapultepec

Moyotlan Zoquiapan

Tepeyacac

Tenayuca

TenochtitlanTlatelolco

L a ke

Te t z c o c o

Chapultepec

Tlacopan

Iztapalapan

CoyoacanHuixachtlan

T E N O C H T I T L A N

T L A T E L O L C O

N

0

0

1 mile

1 kilometre

Plan of Tenochtitlan.

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Fall of an empire

TheSpanish,ledbytheadventurerHernanCortés,arrivedin1519andlandednearVeracruz.MoctezumawasawareoftheirarrivalandsentgiftstoCortés.Itispossiblethatthesegiftswereasignofpreliminaryfriendship,anattempttoawetheSpanishwiththewealthandcraftsmanshipavailabletotheMexicaruler.Alternatively,MoctezumamighthavethoughtCortéswasthefeatheredserpentgod,Quetzalcoatl,returned.CortésmovedtowardsTenochtitlanforgingalliancesordefeatingoppositionasitoccurred.WhenhearrivedinTenochtitlan,Moctezumaallowedhimentryintothecityandhousedhiminone of the palaces. He was taking a diplomatic route advised by his council andfollowingMexicahospitalitytraditions.Inturn,thisalsoallowedhimtostudyCortésandhisSpanishtroopsaswellaseffectivelykeepthemconfinedwithin the inner area of the city.

AftertwoweeksCortésdecidedtoactandtookMoctezumahostage,aphysical act which was abhorrent to a ruler who did not allow commoners to evenlookathim.Inthefollowingmonths,Moctezumacontinuedtorulehisempire but may have been following a line of appeasement to the Spanish. ThecriticalmomentcamewhenCortésleftthecitytoconfrontanothercontingentfromSpain,ledbyNarvaez.

DuringhisabsencetensionsinTenochtitlanboiledoverandtheresentmentagainsttheSpanishcametoahead.MexicawarriorsattackedtheSpanishtroopsandchaosensued.Moctezumawasbroughttothepalacebalconyandaddressed his people pleading for calm. His plea was heard for a short time butcalmdidnotlast.Whenasecondrushofattacksoccurred,Moctezumaonce again came to the balcony to appeal to his people. This plea was not successful.Whathappenednextisunclearandsubjecttocontroversy.WasMoctezumastonedtodeathbyhispeople,asSpanishaccountscontest,orsecretlystrangledbytheSpanish,aslaterlocalaccountsattest?

Moctezuma the ruler

MoctezumaIIwasbornintheMexicayear1Reed(1467).HisfullnamewasMoctezumaXocoyotzin(AngryLord).Hewasproposedasrulerbyhisuncle,Ahuitzotl,whowashispredecessorintherole.In1502hewaselectedandadoptedthetitleof‘hueytlatoani’(‘hewhospeaks’or‘hewhogivesorders’).HeruledtheMexicaempireuntilitsfallin1520.Heinheritedanempirethathadrecentlybeenexpandedthroughwarfarewhichneededtobecarefullymaintained and brought under more permanent control.

Moctezumadevelopedanadministrationsystemthatoperatedthroughouthis empire. He had a council of nobles and elders to advise him and commands were carried out by a structured system of governance.

Fan with feathers.

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RulershadbecomeincreasinglymoreremoteandthiscontinuedinMoctezuma’sreign.Whenhewentaroundthecity,whichwasrare,hewascarried on a special litter which was highly decorated and accompanied by an elaborateprocessionofpeople.Moctezumadisplayedhiswealthandpowerontheseoccasionsandinthepalacebywearingcoloured,patternedgarmentsandanarrayofexpensivejewellerymadefromgoldorpreciousstones.Peoplewere not allowed to look directly at the ruler and when they visited him theyhadtobebarefootandwearoldclothes.Commonerswerenotallowedinthesameroomashim.Moctezumafurtherincreasedthedividebetweennoblesandcommonerswithaseriesofnewlaws,oneofwhichrestrictedtheclothing even a decorated warrior could wear.

Moctezumaorderedtheconstructionofanewpalace.Thepalacewasbuilton a raised platform so it was higher than other buildings in the city. The remarkablepalacecomplexalsoincludedelaborategardens,courtyards,orchardsandaroyalzoofilledwithexoticanimals.Quetzalbirdsandparrotswere kept in the grounds so that there would always be a regular supply of feathersfortheruler.Thecomplexalsohousedbuildingsforadministration,the central law courts and storerooms for tribute. The buildings themselves were brightly coloured and highly decorated with statues and carvings. All this furtherelevatedMoctezuma’spositionanddemonstratedhispower.

Moctezumawasregardedasbeingsemi-divine.Assuch,hewasexpectedtoparticipate in ongoing rituals to ensure the world functioned correctly and the relationship with the gods was maintained. An important ritual during his reignwastheNewFireCeremonywhichoccurredevery52years.Aspartofthis,MoctezumaexpandedtheGreatTempleandsentwarriorsouttosecuresufficient sacrificial victims.

Religion and the gods

ReligionwasthoughtbytheMexicatobevitaltomaintainingtheirworld.They believed that the world had ended four times previously and that the fifth era in which they lived was possible through the intervention of the gods. Thegodswerewhatmadelifepossible.Asthegodsprovidedlife,theMexicasacrificed life for the gods in return.

Sacrificial offerings included personal bloodletting and human sacrifices at importantceremonies.Traditionally,eachyearayoungmanwaschosentoadoptthepersonaofTezcatlipoca(LordoftheNightorSmokingMirror).Forthenextyearhewastreatedwellandgrantedspecialprivileges.HeacceptedhisdeathbecauseitwouldleadtoautomaticentrytoIchanTonatiuh,thehomeofthesuninthesky.Inthedaysbeforehissacrifice,othercaptiveswerealsosacrificed.ThemajoritywereprisonersfromwarsandthisinturnwasareasontheMexicasenttheirwarriorsouttobattle.Theritualconcludedonthefifthdaywiththeyoungman’ssacrificeasafinaletothecelebration.

Human skull decorated with turquoise.

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-number cycle

20-day cycle

365-

day

sola

r ca

lend

ar

365-day solar cycle

260-day ritual calendar

Crocodile

Wind

House

Lizard

SerpentDeath

Deer

Rabbit

Wat

er

Dog

Mon

key

Gra

ss

Reed

Jaguar

EagleVulture

Movement

Flint knife

Rain

Flower

??

??

??

??

??

Atl

caua

lo(f

irst

mon

th) A

tlcaualo(first m

onth)

Nem

onte

mi

(ext

ra d

ay)

Atlcaualo

(first month)

Nem

onte

mi

(ext

ra d

ay)

Atlcaualo

(first month)

Nem

onte

mi

(ext

ra d

ay)

Atlcaualo

(first month)

Nem

onte

mi

(ext

ra d

ay)

Atlcaualo

(first month)

Atl

caua

lo(f

irst

mon

th)

Atlcaualo

(first month)

Atl

caua

lo(f

irst

mon

th)

Atlcaualo

(first month)

Atl

caua

lo(f

irst

mon

th)

Atlcaualo

(first month)

TheMexicabelievedinmanygodswhocontrolled,maintainedoraffectedeveryaspectoftheworld.Forexample,Tlaloc,theraingod,hadhelperswhocarried pots of water into the sky and smashed them to produce rain. Thunder was the sound of these pots being smashed.

Becauseofthegreatimportanceplacedonthegods,everytownorcityhadatleastasmalltempleorshrine.Tenochtitlan,thecapitaloftheMexica,had a central ceremonial precinct as well as smaller temples in the suburbs. The ceremonial precinct was enclosed by a stone wall carved with serpents andhousedthemajorshrines,thecalmécac(priests’school)andaritualballcourt.Boys,primarilyfromnoblefamilies,wereabletogotothepriests’schooltobeeducated.Priestslivedahardlife;theyworkedatthetemple,fastedoftenandcouldnotmarry.However,theywerereliedupontomaintaintherelationshipwiththegods,performritualsandforetellthefutureand,assuch,rankedhighlyintheMexicasocialstructure.

SuccessiverulersexpandedtheGreatTemple,orTemploMayor,inthecentralprecinct.Thetemplewasafour-sidedpyramidwithtwosteepstaircasesleadingstraighttothetoplevel.Onthislevelweretwoshrines,oneforTlalocandoneforHuitzilopochtli.Tlaloc’stemplewaspaintedblueandwhitetorepresenthisbringingraintotheland.Huitzilopochtli’swasbrightredandwhite reflecting war and sacrifice.

Writing and the calendar

TheMexicausedglyphsforwrittencommunication.Thesepictorialsymbolsrepresentednames,datesandotherelementsandweredevelopedfromearlierCentralMexicanwritingsystems.Theywroteoncodicesmadeofdeerskinorpaperwhichfoldedouttoalongstrip.NoneofthecodicessurvivebecausetheyweredestroyedaftertheSpanishConquest,butMexicascribesdid complete codices after this which used the same system.

Theglyphsdidnotrepresentalphabeticletters,butcomponentsofwords,ideasandnames.Forexample,deathcanbeshownbyacorpsewrappedreadyforburial,speechbyascrollbubblefromaperson’smouth,andtravelbyaline of black footprints.

The glyphs were not set on the page in a linear way but were carefully arrangedtoillustratethescenetheyweredescribing.Inthisway,thepagewasnotviewedastextistoday,butmoreasapaintingthattoldthestoryofitsmeaningthroughglyphs,scenearrangementandlabelstoprovideotherclues.Forexample,theskywasatthetopofthepageandthegroundatthebottom.Colourwasalsoimportantinmarkingoutaparticularglyph’smeaninginthatcontext.Forexample,intheCodexMendoza,thesimilarsignsforgrass,canesandrushesareimmediatelydistinguishedbycolour;grassisyellow,canesareblueandrushesaregreen.

Shield and darts: warfare Ruler seated on woven reed throne Burning temple: conquest

Footprints: path Volutes: sound or speech Hill or ‘place’ Drilling tools and smoke:fire ceremony

Cactus thorn: self-sacrifice Solar disc

Heart Greenstone Gold Turquoise

1Dot

10Dots

20Paper banner

60Paper banners

400Feather

8000Incense pouch

Rain

Calendardecodingillustration





1Dot

10Dots

20Paper banner

60Paper banners

400Feather

8000Incense pouch

Rain

Footprints: path

Volutes: sound or speech

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Thenumberingsystemworkedusing20asabase.1to19werenormallydots,20swereflags,400s(20x20)aglyphsimilartoafeatherorafirtree,and8,000(20x20x20)abag(probablyviewedtocontaincocoabeans).

The writing system is also linked to the calendar through the glyph day or yearsignsoftheircalendars.TheMexicahadtwocalendars,thetonalpohualli,a260-daysacredcalendar,andthexiuhpohualli,a365-daycalendar.

The sacred calendar is the one most often quoted on codices and other writtencommunication,includingsculptures.Thiscalendarismosteasilyimaginedastworotating,interlockedwheels.Thelargerwheelhad20symbols,eachadayname.Thesmallerwheelhadthenumbers1to13.Thesacredyearwasdividedinto20‘weeks’andeachweekhad13days.Ayearwould begin on 1 Alligator and each day the interlocking wheels would rotate onenotch.Thus,daytwowouldbe2Wind,then3Houseandsoon.Aweekended when the numbers went past 13 back to 1. The new week then began with a different day sign; this ensured each week was a unique combination.

The xiuhpohualliwasa365-daycalendarbasedonsolarmovement.Withinthiscalendartheyearwasbrokeninto18‘months’of20dayseach,plus5daysattheendoftheyearwhichwereconsideredunlucky.Datesfromthiscalendar were not often recorded in codices or on monuments.

The two calendars only began a new year at the same time every 52 years. Thismarkedtheendofa52-calendar-yearround.TheeventwascelebratedbytheNewFireCeremonywhichinvolvedsacrificesandaspecialnewfirebeinglit.Menfromacrosstheempirelittheirtorchesfromthisfireandtookthemtotheirtownsandvillages.Inpreparation,allfiresintheempirehadbeenextinguishedandsothenewflamewouldheraldthenewyearandanewbeginningforeachtown,villageandhousehold.ThisceremonyoccurredduringMoctezuma’sreignintheyear2Reed.

1 10





1Dot

10Dots

20Paper banner

60Paper banners

400Feather

8000Incense pouch

Rain

400 8000





1Dot

10Dots

20Paper banner

60Paper banners

400Feather

8000Incense pouch

Rain





1Dot

10Dots

20Paper banner

60Paper banners

400Feather

8000Incense pouch

Rain

20 60





1Dot

10Dots

20Paper banner

60Paper banners

400Feather

8000Incense pouch

Rain





1Dot

10Dots

20Paper banner

60Paper banners

400Feather

8000Incense pouch

Rain

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Warriors and warfare

AstheMexicaruler,MoctezumawastheheadoftheMexicawarriors.Atthebeginning of his rule he needed to ensure that control was maintained over all the rival towns conquered by his predecessor. This demanded a strong leader andapowerfulcommander,bothofwhichMoctezumaprovedtobe.

WarfarewasvitalfortheMexicaempireasitwasawaytoexpandtheempiretogaincontrolofmoreterritories,accesstovaluablematerialsandcommodities,andanincreasedsourceoftribute,aswellasbeingtheprimarywaytoobtainvictimsforsacrifice.Indeed,iftherewerenotenoughsacrificesforascheduledritualthena‘warofflowers’wouldbeundertakenwiththesole purpose of gaining captives.

AllMexicaboyslearntaboutweaponsandwarfareastheygrewupandhadtoundergomilitarytrainingattheageof17.Inordertoprogresstoadulthood,aboy had to capture his first prisoner. Up until this time they were only allowed towearacapemadeofroughmaterial.Oncethefirstcapturewasmade,theboy was seen as an adult and permitted to wear finer clothing and grow his hairovertherightear.Afterfourprisoners,thewarriorbecameatequiuaandworeanornatecapewithbrightercoloursandpatterns(demonstratinghowtheMexicareflectedstatusinclothing).Theeffortofcapturingfourprisonersalsoentitledthemtoashareofthetributegained.Warriorswhoweremostsuccessful at capturing prisoners could advance in society and even possibly jointhenobility.

ThetraditionalweaponsofMexicawarriorswerespears(thepreferredchoice),bowsandarrows,andwoodenclubsstuddedwithsharpobsidianflakes.Thewarriorsheldhideshields,whichcouldbedecoratedinfeathersandworequilted cotton garments that had been soaked in saltwater to stiffen them for protection.

Professional warriors who rose through the ranks strove to become eagle or jaguarwarriors.TheseweretheeliteoftheMexicaforces,reputedlyfearedaboveall.JaguarsrepresentedTezcatlipoca,godofthenightandthesymbolofthemoon,andeaglewarriorsthesun.Jaguarwarriorsworejaguarskinswiththeirheadscomingthroughtheanimal’smouth.Aswellasregularfighters,thejaguarswerealsousedasspies,especiallywhenlookingforopponents’weaknessesthattheMexicacouldexploitinbattle.Eaglewarriorsworebeakedfeatheredhelmetsandsuitsoffeathers.Inasimilarwaytothejaguars,theywereregularfightersplusspecialistscoutswhohadtheabilitytorun long distances.

Turquoise shield.

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Houses, palaces and temples

Tenochtitlan was a remarkable city built on a lake. The ingenious Mexica began on a small island and expanded to create a city which could accommodate 300,000 inhabitants. This metropolis contained an array of temples, palaces, shrines, marketplaces and houses, all interlinked by a system of causeways, roads and canals. The city was divided into four areas called campas, each sub-divided into twenty districts called calpullis. Each of these smaller areas had its own temple and marketplace.

Houses were made from baked mud bricks and painted bright white. Houses for the commoners were generally one-room buildings separated into areas for sleeping, cooking and eating. The roofs were flat and could be utilised as another room when the weather dictated. Houses of nobles could be slightly more elaborate two-storey buildings, sometimes incorporating a courtyard.

In the centre of the city was the administrative hub of government and the ceremonial precinct. Moctezuma ordered construction of a new palace during his reign, sculptural pieces of which are displayed in the exhibition. This palace acted as his home and the seat of government. Palaces were built on raised platforms and were complex buildings housed in palace precincts. They were two-storey stone buildings with multiple rooms used for living, entertaining, governance and display or storage of tribute. They were decorated with sculptures, symbols of power, and painted reliefs. The surrounding precinct contained other buildings (such as administrative, housing, storage, and law courts), courtyards, gardens, orchards and even, in some cases, a zoo. Buildings in the palace complex were painted blues, reds, greens and white. Palace precincts were located adjacent to the walls of the ceremonial precinct as a visual reminder of the ruler’s semi-divine status and power.

The ceremonial precinct was enclosed with a stone wall carved with serpents and housed the major temples, shrines and ritual ball court. The Great Temple was a four-sided pyramid with four tiers. A steep double staircase provided access to the top tier where the twin shrines of Tlaloc, the rain god, and Huitzilopochtli, the sun and war god, were located. The temple and its twin shrines loomed across the city and it was a visible and instantly recognisable shape on the skyline.

Stone seated person.

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Trade and tribute: materials

TheMexicawereabletogathersomefoodandmaterialsfromtheBasinofMexico.However,othermaterialswereobtainedfromfurtheroutlyingareasandthispushedtheMexicatoexpandtheirtraderoutesandterritory.TributeandtradecombinedprovidedtheMexicawithenoughfoodforallinTenochtitlan,aswellasluxurygoods.

MostofthegoodstheMexicaexportedwereitemscraftedfromimportedmaterials.However,somegoodswereentirelylocal,suchasobsidianitems,potteryandrabbitskins.Importedcraftedgoodssuchascottongarments,colourfulpotteryandjewellerycamefromcraftcentres,afamousexampleofwhichisCholula(inthemodernstateofPuebla,Mexico).Exoticluxuriessuchasjaguarskins,quetzalfeathersandjadecamefromsouthernareas.However,becauseofthenetworkofmarketsandmerchants,goodscouldoriginatefrommuchfurtheraway,includingwhatisnowNewMexicoandCentralAmerica.

Longdistancetraders,pochteca,broughtintheseluxuryitemsandsoldthemtonoblesorinthelocalmarkets.TheMexicadidnotusemoneybutinsteadtradeditems;cocoabeanscouldbeusedassmallchangeifrequired.Localmarkets were thriving and busy places and most towns had at least one marketplace.Insomeareas,especiallythesouth,thepochtecadonotseemto have been able to attend the local markets but had to work with local merchants and the rulers of the area to trade.

TheMexicaempirewaswelldesignedtofacilitatetradingandthecollectionoftribute.Merchantswererespected,roadsweredesignedfortravelbyfoot(therewerenodraughtanimals)and,wherepossible,riverswereusedtoincreasespeedandefficiencyoftravel.Thisexpansivetradenetworkwasenhancedbyallianceswithothertowns,conquestofnewterritoryleadingtoanexpandingempire,andtherigorouscollectionoftribute.

TheCodexMendozaisausefulsourceofinformationabouttribute.Itdetailstheexacttributerequiredbiannuallyandannuallybycertaintributarytowns.

Tenochtitlan

T L A X C A L A

YO

PI T

ZI N

CO

T E OT I T L A N

O C E A N

P A C I F I C

T A R A S C AN

T O T O T E P E C

M

ET Z

T I T L A N

Wood

Food

Gourd bowlsTextiles

Warrior costumes and shields

Four kinds of tribute came from most provinces:

Paper

Live eaglesHoney

Lime

Lip-plugs

DeerskinsSalt

Copper

Down

Turquoise

CottonChillies

Copal

Seashells

Gold

Cochineal

Resin

Rubber

Cacao

Greenstones

Jaguar skins

Bird skins

Canes

Quetzal feathers

Coloured feathers

Turquoise mosaic mask.

Tributemapshowingwherematerialscomefrom,takenfromCodexMendoza.

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HigHligHts cHecklist

Portrait of Moctezuma atthebeginningoftheexhibition

HowyouwoulddescribeMoctezuma?

Moctezuma’s stone boxinthefirstsectionoftheexhibition

OntheinsideofthelidishisnameinMexicapicturewriting. Asyougoroundtheexhibitionlookformoreexamples.

Coronation stone of Moctezumain‘MoctezumaasaRuler’section

TheMexicabelievedtheworldhadalreadyendedfourtimes. This stone is carved with picture symbols representing each world.

Teocalliobjectshapedlikea4-sidedpyramidinthecentralroom

Depictionsonitincludeasun-disc,bowlsforsacrificialhearts,eaglefeathers, jaguarspotsandaneagleontopofacactus.

Procession of warriorsinthe‘Warfare’section

Thisalargestoneobjectdecoratedwithwarriors.Imaginethemallgoingtobattle.

Codex Duraninthe‘Omensofchange’section

Thiscodexshowsacometflyingacrossthesky,oneofthebadomensthatoccurred towardstheendoftheMexicaempire.

Double-headed serpentinthe‘ArrivaloftheSpanish’section

ThisserpentmayhavebeenagiftfromMoctezumatotheSpanishleaderCortés.

Horse armourinthe‘ArrivaloftheSpanish’section

TheMexicahadneverseenhorsesbeforetheSpanisharrived. Imaginewhatastrangesighttheymusthavebeen.

Final highlight

Gotothe‘DeathofMoctezuma’section.Peoplearen’tsureifMoctezumawaskilledbyhisownpeople,theMexica,orbytheSpanishconquerors.Lookattheobjectsandpicturesinthissectionwhichshow bothversions.Discusswhatyouhavefoundwithyourgroup.

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secondary scHools: your visitYoumayalsofinditusefultolookattheresourcesforprimaryschoolsasmanyofthesemaybe suitable for adaptation for secondary students.

Before your visit

• Explaintheexhibition’suseofthetermMexicainsteadofAztecandthereasoningbehindthis.

• Thinkofotherancientcivilisationsyouhavestudied.PlotthemonatimelinewiththeMexicaempire,usetheBritishMuseumwebsitewww.ancientcivilizations.co.uktohelpwiththis.

• CreateamindmapofwhatyourstudentsknowabouttheMexica.

• Lookatsomeofthegreatarchaeologicaldiscoveries,andtheremainsassociatedwiththem,suchasTutankhamunandPompeii.Whatcanbelearntaboutpeoplesfromthethingstheyleavebehind?

During your visit

• Askstudentstolocateeachoftheobjectsonthehighlightschecklist(seepage12)andexaminethemclosely.

• Askstudentstothinkaboutoneortwoofthesekeyquestionsastheygothroughtheexhibition:

–HowdidMoctezumashowhewasthemostpowerfulmanintheMexicaempire?

–LookforexamplesofMexicagods,templesorreligiousceremonies.Whatdoesthistellyouaboutthe importanceofreligioningeneralanditssignificanceforthestatusofMoctezuma?

–LookforexamplesofMexicaglyphs.Whatdifferentsymbolscanyousee,whatdotheymeanandwhat objectsaretheyon?

–Howdidwarriorsreflecttheirstatus?

–HowdidbuildingsintheMexicaempirereflectimportanceorwealth?Whatcouldbuildingscommunicate tovisitors?

–Lookfordifferentmaterialsintheexhibition.Seeifyoucanfindoutwheretheyoriginated. WhatdoesthistellyouabouttheMexicaempire?Couldthesedifferentmaterialsbeusedtoreflectthe socialhierarchyoftheMexicasociety?

• Theexhibitionisveryrichinvisualimages.Drawingisnotpossiblebutquicksketchesandnotescanbemade.Studentscouldfocusonathemesuchascolour,graphics,2D/3D,animalsetc.

• GothroughthePowerPointwithstudentsbeforethevisitanddiscusswhattheywouldbeabletoorliketoresearchintheexhibition.Studentscouldsettheirownindependentlearningtargetsorthemes.

After your visit

• Discussthekeyquestionsthatstudentsthoughtaboutduringtheexhibitionandwhatinformationtheygathered to help form their answer.

• Whichhighlightobjectdidstudentsfindmostinterestingandwhy?

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Primary scHools: your visit• Theresourcesaredividedintosectionsforusebefore,duringandafteravisittotheexhibition.

There are also background information sheets to help you.

• ThePowerPointpresentationcanbeusedbothbeforeandafteravisit.Itcontainsimagesandhighlightobjectsthatlinktotheactivitiesandthatthestudentsmayseeduringtheirvisit.Informationaboutthe objectsisinthenotessectionofeachslideandonpages31–35.

Before your visit

Thefollowingaresuggestionsforactivitiesthatyoucanusetopreparestudentsfortheirvisittotheexhibition.

• LocatetheareacoveredbytheMexicaempireinanatlasandlookatthemoderncountrieswhichitcovered.Displayamapintheclassroomthatcanbeaddedtoduringthelengthofthetopic.

• PlacetheMexicaempireinitscontextbyexplainingtostudentswhenitexistedandgiveexamplesofothercultures in the world at the same time.

• Discusssomeofthenamesofpeopleandplacestheywillencounterintheexhibition.

• IntroducetheMexicareligionanditsrangeofgods.Dostudentsknowotherexamplesofpolytheism?

• ShowexamplesofMexicaglyphsandcodices.Discusswhattheglyphslooklikeandhowtheydifferfromthemodern alphabet. Ask students to investigate other pictographic writing used by different cultures.

• ShowthestudentssomeofthekeyobjectsorimagesfromthePowerPoint.Askthemwhattheywouldliketoknowabouttheobjects.Wheremighttheyfindthisinformationintheexhibition? HowdotheseobjectshelptounderstandtheMexicaempire?

• LookatobjectsfromtheMexicaempireusingExploreatwww.britishmuseum.org

During your visit

• Activitiesforschoolshavebeengroupedundersixtopicheadings:Moctezumatheruler Religionandthegods Writingandthecalendar Warriorsandwarfare Houses,palacesandtemples Trade and tribute: materials

• Eachtopiciscoveredbya2-pageactivitysheetforstudentsdesignedtobeprintedonadouble-sidedsheetofA4.

• Ahighlightschecklistisprovidedofobjectsnottobemissed(seepage12).

• Toreduceovercrowding,pleasedividestudentsintogroupsofnomorethan6ledbyanadult.

• Giveeachgrouptheactivitysheetforonetopicplusthehighlightschecklist.

• Adultbriefingsheetsprovideinformationandguidanceforadulthelpers(seepages27–28).

See pages 29–30 for After your visit.

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moctezuma tHe ruler page 1

MoctezumaIIwastheninthandlastruleroftheMexicaempire. He was a powerful ruler and a fierce warrior.

• Findthestonecasket(box)neartothepainting.ThisbelongedtoMoctezuma. Carvedinsidethelidishisnameglyph,apicturesymbol.

Find each of these:

his crown

his hair

hisnose-ringorlip-plug

aspeechscroll(abubblecomingoutofhismouth)

YouwillseeMoctezuma’ssymbolonotherobjects,sokeeplookingforit.

• Gotothe‘Moctezumaasruler’section.WorkasateamtofinddifferentpiecesofjewellerythatMoctezumamighthaveworn.Lookforthingshecould:

wear in his ear

wear in his nose

decorate his head with

put on his finger

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moctezuma tHe ruler page 2

Nowchooseoneofthesepiecesofjewelleryandwritedowntwoor three sentences to describe it.

• LookforsomelargepiecesofcarvedstonethatdecoratedMoctezuma’s new palace. Find:

theserpent’sheadwithanopenmouthandlargeteeth

theserpent’stailendinginarattlefromarattlesnake

the long pieces of carved stone decorated with bright colours

Imaginethesealldecoratingthepalacewithlotsofotherimagesofanimals, beasts and other brightly coloured patterns.

• Beforeleavingthisarea,lookforthered-and-whitestripedcups. SomestoriessaythatthecupsandplatesMoctezumausedweresmashed after every meal so that he was the only one to ever use them! Drawtheoutlineofoneofthecups.

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religion and tHe gods

• Gotothe‘Religionandthegods’section.

ObjectsinthissectionhaveimagesofMexicagodsonthemoraremadetolook likethegods.Canyoufindanimageofeachofthesegods?

• Findthestoneskulls.TheMexicadisplayedtherealskullsoftheirhumansacrificesoutside the temples. They believed that sacrifices provided the gods with energy.

Howmanyskullsareondisplayhere?

Tlaloc – has goggle eyes and is sometimes shown with long sharp teeth.

Quetzalcoatl–knownas the feathered serpent. Lookforaserpentor a human face surrounded by feathers.

Tezcatlipoca – a human skull covered with bands of coloured mosaics.

page 1

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religion and tHe gods

• Nowlookatthemodelofthereligiouscentreofthecity.Find:

theGreatTemple

twoshrinesontopoftheGreatTemple

steepstepsleadinguptothetopoftheGreatTemple

OnlythepriestsandMoctezumawereallowedtogotothetopofthetemple.Discusswithyourgrouphowyoucantelljustbylookingatthetemplethatis a very important building.

• Chooseoneobjectorsculptureofagodanddrawitbelow.

Whichgodisit?

Whatmaterialisitmadefrom?

page 2

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Writing and tHe calendar

• Asyoucomeintotheexhibition,lookforthestonecasket(box)thatbelongedtoMoctezuma.HisnameiswritteninMexicapicturewritinginsidethelid.

Lookforeachbitthatformshisname:

his crown

his hair

hisnose-ringorlip-plug

aspeechscroll(abubblecomingoutofhismouth)

Keeplookingforotherexamplesofhisnameintheexhibition.

• Gointothe‘Moctezumaandhis predecessors’section. Find this stone. OntheupperhalfyoucanseeMoctezuma’suncles. Underneath there is a glyph(picturewritingsymbol)forthe Mexicadate‘8Reed’. Canyouworkoutwhatshowsthatitis‘8’?

DecodedimageofDedicationstoneofTizocandAhuitzotl

page 1

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Writing and tHe calendar

• Gotothe‘Religionandthegods’section. Lookforthisstonepot.Itwasusedtoholdhumanheartsassacrificialofferings.Onthefrontisanimage of a sun and in the centre of that is a glyph showingthedate‘4Movement’. Drawtheglyphbelow

• NowfindanotherstonecasketofMoctezumainthissection.Ithastwodateglyphsonthetop.Doesyourgroupthinkitshows:

1houseand4house? 2rabbitand6rabbit? 1reedand7reed?

• Gointothecentralroomwhichhasalargestoneblockcarvedintotheshapeof a4-sidedpyramid.Therearefourdifferentdateglyphsonthisobject. Canyoufindthemall?

Eaglevessel©TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum

1 Flint 1Rabbit 2Reed 1Death

page 2

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Warriors and Warfare

• Gotothe‘Warfareandempire’section.

Find the statue of a head of an eagle warrior. Findthestatueofthecrouchedjaguarwarrior. Howcanyoutellwhichoneiswhich?

Eagle warrior

Jaguar warrior

DiscusswithyourgroupwhyyouthinktheeagleandthejaguarweretheanimalschosentobethetopranksofMexicawarrior.

Wouldyouprefertobeaneaglewarriororajaguarwarrior?

• Findthedrumwhichhasaneaglewarriorandajaguarwarriordancingon thebottomhalfofit.Ticktheboxwhenyoufind

the eagle warrior

thejaguarwarrior

• Canyoufindanotherdrumnearthisone? Itismadetolooklikeaprisonerlyingdownwithhis hands tied. Whatmaterialisitmadefrom?

metal wood plastic

Drumswereplayedduringreligiousceremonies.Imaginethenoisewhenlotsofthesewereused.Drumwithboundprisoner©TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum

page 1

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Warriors and Warfare

• Gotothelargestoneblockwithwarriorsonit.Canyousee:

aserpent? afeatheredheaddress?

ashield? aspear?

anearring?

Howmanywarriorsarethere?

Pickoneofthewarriorsanddrawhimbelow.Don’tforgettoincludehisfeatherheaddress,weaponsandanyjewellery.

• Lookaroundthisareaforotherthingsthatwarriorsmighthaveusedinbattle. Canyoufind:

somethingtohelpthemthrowtheirspearsfurther?

somethingtohelpprotectthewarriors?

page 2

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Houses, Palaces and temPles

Gotothe‘Mexica’section. • Gotothemapofthecitydrawnin1524.Findthefollowingonthemap:

the lake surrounding the city

thecauseways(roadsbuiltacrossthelake)

the religious area in the centre of the island

some houses in the city

boats in the lake

• Gotothe‘Moctezumaasruler’section. Acodexisabook,andtheseMexicaoneshavesymbols,picturesandwords. FindtheCodexMendozawhichshowsMoctezuma’spalace.Find:

Moctezumasittingbyhimselfinthetoproom

three empty rooms

four men sitting in a room having a discussion

one man walking outside the palace

• LookatthelargesculptureswhichcamefromMoctezuma’spalace. Imaginethepalacedecoratedwithsculpturesandpaintedbrightcolours. Doyouthinkapalacelikethiswouldbeagoodplaceforarulertolive? Tell your group why.

Writeoneofyourreasonsbelow:

page 1

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Houses, Palaces and temPles

• Findthemodelofthereligiousarea.Itisjustaroundthecornerbythe ‘Religionandthegods’section.LookfortheGreatTemple.

Whatshapeisthetemple?

Drawtheoutlineofthetemple

Discusswithyourgrouphowthetempleisbuilttomakeitlookimportant.

page 2

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trade and tribute: materials

Asyougothroughtheexhibition,lookforobjectsmadefromdifferentmaterials andtrytoremembersomeofthedifferentexamplesyousee.

• Gointothe‘Moctezumaasruler’section. Lookforobjectsthataredecoratedwithfeathers.Canyousee:

stonecarvedtolooklikefeathers?

ashielddecoratedwithfeathers?

afanoffeathers?

Whatcoloursarethefeathers?

• Gointothe‘Warfareandempire’sectionandfindthesectionabouttribute. Lookfortheobjectsbelowandfindoutwhatmaterialfromwhichtheyaremade.

Drawalinefromeachobjecttothenameofthematerialontheright. Some may be made from more than one material.

• Onceyourgrouphasfinishedlookingatthissectiongointothe‘Conquest’section.Findtwoswords.OneofthesewasusedbytheSpanishandtheother isacopyofonethatwasusedbytheMexica.

Draweachswordonthenextpage.

a cup with a hummingbird on the edge turquoise

a bright green and blue mask of a face pottery

a statue of a man holding a gigantic cocoa bean gold

a round shield greenstone

colourful bowls stone

green beads wood

page 1

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trade and tribute: materials

Spanishsword Mexicasword

Madeof Madeof

• Findthisdouble-headedserpent. Whatmaterialswereusedtocreatetheserpent?

shell plastic gold

turquoise wood pottery

Itispossiblethisserpentwaswornasanecklace.Howcomfortablewoulditbe towear?

Doyouthinkitwasworneverydayorjustforspecialoccasions?

Doestheserpentlookfriendlyorfierce?Discusswithyourgroupotherwordsyouwould use to describe it and write them below:

Double-headedserpent.

page 2

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adult briefing sHeet 1Thissheethasbeendesignedforyoutousewiththegroupofstudentsyouaccompanyroundtheexhibition.

• Pleaseremindstudentsnottotouchanyobjects. • Encouragethegrouptotaketimestudyingobjects. • Youmayneedtohelpbyreadingsomelabelsforthem. • Encouragestudentstoexplorethewholeexhibition,notjusttheareastheiractivitysheetsguidethemto.

Moctezuma the ruler

MoctezumaIIwastheruleroftheempire,commanderofthewarriorsandconsideredsemi-divine. Strict laws ensured that commoners were separated from the ruler physically and socially; these included rules on dress and personal adornment.

RemindstudentstolookforMoctezuma’snameglyph(symbol)throughouttheexhibition. EncouragestudentstothinkabouthowMoctezuma’spowerandpositionarereflectedthroughouttheexhibition.

Religion and the gods

TheMexicaworshippedmanydifferentgodsandgoddesses,allthoughttobevitaltomaintainingthe worldasitwas.Asthegodsprovidedlife,theMexicasacrificedlifeforthegodsinreturn.

Remindstudentstolookfordifferentgodsthroughouttheexhibition. Cantheyworkoutwhateachgodrepresentedorbywhatanimalorsymbolitisshown?

Writing and the calendar

TheMexicausedapictographicwritingsystemwhichusedglyphs(symbols)torepresentdifferent words,names,datesandotherelements.Glyphswerenotusedliketextinourmodernalphabetbut instead were placed on the page in a way that creates a scene like a painting.

Helpstudentstocountthecirclesnexttoglyphstoreaddates. Encouragethemtolookforglyphsthroughouttheexhibition.

Highlights checklist

Thehighlightschecklistdirectsstudentsto8objectsthattheyshouldn’tmiss. Theyarespreadthroughouttheexhibition,soyouwillneedtokeepreferringtothehighlights checklist during your visit.

The last highlight should be your final stop once you have finished the activity sheets as it is towards the endoftheexhibition.Thishighlightcoverstheareaoftheexhibitionwhichpresentsthedifferingideasof howMoctezumadied.

Encourage students to look at all the different images in this section and then discuss in a group what they have seen.

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adult briefing sHeet 2Thissheethasbeendesignedforyoutousewiththegroupofstudentsyouaccompanyroundtheexhibition.

• Pleaseremindstudentsnottotouchanyobjects. • Encouragethegrouptotaketimestudyingobjects. • Youmayneedtohelpbyreadingsomelabelsforthem. • Encouragestudentstoexplorethewholeexhibition,notjusttheareastheiractivitysheetsguidethemto.

Warriors and warfare

Thetwoelitewarriorgroupswerecalledtheeaglewarriorsandthejaguarwarriors. Jaguarwarriorsworejaguarskinswiththeirheadscomingthroughtheanimal’smouth. Eagle warriors wore beaked feathered helmets and suits of feathers.

Encouragestudentstousetheirimaginationtoaddbrightcolourstotheiroutfits, thenoiseofthemwalkingandtalking,andthemovementoftheirclothesandfeatheredheaddresses. Talkinyourgroupaboutwhatitwouldhavelookedlike,andwhatyoumighthavefeltwhentheywalkedpast.

Houses, palaces and temples

ThecapitaloftheMexicaempirewasacitycalledTenochtitlan.ItwasbuiltonanislandinLakeTetzcoco. Royalbuildingsandtempleswereverydifferenttocommoners’houseswhichweresimpleone-room mud-brickhousespaintedwhite.

Encourage students to discuss their responses to the questions on the activity sheet with their group.

Trade and tribute: materials

TheMexicausedmanydifferentmaterials.Someofthesematerialsweregatheredfromaroundtheir capitalcityandotherswerepaidtothemastribute(tax)frompeopletheyhadconquered.

Helpstudentstogatherinformationaboutthematerialsfromwhichdifferentobjectsaremade. Youmayneedtoreadobjectlabelswiththem(thematerialisusuallylistedaftertheobjectdescription).

Highlights checklist

Thehighlightschecklistdirectsstudentsto8objectsthattheyshouldn’tmiss. Theyarespreadthroughouttheexhibition,soyouwillneedtokeepreferringtothehighlights checklist during your visit.

The last highlight should be your final stop once you have finished the activity sheets as it is towards the endoftheexhibition.Thishighlightcoverstheareaoftheexhibitionwhichpresentsthedifferingideasof howMoctezumadied.

Encourage students to look at all the different images in this section and then discuss in a group what they have seen.

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After your visit

Theactivitysuggestionsfurtherexplorethesixtopicheadingsabove.Beforefocusingonatopic,reviewtheobjectsstudentssawduringtheexhibitionusingtheiractivitysheetsandthePowerPointpresentation.ThePowerPointpresentationcanbeusedbothgenerallyandtofocusonspecificobjectsrelevanttotheactivities.Discusswiththestudentswhichonestheyrememberseeing.Askthemtothinkaboutwhattheywerelikeinreallife,forexampletheirsizeorcolour.

MOCTEzUMA THE RUlER

ChoosesomeobjectsorimagesfromthePowerPointthatrelatetothethemeofMoctezuma the ruler to help with these activities.

• WhatobjectsintheexhibitionreflectedMoctezuma’spower?Discussmaterials,symbolism,decorationandsize.

• AskstudentstoinvestigatethedifferentrolesheldbytheMexicaruler.Theseincludedroleswithin government,religionandwarfare.Youcouldtakethistopicfurtherbyaskingstudentstocomparethese withtherolesheldbymodernrulers,forexamplelookingatboththeBritishPrimeMinisterandtheQueen.

• Discussrulersthroughouthistory.Inwhatwaysdotheysetthemselvesapartfromthepeopletheyrule?

• MoctezumaenlargedtheGreatTempleandbuilthimselfanewpalace.Lookatexamplesofgovernmentor royalbuildingsknownbythestudents.Whydorulersandleadersbuildmonumentsandlargebuildings?

REliGiON AND THE GODS

ChoosesomeobjectsorimagesfromthePowerPointthatrelatetothethemeofReligion and the gods to help with these activities.

• Identifythemaingodsandtheirsymbols.Setstudentsaninvestigationtasktodiscovermoreinformation aboutthegodsusingbooks,theinternetandanyotherresourcesavailable.Thiscouldbeexpandedto produceawalldisplayonMexicagods.

• DiscussthetopicofhumansacrificeandexploreMexicabeliefsbehindthepractice.

• Findthe‘ExploretheGreatTemple’activityintheAztecsectionofthewww.ancientcivilizations.co.ukwebsite, sothatstudentscanlearnmoreaboutthetemple.Showthestudentsotherdrawings,illustrationsorpicturesof theGreatTempleanddiscussitsarchitectureandmainfeatures.Getthestudentstodrawthetempleorto createitasa3Dartwork.

WRiTiNG AND THE CAlENDAR

ChoosesomeobjectsorimagesfromthePowerPointthatrelatetothethemeofWriting and the calendar to help with these activities.

• Discussthetonalpohualli(sacredcalendarsystem),andexplainhowitworkedsothatstudentscancreatetheirown,oraclass,calendar(seeRichardTownsend’sbookThe Aztecspages130–136).

• ProvidethestudentswithimagesofMexicaglyphsandcodices.Explaintheuseofpicturesandplacementin asceneandcontrastthiswiththeEnglishalphabetandlineartext.Studentscouldcreatetheirown pictureglyphsandcreateascenebasedonexamplesfromtheMexicatradition.

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• TellstudentsabouttheNewFireCeremonyandthemainelementsoftheevent. AskthemaboutotherNewYearfestivalstheyknowaboutorhaveexperienced. DiscussthesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenNewYearfestivalsindifferentculturesandperiodsof history.Thisdiscussioncouldleadtoawrittenpiecebyeachchildexplainingwhattheirideal NewYearfestivalwouldcomprise.

WARRiORS AND WARFARE

ChoosesomeobjectsorimagesfromthePowerPointthatrelatetothethemeofWarriors and warfare to help with these activities.

• DiscusshowtheMexicaempireexpandedandtheroleofwarriorsinthisexpansion.

• Tellstudentsaboutthejaguarandeaglewarriors.Showthemimagesofthesewarriorsanddiscussthe choiceofanimal.Ifstudentshadthechoiceofanimaltorepresentthemselveswhatwouldtheychooseandwhy? Askthemtodrawapictureandwriteanexplanationofthechoice.

• ExploretheweaponsandmaterialsMexicawarriorsused.ContrastthiswiththeSpanishweapons. HowmightthishavecontributedtothefalloftheMexica?

HOUSES, PAlACES AND TEMPlES

ChoosesomeobjectsorimagesfromthePowerPointthatrelatetothethemeof Houses, palaces and temples to help with these activities.

• Describeandprovideimages,ifpossible,ofcommoners’housesinTenochtitlanandoftheroyalpalaces. Contrasttheuseofmaterials,decorationandsize.Lookatexamplesofcontrastinghousinginothercultures, both modern and historical.

• AskstudentstoresearchthestructuralanddecorativeelementsoftheGreatTemple. Groupscouldbegivendifferentareasonwhichtoconcentrate.Usingthisinformation,createandbuilda modeloftheGreatTemplewiththewholeclass.

TRADE AND TRiBUTE: MATERiAlS

ChoosesomeobjectsorimagesfromthePowerPointthatrelatetothethemeofTrade and tribute: materials to help with these activities.

• Discussthedifferentmaterialsthestudentssawintheexhibition.Werethereanythatwerenewtothem?

• AskgroupstoresearchthematerialsusedbytheMexica.Findoutwhereeachcamefromandmarkthese on a map using different symbols for each.

• FindtheExplorethemarketwithanAztecshoppinglist!activityintheAztecsectionofthe www.ancientcivilizations.co.uk website. This provides information about different materials and goods that were sold and traded in the marketplace.

• IdentifythedifferenttownsorareasthatprovidedtheMexicawithtributeortradedwiththeMexica. WhatdidtheyprovidethattheMexicadidnothaveintheirterritory?

• DiscussthefalloftheMexicaempire.Whatdifferencesweretherebetweenthematerialsavailabletothe MexicaandtheSpanish?Didthesecontributetotheendoftheempire?

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Moctezuma’s empireThismapshowstheextentoftheMexicaempireanditsexpansion underMoctezuma.

Plan of Tenochtitlan This plan of the capital city shows the four causeways linking the island to themainland,thedifferentresidentialareasofthecity,thelocationoftheTemplePrecinctandMoctezuma’spalace.

Tribute map This map shows the many different materials and goods brought to Tenochtitlanastribute.ItistakenfromtheCodexMendoza.

0

0

100 200 300 miles

100 200 300 400 500 kilometres

N

Spain and its colonies

Inca Empire

Moctezuma’s Empire in 1519

Tenochtitlan

Lake Tetzcoco

(Modern day Mexico City)

Veracruz

H

UA

ST

EC

T A B A S C O

T L A X C A L A

MA

YA

H I G H L A N D S

MA

YA

LO

WL

AN

DS

Z A P O T E CYO

PI T

ZI N

CO

T E OT I T L A N

ME T Z T I T L A N

C H I C H I ME C A

T A R A S C AN

GU

E R R E R O

M

I X T E C

T O T O T E P E C

G U L F O F

M E X I C O

P A C I F I C

O C E A N

A T L A N T I C

O C E A N

O C E A N

P A C I F I C

M

E

X

I CO

Tenochtitlan

T L A X C A L A

YO

PI T

ZI N

CO

T E OT I T L A N

O C E A N

P A C I F I C

T A R A S C AN

T O T O T E P E C

ME

T ZT I T L A N

Wood

Food

Gourd bowlsTextiles

Warrior costumes and shields

Four kinds of tribute came from most provinces:

Paper

Live eaglesHoney

Lime

Lip-plugs

DeerskinsSalt

Copper

Down

Turquoise

CottonChillies

Copal

Seashells

Gold

Cochineal

Resin

Rubber

Cacao

Greenstones

Jaguar skins

Bird skins

Canes

Quetzal feathers

Coloured feathers

Nezhualcoyotl’s D

yke

AtzacualcoCuepopan

Sacred Precinct

Palace of Moctezuma II

Dock for Tetzcoco

Causeway to Tepeyacac

Causeway to Tenayuca

Causeway to Iztapalapan

Causeway to Tlacopan

Causeway to Tlacopan andChapultepec

Moyotlan Zoquiapan

Tepeyacac

Tenayuca

TenochtitlanTlatelolco

L a ke

Te t z c o c o

Chapultepec

Tlacopan

Iztapalapan

CoyoacanHuixachtlan

T E N O C H T I T L A N

T L A T E L O L C O

N

0

0

1 mile

1 kilometre

PoWerPoint Presentation notes

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Fan with feathers Thehandleofthisfaniscarvedintotheshapeofawarrior’sheadandwasfoundnorthoftheGreatTemple.Thefeathers(nowrestored)werefrombrightly coloured tropical birds.

Gold jewellery Goldjewelleryincludingaringwiththefaceofasortofcat,apendant withahumanface,andapendantfigurineholdingacircularshield.

Mosaic mask of Tlaloc ThisturquoisemosaicmaskisbelievedtorepresentTlaloc,theraingod. Two serpents circle the eyes and mouth; one is light blue the other is green.

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Stone bust of Quetzalcoatl ThisstatuerepresentsQuetzalcoatl,whosenamemeans ‘quetzalfeatheredserpent’.

Mosaic mask of Texcatlipoca This mosaic was created by laying blue turquoise and black lignite mosaic pieces over a human skull. The deerskin straps were used to tie the mask around the waist of a priest or impersonator during ceremonies.

Sacrificial knife The wooden handle of this knife is carved into the shape of a crouching eaglewarrior.Radiographyhasshownthatthebladeisnotsetdeep enough into the handle to be of practical use and so it must have been used as a symbolic element of a ceremony.

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Teocalli Thisobjectisintheshapeofapyramid-templeorteocalli(sacredhouse).ThestepsaresimilartothoseontheGreatTempleleadinguptothedoubleshrines. At the top is a sun disc flanked by the god Huitzilopochtli on the leftandMoctezumaontheright.Theglyphseithersideofthestepsare 1Rabbit,totheleftand2Reedtotheright.Theyaretheopeningand closingyearsofthe52-yearcycleintheMexicacalendar.

Teocalli This is the left side of the teocalli (pyramid-temple)whenlookingfromthefront.Thedateglyphatthetopis‘1Flint’.Thetwoseatedfiguresunderneatharetwoofthecardinaldirections(theothertwoareontheoppositeside).

Procession of warriors 14 warriors parade around this stone block in full military costume with eight plumed serpents carved above them.

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Head of eagle warrior This eagle warrior wears a beaked helmet.

Jaguar warrior Thisseatedjaguarwarrioriswearingajaguarskincloak.

Turquoise mask ThismaskmayhavebeenmadebyMixtecartisanswhoworkedinMoctezuma’scourt.ItisthoughttorepresentTonatiuh,thesungod.

Double-headed serpent A wooden base overlaid with turquoise mosaic pieces forms this double-headedserpent.Thegumsandnostrilsarecreatedwithpieces of red shell from the thorny oyster and the sharp fangs with pieces of conch shell.

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furtHer information

Websites

Findoutmoreaboutvariousancientcivilisations(includingthe Aztecs/Mexica)forlowerKS3andsomestudentsinYears5and6at theBritishMuseum’swww.ancientcivilizations.co.uk

Findoutmoreabouttheexhibition,includinganintroductoryvideo, andmoreaboutMexicancultureatwww.britishmuseum.org

Adultsandstudentswillalsofindlotsofinformationatwww.mexicolore.co.uk

Books for students

Pocket Dictionary of Aztec & Maya Gods and GoddessesbyClaraBezanilla(BritishMuseumPress,2006)

The Pocket Timeline of Ancient Mexico by Penny Bateman (BritishMuseumPress,2009)

The Aztecs Activity BookbyPennyBateman(BritishMuseumPress,1999)

Aztecs Sticker BookbySusanRaikes(BritishMuseumPress,2009)

Books for adults

Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler exhibitioncatalogueeditedbyColinMcEwanandLeonardoLópezLuján(BritishMuseumPress,2009)

Moctezuma and the AztecsbyElisendaVilaLlonch(BritishMuseumPress,2009)

The AztecsbyRichardFTownsend(ThamesandHudson,2008)

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