AZTEC SOCIETY

Troy Williamson

LESSON OUTLINE
1.Imagine the fabled city of Tenochtitln.
2.View images/video of Tenochtitln.
3.Practice more evidence kits for
upcoming source analysis assignment.

THE CITY OF TENOCHTITLN

The city of Tenochtitln is the fabled lost city of the
Aztecs that was destroyed by the Spanish.
It was a floating city on a lake which was said to be
able to hold 100,000 people.
We are going to do a little imagination
exercise, so close your eyes and listen to the
music and quotes. It is important that you
dont open your eyes until I say so.

THE CITY OF TENOCHTITLN

[It] seemed like an enchanted vision It was all so wonderful
that I do not know how to describe this first glimpse of things
never heard of, seen or dreamed of before We saw the fresh
water which came to supply the city We saw a great
number of canoes, some coming with provisions and others
returning with cargoes and merchandise We saw [temples]
and shrines in these cities that looked like gleaming white
towers and castles: a marvellous sight We turned back to the
great market and the swarm of people buying and selling
Some of our soldiers who had been in many parts of the world,
in Constantinople, in Rome, and all over Italy said that they had
never seen a market so well laid out, so large, so orderly, and so
full of people

THE CITY OF TENOCHTITLN

when we saw so many cities and villages
built in the water and other great towns on
dry land we were amazed and said that it
was like the enchantments they tell of .
And some of our soldiers even asked whether
the things that we saw were not a dream? I
do not know how to describe it, seeing things
as we did that had never been heard of or
seen before, not even dreamed about.

THE CITY OF TENOCHTITLN

never seen in all my days what so
rejoiced my heart, as these things. For I
saw among them amazing artistic
objects, and I marvelled over the subtle
ingenuity of the men in these distant
lands. Indeed, I cannot say enough about
the things that were brought before me.

HYPOTHETICAL HISTORY
After what you have heard and seen, what do you
think?
Would have you liked to seen Tenochtitln or are you
happy not knowing?
Or do you need to know more about Aztec
society before wishing it was still around
today?