The Awesome

Aztecs

https://www.dkfindout.com/us/
history/aztecs/
 Introduction
• The Aztecs were a group of American Indian warriors who ruled a
mighty empire of Tenochtitlan now Mexico during the 1400s and
1500s. They fought endless war with neighbours.
• The Aztec tribe lived in ancient Mexico (valley of lake Texcoco) for
about 400 years.
• For the first 200 years, the Aztecs were constantly on the move
hunters, fishermen and gathers.
• They later settled to practice agriculture. Use manmade floating
gardens to grow corn, potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, avocadoes
• The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice. They fed the god human heart.
• No one wanted the Aztecs as neighbors.
• They believed that if their gods were not fed, they would not do their
jobs. The sun god would not bring up the sun, and everyone would die.
• Some of the people they sacrificed were Aztecs.
• However, most of the people they sacrificed were captured from
neighboring tribes and the evil Aztecs.
Settlement
• When the Aztecs first arrived in the Valley of
lake Texcoco other tribes were already living on
the best land in the area.
• This time, rather than fight for the best land or
for captives to feed their hungry gods, the
Aztecs quietly settled along the swampy shores
of Lake Texcoco to grow crops, animals, fishing.
• They built canoes so they could fish, hunt
waterfowl, and trade with other tribes for the
building materials they needed.
• Archaeologists know something about how
Aztecs lived from ruins of buildings, and remains
of pottery, jewelry, and other artefacts which
have been found buried deep under the ground.
• Archaeologist: a person who studies human
history and prehistory through the excavation of
sites and the analysis of artefacts and other
physical remains.
Aztecs development in buildings
• Aztec improved their building structures as follows; twigs/
trees and grass, mud and grass, mud and iron sheets to
concrete. Arrange them from less developed to the modern
ones.

B
C

D E F
Innovations; construction
• The Aztecs had one of the most advanced civilizations in the Americas.
• Their cities were as large as any in Europe. They built towering temples
and huge sculptures from stones and concrete.
• In 1325 they founded a huge city on an island in the middle of Lake
Texcoco – this became Tenochtitlan city the modern Mexico city.
• They built large pyramids as temples to their gods and went to war to
capture people they could sacrifice to their gods.
• At the center of the city was a large temple complex with pyramids
and a palace for the king Montezuma
Floating
Gardens
•As the Aztec population grew,
more food was needed. To solve
this problem, Aztec engineers
created “floating” gardens. They
built a series of rafts, which they
anchored to the lake bed. They
piled on dirt and grew crops. They
made walkways out of mud and
reeds to connect the floating rafts.
•The gardens were quite successful.
The Aztecs grew chili peppers,
squash, corn, tomatoes, and beans.
 • To build the city they wanted, they
knew that they would need many
engineers, builders, and traders. This
required an educated population.
Free School for • To solve this problem, the Aztecs set
up a system of public schools.
Everyone Attendance was mandatory for all
Aztec children, even girls and slaves.
• The Aztecs were the only people that
time in history to have free schools
that every child had to attend.
 All-Girls
School
• There were three different
schools: one for girls, and two
for boys.
• Girls learned about religion
and were trained to be good
wives and mothers.
• They learned how to cook,
sew, and how to care for their
children.
• They also learned how to
make beautiful woven textiles.
Sons of the Upper Class / Rich
• Sons of the upper class went to the nobles’
school.
• Sons of wealthy traders and merchants also
went to this school. They studied law, writing
(hieroglyphics), medicine, engineering and
building, interpretation of dreams and omens,
and self-expression.
• They also learned about their history and
religious beliefs.

It was a tough school. The boys were humiliated and tormented

to toughen them up.
Sons of Commoners
and poor people / Slaves
• The other boys’ school was for sons of
commoners. Its main goal was to train
warriors and farmers.
• Boys had to sleep under skimpy
blankets. They were given hard bread to
eat.
• The commoners’ school also taught
history, religion, manners, correct
behavior, and important rituals, along
with singing and dancing.
Religion / Beliefs
• They held impressive ceremonies featuring
bloody human sacrifices to appease their
gods.