The Aztecs

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The Aztecs
www.artzia.com
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Background

• Originally named Mexica
• Located in what is now central Mexico
• The empire lasted during the 14th, 15th, and 16th
  centuries CE

http//www.geocities.com/kimmykim7072003/aztec_emp
ire.jpg
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Background

• Tenochtitlan was the capital city and is located
  in what is now present day Mexico city
• The Aztec empire caused the biggest demographic
  explosion in Mesoamerican history

http//www.mte.asd103.org/art/images/Aztec.jpg
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Government

• The Aztecs where ruled by a single emperor called
  the Huey Tlatoani which roughly translates to
  The Great Speaker and was located in the
  capitol city of Tenochtitlan
• There was also a ruling counsel comprised of the
  wisest and most powerful leaders from the
  Calpulli
• Calpulli is a group of extended families that
  controlled the use of local lands and preformed
  other territorial and social functions

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Government

• Each urban settlement had a calpulli and four
  main leaders would be selected to a governing
  board the most powerful being named Tlatoani
• The Tlatoani from the all over the emperor would
  then comprise the main ruling counsel in the
  capital city
• The Aztecs grew rapidly by conquering nearby
  cities and would force them to pay tributes
• These tributes would eventually result in the
  increased welfare of the common people

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Social Structure

• The Aztec society was divided into three socal
  classes the macehualli (people) or peasantry,
  the pochteca or merchants and traders, and the
  pilli or nobility
• Slaves or tlacotin consisted as a large part of
  the Aztec society
• Though people were born into a certain class it
  was possible to move up the ranks within a life
  time

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Religion

• Main deity in the Aztec religion was
  Huitzilopochtli and was known as both the sun god
  and war god
• Human sacrifice was practiced heavily in the
  Aztec religion
• The Aztecs believed that by performing these
  sacrifices that it gave power to the gods which
  in turn would insure the survival of the Aztec
  universe

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Religion

• War captives were used in the sacrifices and in
  times of peace the Aztec would have to resort to
  ritualistic warfare or flower war
• In the year 1487 the Aztecs reported killing
  84,400 war prisoners in four days at the great
  pyramid of Tenochitlan
• After a town was conquered the inhabitants where
  no longer eligible of sacrifice and became Aztec
  citizens

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Art

• The favored form of art in the Aztec empire was
  sculpture
• Most Sculptures were made from limestone, which
  is still abundant in Mexico today
• Aztec sculpture was like most other Mesoamerican
  cultures and was mostly directly related to
  religion

http//library.thinkquest.org/16325/y-art.html
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Art

• The Aztecs also made other religious and
  non-religious artifacts such as jade masks
• Clothing was also a popular art form and women
  from around the empire would use bead, flower,
  and metal decorations
• These artifacts were sold in markets by visiting
  merchants

www.latinamericanstudies.org/.../aztec-mask.gif
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Architecture

• There where four main types of architecture in
  the Aztec society sacrificial temples, emperors
  temple, and shines of the gods

http//library.thinkquest.org/10098/aztec.html
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Sacrificial Temple
http//www.chipotletx.com/assets/images/aztectempl
e.jpg
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Emperor Palace
http//library.thinkquest.org/10098/aztec.html
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Homes
http//www.sylviastuurman.nl/stories/four
corners/english.php
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Tenochtitlan
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec
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Resources

• http//www.mte.asd103.org/art/images/Aztec.jpg
• www.artzia.com
• http//www.geocities.com/kimmykim7072003/aztec_emp
  ire.jpg
• http//library.thinkquest.org/16325/y-art.html
• www.latinamericanstudies.org/.../aztec-mask.gif
• http//library.thinkquest.org/10098/aztec.html
• http//www.chipotletx.com/assets/images/aztectempl
  e.jpg
• http//www.sylviastuurman.nl/stories/four
  corners/english.php
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec