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Objective: To examine the formation and expansion of

the Aztec empire.

http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/imagevoy/map.gif

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The Aztecs were a nomadic tribe. Their godHuitzilopochtlihad

commanded them to find an eagle devouring a snake, perched

atop a cactus. After two hundred years of wandering, they found

the promised sign on a small island in the swampyLakeTexcoco.

It was there they founded their new capital, Tenochtitlan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huitzilopochtlihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eaglehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcocohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcocohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenochtitlanhttp://www.famsi.org/research/pohl/pohl_aztec1.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenochtitlanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcocohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcocohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eaglehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huitzilopochtli

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By 1500, the Aztecs ruled millions of people.

1400's - The Aztecs conquered neighboring peoples, becoming

an empire.

Empire - a large group or government that controls other groups

or governments

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/aztec-maps.htm

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People revolted against high taxes and human sacrifices, only to

lose to the powerful Aztec army.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Tzompantli_Duran.jpeg

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Thousands of prisoners

were sacrificed to the Aztec

gods.

Aztec Religion

Religion was central to

Aztec life.

The sun god wasespecially important.

An Aztec tzompantli, as

illustrated in 1596. A

tzompantli is a type ofwooden rack used for the

public display of human

skulls, typically those of war

captives or other sacrificialvictims.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Tzompantli_Duran.jpeghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Tzompantli_Duran.jpeghttp://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htm

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Aztec tzompantli

http://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htmhttp://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htm

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Typical Aztec Temple

http://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htmhttp://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htmhttp://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htm

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http://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htmhttp://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htmhttp://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htm

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The Aztecs believed that the sun

god needed daily "nourishment" -

that is, human blood and hearts -

and that they, as the "people of

the sun," were required to provide

the sun god with his victims.

Warriors who died in battle or on

the sacrificial stone were calledquauhteca ("the eagle's people").

It was believed that after their

death the warriors first formed

part of the sun's brilliance; then,

after four years, they went to live

forever in the bodies of

hummingbirds.

http://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htmhttp://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htmhttp://archaeology.asu.edu/tm/Media/fig34z.jpg

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The main

attributes of the

Aztec sun god,

Huitzilopochtli,

were a helmet inthe form of a

hummingbird

head; a turquoise

or fire serpentcalledxiuhcoatl,

his magic weapon,

in one hand; in the

other, a shield with

five feather

ornaments; and a

ritual paper flag

complements his

attributes.

http://archaeology.asu.edu/tm/Media/fig34z.jpghttp://archaeology.asu.edu/tm/pages2/mtm41.htmhttp://archaeology.asu.edu/tm/Media/fig34z.jpghttp://archaeology.asu.edu/tm/pages2/mtm41.htmhttp://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/Webpage%20Images/sacrifice.gif

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Aztec historians recorded that in 1487, at the great

pyramid of Tenochitilan, executioners sacrificed

four lines of prisoners, each two miles long. But

before they were ritualistically killed, the victims

were forced to climb up the pyramid's two hundredand thirty seven steps. At the top were two killing

rooms, with priests wielding sacrificial knives.

Sacrifices were necessary to satisfy their hungry

sun-god who demanded blood as payment for

creating the world. The limbs of a victim would be

given as a reward to the victims captor to be eaten.

According to Aztec beliefs, the sacrifices werenecessary to satisfy their hungry sun-god who

demanded blood as payment for creating the world.

If his gory fee were not paid, the sun would go out.Video: Human sacrifice at the pyramid at Tenochtitlan

http://www.pbs.org/howartmadetheworld/episodes/death/aztecs/http://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/Webpage%20Images/sacrifice.gifhttp://www.pbs.org/howartmadetheworld/episodes/death/aztecs/http://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htm

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Gladitorial combat sacrifice

http://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Aztec_religious_rituals.htmhttp://www.su.edu/faculty/steabo/twolford555/images/pictures/chinampa.gif

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Ancient Aztecs tendin to chinam as

http://www.su.edu/faculty/steabo/twolford555/images/pictures/chinampa.gifhttp://www.su.edu/faculty/steabo/twolford555/images/pictures/chinampa.gifhttp://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/Anthro/Anth210/mesoamerica.htm

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By the early 1500s, the city of Tenochtitlan had a population of

200,000 and over 1 million in the Basin of Mexico (5 times larger

than London at the time)

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/Anthro/Anth210/mesoamerica.htmhttp://archaeology.asu.edu/tm/Media/fig16z.jpg

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Autosacrifice was an indication of humility and an act ofpurification for whoever undertook it as an act of penitence.

Widespread throughout the entire population, this practice was

performed by perforating certain fleshy parts of the body, such as

the earlobes, lips, tongue, chest, calves, et cetera, with obsidian

blades, agave thorns or bone perforators made from eagle bones.

Once the implement was covered with blood, it was inserted in

straw balls called Zacatapayoli. The entirety was probably placed

in ceremonial boxes called Tepetlacalli, as an offering to the

gods.

http://archaeology.asu.edu/tm/Media/fig16z.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Calend%C3%A1rio_Asteca.jpg

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The Aztec calendar

consisted of a

365 day calendar cy

called

xiuhpohualli (yearcount) and a

260 day ritual cycle

called

tonalpohualli (daycount).

These two cycles

together formed a

52 year "century",

sometimes called

the "

Calendar Round".

http://www.answers.com/topic/xiuhpohuallihttp://www.answers.com/topic/tonalpohuallihttp://www.answers.com/topic/calendar-roundhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Calend%C3%A1rio_Asteca.jpghttp://www.answers.com/topic/calendar-roundhttp://www.answers.com/topic/tonalpohuallihttp://www.answers.com/topic/xiuhpohualli