The AztecThe Aztec

The Aztec was a great civilization who lived The Aztec was a great civilization who lived in Mesoamerica and developed a culture in Mesoamerica and developed a culture

that included masterpieces in art, that included masterpieces in art, spectacular cities, and agricultural spectacular cities, and agricultural

practices that remain today.practices that remain today.

By Nishan Barua, and Edwin GrandeBy Nishan Barua, and Edwin Grande

The Aztec began as a poor, The Aztec began as a poor, wandering tribe and wandering tribe and eventually settled in the eventually settled in the Central Valley of MexicoCentral Valley of Mexico..

They were a powerful groupThey were a powerful group who ruled close to 3 million who ruled close to 3 million people for about 200 years.people for about 200 years.

War was important for their survival.War was important for their survival.

Boys became warriors when they were seventeen.Boys became warriors when they were seventeen.

They believed a short, brave life was better than They believed a short, brave life was better than one of defeat.one of defeat.

They were always ready for battle. They were always ready for battle.

Who and WhereWho and Where

TimelineTimeline 12001200-they came to a valley in Mexico-they came to a valley in Mexico

13251325- they built a large city state called - they built a large city state called Tenochtitlan.Tenochtitlan.

14381438- they build a huge empire.- they build a huge empire.

1502 – Montezuma II becomes the tlatoani.1502 – Montezuma II becomes the tlatoani.

15191519- Hernando de Cortez, a Spanish explorer, - Hernando de Cortez, a Spanish explorer, arrived in Mexicoarrived in Mexico

15211521-The empire ended after the Spanish -The empire ended after the Spanish conquered.conquered.

WheWhenn

How we know about the How we know about the Aztecs?Aztecs?

We know something about how the We know something about how the Aztec people lived from ruins of Aztec people lived from ruins of buildings, and remains of pottery, buildings, and remains of pottery, jewelry, and artifacts which have jewelry, and artifacts which have been found. been found.

ArchaeologistsArchaeologists are people who piece are people who piece together history from evidence and together history from evidence and tell us about ancient peoples.tell us about ancient peoples.

Aztecs crops Aztecs crops

The major crop of the Aztec was The major crop of the Aztec was corn, known as maize, along with corn, known as maize, along with chilly peppers, onions and tomatoes. chilly peppers, onions and tomatoes.

They thought corn was a gift from They thought corn was a gift from the gods.the gods.

by Adalin and Boutainaby Adalin and Boutaina

Aztec’s Crops

What Did The Aztec What Did The Aztec Grow?Grow?

chinampas

They cut terraces to mark flat They cut terraces to mark flat fields so they could grew maize.fields so they could grew maize.

The Aztec built The Aztec built chinampaschinampas,,or raised garden beds, in swamp or raised garden beds, in swamp land and shallow water to land and shallow water to surround the crops they grew.surround the crops they grew.

What The Aztec EatWhat The Aztec Eat

The Aztec ate rabbits, bees, The Aztec ate rabbits, bees, beans, squash and maize. beans, squash and maize.

The Aztec made tortillas The Aztec made tortillas from corn.from corn.

The Aztec made tamales The Aztec made tamales

from maize.from maize.

ShelterShelterByBy

Jocelyn A.Jocelyn A.and and

Ammara Ammara

The Aztecs built Tenochtitlan a large The Aztecs built Tenochtitlan a large city.city.

They built pyramids to honor the gods.They built pyramids to honor the gods.

SheltShelterer

The houses were made out The houses were made out of wood, and mud bricks.of wood, and mud bricks.

They built palaces that had They built palaces that had more than 50 rooms.more than 50 rooms.

Cities of the Cities of the AztecAztec

Tenochtitlan was the Tenochtitlan was the greatest city of the greatest city of the Aztec . It is on an Aztec . It is on an island in Lake Texcoco. island in Lake Texcoco.

Tenochtitlan had Tenochtitlan had four main sections. four main sections. Each clan had it’s own Each clan had it’s own section. section.

Each section had Each section had houses, a temple, a houses, a temple, a school ,and a garden.school ,and a garden.

The Aztec built their cities in the The Aztec built their cities in the highlands of highlands of what is now the country of what is now the country of Mexico.Mexico.

By Lupita and Pamela

Fun Facts of the Fun Facts of the Aztec PlazaAztec Plaza

The Aztec built pyramids The Aztec built pyramids in the plaza for the god of in the plaza for the god of war and sun.war and sun.

The plaza was a The plaza was a central area where central area where there were there were sometimes as many sometimes as many as 60 buildings.as 60 buildings.

The great pyramid The great pyramid was located in the was located in the plaza and it was over plaza and it was over 200 feet tall. It was a 200 feet tall. It was a step pyramid that step pyramid that was made of many was made of many layers of stone.layers of stone.

Aztec ReligionAztec Religion

The Aztec made temples and pyramids.The Aztec made temples and pyramids.

They believed in many nature gods.They believed in many nature gods.

They thought the gods lived in the sky.They thought the gods lived in the sky.

The main gods were Huitzilopochtli, the war The main gods were Huitzilopochtli, the war god andgod and

Tlaloc the rain god.Tlaloc the rain god.

sun

god rain god

war god

By Rodrigo Maldonado and Ananda Poudel

ReligionReligion The Great TempleThe Great Temple was the most was the most

important religious building in important religious building in the city the city TenochitilanTenochitilan..

The Aztec made statues andThe Aztec made statues and

painting of their gods to painting of their gods to

make them happy.make them happy.The great temple

People still climb the pyramid of the People still climb the pyramid of the

sun.sun.

The Aztec believed that they had to The Aztec believed that they had to please the gods or bad things would please the gods or bad things would happen.happen.

The sun pyramidAztec

pyramid

ReligionReligion

The GovernmentThe Government

The Aztec government was called The Aztec government was called Monarchy. Monarchy is a system Monarchy. Monarchy is a system of passing royalty to their sons.of passing royalty to their sons.

Aztec had small city states and Aztec had small city states and each had a leader to speak for each had a leader to speak for them.them.

The Aztec cared about power and The Aztec cared about power and wanted to conquer other lands.wanted to conquer other lands.By Misoon Mousa and Melat

Tarekegan

The GovernmentThe Government

The nobles were rich leaders of the The nobles were rich leaders of the provinces and they owned a lot of provinces and they owned a lot of land.land.

The commoners were divided into The commoners were divided into family groups called clans. People family groups called clans. People had to pay taxes.had to pay taxes.

The ruler or king was called The ruler or king was called tlatoani tlatoani or the Great Speaker!or the Great Speaker!

The KingsThe Kings The Aztec government had 11 The Aztec government had 11

rulers known as kings. rulers known as kings.

The most famous ruler was called The most famous ruler was called Montezuma. He ruled from Montezuma. He ruled from 1440-1469 and he helped 1440-1469 and he helped the empire grow.the empire grow.

The 10The 10thth ruler died after only 80 ruler died after only 80 days.days.

By Misoon and Melat

Aztec Aztec Numbers & Numbers &

CountingCounting by Melanie Martinez and by Melanie Martinez and

Gresia Galicia Flores Gresia Galicia Flores The Mesoamericans The Mesoamericans

were obsessed with were obsessed with counting and the counting and the passage of time.passage of time.

They invented a They invented a counting system based counting system based on the unit 20. on the unit 20.

Aztec Numbers & Aztec Numbers & CountingCounting

They counted in They counted in 20s and used 20s and used pictures to pictures to represent numbers. represent numbers. A flag stood for A flag stood for 20 and a feather 20 and a feather stood for 400. stood for 400.

The number 8,000 The number 8,000 was shown by a was shown by a pouch for carrying pouch for carrying incense.incense.

The Aztec Calendar

By Temuulen By Temuulen Uranbayar and Zanab Uranbayar and Zanab

FarooqFarooq

The Aztec Calendar had 18 months and The Aztec Calendar had 18 months and 20 days. 20 days.

All together it equals 365 days.All together it equals 365 days.

The months of the year were named The months of the year were named like “Fall of the Fruit” or “Growth”.like “Fall of the Fruit” or “Growth”.

They used calendars to see if people They used calendars to see if people were lucky or not, but only priests and were lucky or not, but only priests and astrologist could read the calendar.astrologist could read the calendar.

Fun Facts About the Aztec Fun Facts About the Aztec CalendarCalendar

The Aztec had 2 kinds of calendars: The Aztec had 2 kinds of calendars: Solar and Sacred calendars.Solar and Sacred calendars.

Aztec thought that six extra days were Aztec thought that six extra days were unlucky. They wouldn’t go out or do unlucky. They wouldn’t go out or do anything on those days, but would sit anything on those days, but would sit inside.inside.

Solar Calendar

Sacred Calendar

The Aztecs had a picture writing systemThe Aztecs had a picture writing systemand kept details of their history and and kept details of their history and administration.administration.

• The pictures or glyphs were of objects like a tree The pictures or glyphs were of objects like a tree or knife. Some glyphs were pictures of war or or knife. Some glyphs were pictures of war or motion. They drew in black first and then colored motion. They drew in black first and then colored it in.it in.

• The Aztec made paper from the bark of trees. The Aztec made paper from the bark of trees. They folded the paper together and made books They folded the paper together and made books called called codex.codex.

The writing was also kept on walls and The writing was also kept on walls and pottery and carved objects from stone or jade.pottery and carved objects from stone or jade.

Picture WritingPicture Writing by Flavia & Furdusby Flavia & Furdus

Examples of Aztec Picture Examples of Aztec Picture WritingWriting

= a jar of honey= a jar of honey

= a dead body = a dead body

= war = war 

The Aztec made clay pots The Aztec made clay pots by hand. The finest pottery by hand. The finest pottery came from Cholula. They came from Cholula. They made pots that had pictures made pots that had pictures on them.on them.

Jewelry was made out of Jewelry was made out of stone stone and most people had and most people had pierced earspierced ears and wore earrings made out and wore earrings made out of shells.of shells.

Aztec ArtAztec Artby: Minjin Uranbayar and Leticia by: Minjin Uranbayar and Leticia GaliciaGalicia

The pottery was made out of The pottery was made out of rocks and minerals.rocks and minerals.

Stone working is one of the Stone working is one of the oldest of the Mesoamerican oldest of the Mesoamerican crafts.crafts.

How They Made How They Made PotteryPottery

Aztec SportsAztec Sports

Temuulen Temuulen UranbayarUranbayar

TlachtliTlachtli One of the most popular Aztec games was One of the most popular Aztec games was

called Tlachtli. called Tlachtli.

The goal of the game was to get an 8-10 The goal of the game was to get an 8-10 pound rubber ball to the other team’s side.pound rubber ball to the other team’s side.

Two teams played on a field shaped like an Two teams played on a field shaped like an H between two walls. To add to the H between two walls. To add to the challenge, only the hips and the feet could challenge, only the hips and the feet could be used to move the ball. A stone ring was be used to move the ball. A stone ring was located at each side of the field.located at each side of the field.

This was one of the roughest sports, This was one of the roughest sports,

players wore leather belts in order to players wore leather belts in order to protect themselves from being hurt.protect themselves from being hurt.

Nearly everyone, however, was allowed to Nearly everyone, however, was allowed to watch and betting was very common. watch and betting was very common. Bets included gold, fine clothing, slaves Bets included gold, fine clothing, slaves and even their own freedom or the and even their own freedom or the freedom of their family. freedom of their family.

Fun Facts Fun Facts About TlachtliAbout Tlachtli

Aztec and HealthAztec and Healthby Jocelyn, Zina and Ms. Annaby Jocelyn, Zina and Ms. Anna

The Aztec understood that keeping clean The Aztec understood that keeping clean was one way to stay healthy. They bathed was one way to stay healthy. They bathed often and even took steam baths.often and even took steam baths.

They had knowledge about plantsThey had knowledge about plantsand how to use herbs as medicine and how to use herbs as medicine to heal their sick.to heal their sick.

They cleaned their teeth with They cleaned their teeth with charcoals and salt, an early form charcoals and salt, an early form of toothpaste. of toothpaste.

Aztec and HealthAztec and Health

Their skilled doctors tried to heal Their skilled doctors tried to heal

the Spanish who brought disease the Spanish who brought disease and death to this culture. and death to this culture.

Outbreaks of disease weakened Outbreaks of disease weakened the Aztec and may have been the Aztec and may have been one of the reasons their one of the reasons their civilization came to an end.civilization came to an end.

The explorers were The explorers were surprised when they saw surprised when they saw Tenochtitlan, the capital of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire.the Aztec Empire.

The Spanish leader The Spanish leader Hernando Cortes and his Hernando Cortes and his army invaded the Aztec army invaded the Aztec and destroyed the city and and destroyed the city and killed most of the people.killed most of the people.

The Arrival Of The The Arrival Of The SpanishSpanish

By: Zina and Jocelyn By: Zina and Jocelyn

End of The End of The AztecAztec

The Spanish Conquistadors not only The Spanish Conquistadors not only conquered the Aztecs through war, they conquered the Aztecs through war, they brought diseases to this civilization and that is brought diseases to this civilization and that is how the Aztec Empire Civilization ended.how the Aztec Empire Civilization ended.