Aztecs

The Aztecs were indians that lived in central Mexico. They lived during the sixth century.

The capital of their empire was Tenochtitlan. Mexico city is located on Tenochtitlan in modern

times. There ruler was Moctezuma II. He conquered many cities. He Built one of the strongest

empires. Many of the Aztec people hated Moctezuma, because he demanded humans to be

sacrifices for the gods.

The Aztecs thrived on agriculture as a way to stimulate their economy. They used

chinampas to grow their food. Chinampas were plots of land in a lake. They look similar to a

garden surrounded by water. Their main crops include beans, maize, and squash. The market for

selling the food was controlled by the government. Some of the chinampas are still around today.

Sadly most of these gardens were destroyed when the Spanish invaded.

Human sacrifice was a popular practice in the Aztec culture. They believed the gods gave

them a good harvest season. They paid the gods back by performing a human sacrifice. They

believed the sun drew its energy from blood. They worshiped multiple gods. One of their many

gods was Tlaloc. He was the rain god. When the Aztecs had droughts or bad storms, they

believed the gods were mad at them.

Aztec architecture is unique. They built on top of other buildings, instead of destroying

them. Some of the Aztec temples can be seen having four to five levels. The priest was the only

person to enter the temples. They praised and worshiped the gods. Some buildings were made for

specific gods.

Women did not have a say in government. Their main jobs were to have kids, and weave.

They were allowed to inherit property. The Aztecs were organized into clans. Each clan had its

own land. All the clans were controlled by a government. Aztec kids were taught how to fight
from a young age. They learned archery, and how to throw spears. There were two main classes

in the Aztec culture. The top class was called pilli. The second class was called macehualli. The

lowest class were the slaves.

References

http://www2.ivcc.edu/gender2001/Aztec_Society.htm

http://www.legendsandchronicles.com/ancient-civilizations/the-ancient-aztecs/aztec-

architecture/

http://www.crystalinks.com/azteculture.html

http://www.history.com/topics/aztecs

http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-culture.html