Who were the Aztecs? Why were they considered to be an empire even greater than the Romans? And how was Hernan Cortes able to defeat them? These are some of the questions that people ask about these indigenous people. These people are known as the Aztecs but originally called themselves Mexica. They came to Mexico in the early thirteenth century and from there they started to develop a social structure and government consisting of priests‚ kings‚ peasants‚ and soldiers. Besides having a very organized
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The Aztecs were originally a nomadic tribe of Mexico‚ roaming the open landscape in search of food and shelter. That is‚ until 1325‚ when they found their home in central Mexico and built the city of Tenochtitlan‚ known today as Mexico City. After settling‚ the Aztec people worked hard and expanded their empire. Over time‚ the city grew in size‚ holding nearly four times the amount of people in London. At an estimated 250‚000 people‚ Tenochtitlan made its name as a city of rich art and distinct culture
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The Incan Empire had a very complex religion and it was an important part in everyday life. The Incas were polytheists which means they had multiple gods‚ and most of their gods were connected to forces of nature. The Inca’s main gods were Viracocha (the superior god)‚he was originally worshiped by the pre-Inca community of Peru. He is believed to have created the moon and the sun on Lake Titicaca. It is said after he was done creating the world and the heavens‚ he traveled from different places
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Aztec Citizenship Aztec society was focused on producing citizens who would contribute to the common good of the community‚ which was an important part in their education. The ideal Aztec citizen would have the following virtues: courage‚ self-sacrifice‚ modesty‚ clean living‚ and obedience. The Aztec people had their rights protected by a system of written laws. This legal system served to remind people of their responsibilities as citizens to be honest and obedient. All citizens had
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The Aztecs The main supply for food for the Aztecs were agriculture and farming. They rely mainly on the crops for every season; they grow‚ produce and consume food and this is how they get their daily food. Terracing Indicating the societal complexity of the Aztecs‚ the farming technique known as terracing is complicated and elaborate. They used terracing in the hilly areas and built walls‚ forming terraces into the sides of the hills. These stone walls ran parallel to the contour of the slope
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different circumstances. Types of sacrifices included‚ being shot with arrows‚ drowned‚ burned‚ mutilated but the most well-known was when the heart was removed from the victim chest. The Aztec people believed that this would please their gods which was why they welcomed it into their lives. Every 18 months in the Aztec cycle‚ there was a ritual sacrifice. Moreover‚ the victim would be taken to the top of the pyramid and into the temple‚ painted and then placed on a slab to have their heart removed (Source
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Jarrett Barber Mr. Slaughter 11/16/12 Tenochtitlan Tenochtitlan was the main city and capital of the Aztec empire. The city was founded in 1325 when the Aztec emperor told some of his tribes to look for a spot for their new capital city. He told them that the spot for the city would be found when they saw an eagle eating a snake on top of a cactus. This symbol is now on the Mexican coat of arms and on the Mexican flag (King). The tribes wondered around in what is now present day Mexico City
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host of infectious diseases that they carried to which the native population had no immunity. At length‚ Aztec thought that the wildfire spread of this disease is the divine action of the gods. Culture shock‚ severe depression‚ and disruption of the family among the survivors shattered their civilization (Anderson‚ 2007‚ p. 149). Access to food varies with social status. Eighty percent of the Aztecs diet is corn and amaranth‚ and the average diet
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universe.” (Milbrath‚ xiv) Astronomy within Aztec culture thus “developed an extraordinary cosmology‚ constructing a complex mythological system.” (Portilla‚ 28) Conversely‚ through Portilla’s Aztec Thought and Culture‚ it seems to be that most of the cosmology logic was founded in a metaphysical world‚ “the world above and beyond us” which Ms. Rosalinda Palacios compared to praying‚ that would eventually lead the individual into a different dimension in which one is able to come in contact with
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Functions of the Cacique: A Civil Leader Organizing the Harvest * One of the principle duties of the cacique was to organize the harvest for his tribe. The chieftain was in charge of determining the best places to plant the crops. All caciques had the right to clear land if they wished to grow produce at a given spot. He was also in charge of deciding when to plant and when to harvest the fields. Leading Construction * Construction was an important part of life for primitive tribes in
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