What do these two illustrations tell you about the Aztec civilization?

WHERE WERE THE AZTECS?Click the map to show where in the world we would find the Aztecs.

Well done

The Aztecs were a group of American Indian people who ruled a mighty empire in Mexico during the 1400s and 1500s. You can see this below.

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You would find a variety of North American Indian tribes here but not the Aztecs

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Close – but you found the Incas not the Aztecs.

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Nope – you found Renaissance Europe. That’s when King Henry VIII lived. Try again.

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Not here either. Try going west instead of east next time.

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You found the Mesopotamian civilizations not the Aztecs. Try harder.

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You’re on the wrong continent – this is Africa!

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You’re on the wrong continent – this is an Aborigine in Australia.

The Aztecs entered the land we call Mexico from the North. Their leader had a vision of their God telling him to settle his people where he finds an eagle perched on a cactus, eating a snake in the middle of a lake. The Aztec found this eagle in a lake in central Mexico In 1325 they founded a huge city on this island in the middle of Lake Texcoco – this became Tenochtitlan.

Tenochtitlan

Today Tenochtitlan is Mexico City.

Tenochtitlan was hard to build because the Aztecs had only a small piece of land in the middle of marshes. To build their city the Aztecs created islands (chinampas) by piling up mud from the lake bottom. Eventually they built causeways and bridges to connect the island to the mainland. They dug canals and lined them with stone to allow easy movement.

An Advanced Civilization• They had their own language and created an

accurate 365 day calendar• Their entire culture was dominated by religion• They made colorful art and masks and covered

the bodies of children in tattoos• They had religious celebrations full of song, dance

and sports to pay tribute to their many gods.• They built towering temples and huge sculptures.

The Empire grew as Aztec warriors conquered many other native tribesTheir captives were enslaved and offered to their gods as sacrifices.The Aztecs became hated by most other Native peoples in the region for their cruelty.

They held impressive ceremonies featuring bloody human sacrifices

to appease their gods. It was believed that the sacrifices kept the sun in the sky. Sacrifices were performed at the top of the Temple of the Gods in the city center

Another Side of Aztec life

When the Aztecs started a new settlement, there were two things they would do. First, build a shrine to the gods, and then build a ball court next to it. In Tenochtitlan it was surrounded by

the palace and temple. The Aztec ball game, known as ullamaliztli, was a priority. Get an 8-10 lb ball through the other

teams’ hoop using only your hips, elbows, and head. It is possible that, on occasion, a coach or team was sacrificed to the gods.

Historians believe it might have been the winning team as it was an honor to be sacrificed

Aztec Sport