Transcript Aztecs - Cloudfront.net

Aztecs
Julian Cervantes
Sonia Perez
Located
• Central Mexico
• Capitol: Tenochititlan
• Area: 500,000 km2
• Sculpture commemorating the moment when
Aztecs found the sign from the god Huitzilopochtli.
Language
• N’ahuatl : A system of
hundreds of pictures that
created an alphabet
• Scribes and priest were
the only ones who could
write
• Paints were made from
plants, vegetables,
minerals, shells and
insects
• Books were called codices
Creation Story
• The Aztecs believed that it took four attempts at creating
the earth and mankind before the gods finally got
everything right with the fifth attempt.
• The first creation took place when Black Tezcatlipoca one of
the four sons of the Lord and Lady of Duality, Ometecuhtli
and Omecihuatl respectively, changed himself into the sun.
• The earth at that time was inhabited by giants who ate
acorns, berries and roots.
• Tezoatlipoca’s rival, couldn’t stand the fact that Tezcatlipoca
was ruling the universe, so he knocked him out of the sky. In
his rage at being knocked out of the sky, Tezcatlipoca turned
into a jaguar and destroyed the earth.
Creation Story
• The second attempt began when Quetzalcoatl
took over the heavens.
• He created people on earth who ate pine nuts.
• Tezoatlipoca overthrew Quetzalcoatl and
destroyed the earth with a great wind.
• The few people who were left on earth were
changed into monkeys.
Creation Story
• The third creation began
when Tlaloc, the god of
rain, became the sun.
Quetzalcoatl sent rain
which flooded the earth,
killing almost all mankind.
• Those who did survive
were turned into birds.
Creation Story
• The fourth creation began when
Chalchiuhtlicue (chahl chee oo TLEE kway),
the water goddess, took over the sun’s
responsibilities.
• This time, the earth was destroyed by flood
and those men who survived became fish.
Creation Story
• The final creation (the fifth sun) occurred when the gods met and
decided one among them had to sacrifice himself to become the
new sun.
• One poor, humble god did this and became the sun.
• However, the sun hung in the sky and didn’t move. In order for the
sun to move, it was necessary for all of the gods to sacrifice
themselves.
• Once the sun was moving across the sky, it was Quetzalcoatl who
took on the responsibility of creating mankind. He did this by going
to the underworld to bring back to earth the bones of past
generations.
• While fleeing the god of the underworld with his bag of bones, he
slipped and fell, breaking the bones. He sprinkled the pieces of one
with his blood and turned them into men. Because the pieces of
bone were all different sizes, the men and women he created were
all different sizes, too
Religion & Gods
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Very important part of Aztec life
Many gods and goddesses (polytheastic)
Talocan – home of the gods
Chalchiuhtlicue – goddess of the lakes and streams
Chantico – goddess of the hearth
Chicomecoatl – goddess of maize
Coatlicue – goddess for the pain of life
Huehuetectim - god of fire
Huitzilopochtli – god of war, sun and the nation
Mictlantecuhtl – god of the dead
Quetzalcoatl - god of knowledge, creation, priesthood, and
wind
Tezcatlipoca – god of magic, war and death
Tezcatlipoca – god of speech and language
Tlaloc – god of rain
Tloque Nahuaque - Lord of everywhere, the one supreme
force, both male and female
Xipe Totec – god of spring and new life, god of suffering
Xochipilli - prince of flowers, god of dawn, dance and love
Religion
• The Aztecs believed in a heaven and an underworld.
• There were thirteen levels of heaven and nine of the
underworld.
• There were also four horizontal points which corresponded
to the directions of the compass and were associated with
the four creator gods.
• All beings were assigned to one of these four points,
depending on the day one was born.
• The earth was believed to be a large disc surrounded by
water at the point where the horizontal and vertical met.
The Lord and Lady of Duality, mentioned earlier also were
the rulers of this central point.
• The Aztecs believed that where you went after death
depended upon what you did on earth and how you died.
Religion
The Eastern Paradise
• The “House of the Sun” was
the home of the souls of
warriors who were killed in
combat, this also included the
souls of enemy warriors
• Sacrificed victims went there
also.
• It was believed that souls
stayed in the eastern paradise
for four years, and then they
returned to earth as
hummingbirds or other exotic
birds.
The Western Paradise,
• The “House of Corn”, was
believed to be for women
who died in childbirth.
• They also returned to earth
as phantoms of bad omens.
The Southern Paradise
• The paradise of Tlaloc,
was for people who died of
lightening, leprosy or other
sickness.
• This was a place of plentiful
food.
Religion
Paradise of the North
• For the rest of the dead.
• It was called Mictlan (MEEK tlahn)
and getting there involved going
through nine trials and took four
years to accomplish.
• In order to make this trip, people
were buried in a squatting
position with items to help them
on the way. These included water,
a dog, a jade bead to act as the
dead’s heart at the seventh hell
and other personal objects to
give to Mictlantecuhtli (meek
tlahn tay COO flee), god of the
dead, or Mictecacihuatl (meek
tay kah SEE wahtl), mistress of
the underworld.
The Aztec accounts of the trials a soul must
go through to get to Mictlan are as follows:
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1) cross a deep river—dogs were
buried with their dead owners to
guide them on this journey.
2) pass between two mountains
which were joined together
3) climb an obsidian mountain
4) pass through icy wind that cut
like a knife
5) pass through a place where flags
waved
6) be pierced by arrows
7) pass among wild beasts which
ate human hearts
8) pass over a narrow path of stone
9) reach this level where the soul
found rest.
Religion
• There were thirteen heavens.
• Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, the creator
gods, lived in the double twelfth and
thirteenth heavens.
• It was believed that the souls of babies went
there was well as the souls of men waiting to
be reincarnated upon the destruction of the
human race
Religion and Human Sacrifices
• While human sacrifice was practiced
throughout Mesoamerica, the Aztecs, if their
own accounts are to be believed, brought
this practice to an unprecedented level.
• Considered an honor to be sacrificed
• According to Ahuitzotl, the Great Speaker,
during the reconsecration of Great Pyramid
of Tenochtitlan in 1487, Aztecs reported that
they sacrificed 84,400 prisoners over the
course of four days.
• Human sacrifices were tributes to the gods
• Sacrifices were usually either captured
enemy warriors or Tlachtli—losers
Human Sacrifice
Sacrifice to the Sun
Sacrifice to the gods
Government & Laws
• Harsh laws maintained
order
• Emperor would act as
judge and citizens would
act a jury
• Emperor would decide
guilt and punishment
• Tlatoani – Great Speaker
was the head of the
courts, priesthood and
army
Rulers
• 11 emperors
• 1st ruler was Acamapichtli (13761396): he guided early
construction of the city
• Most well-known ruler was the
5th - Montezuma Ilhuicamina
(1440-1469): he established the
Aztecs' victorious military
program, greatly expanded Aztec
empire. Was know as “Angry
Lord, Archer in the Sky”
• Last ruler was the 11th Cuauhtemoc (1520-1525) Spanish
destroy the Aztec city of
Tenochtitlan, Aztec empire ends,
Cuauhtemoc hung by Cortes'
people
Class Structure
Pīpiltin
• The highest class for
nobility.
• Originally this status was
not hereditary, although the
sons of pillis had access to
better resources and
education, so it was easier
for them to become pillis.
• Later the class system took
on hereditary aspects.
Mācehualtin
• The second class
• Originally peasants.
• 20% of the population was
dedicated to agriculture and
food production. The other
80% of society were warriors,
artisans and traders.
• Eventually, most of the
mācehuallis were dedicated to
arts and crafts. Their works
were an important source of
income for the city.[17]
Class Structure
Slaves
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Lacotin also constituted an important
class.
Aztecs could become slaves because of
debts, as a criminal punishment or as war
captives.
A slave could have possessions and even
own other slaves. However, upon
becoming a slave, all of the slave's
animals and excess money would go to
his purchaser.
Slaves could buy their liberty, and slaves
could be set free if they had children with
or were married to their masters.
Typically, upon the death of the master,
slaves who had performed outstanding
services were freed.
The rest of the slaves were passed on as
part of an inheritance.
Traveling merchants
• Called pochtecah were a
small, but important class
• They not only facilitated
commerce, but also
communicated vital
information across the
empire and beyond its
borders.
• They were often employed
as spies.
Military
• War was a big part of the
culture
• Professional military officers
• All boys were trained to
fight
• Citizens made up the army
• A boy became a man after
he captured his first
prisoner
• Weapons were slings,
spears, bows, arrows
• Soldiers wore breastplates
and used wooden shields
for protection
School
• Children of noble class
attended calmecac (school)
• Boys and girls attended
separate schools
• The workers’ children
attended telpochcalli and were
taught occupational skills,
warfare, history, good
citizenship, religion
• Cuicacalli (military school)
could be attended by boys at
age 15
• Aztec girls learned spinning at
age 4 and cooking at age
12,girls were trained for
marriage
Technology / Medicine
• Aztecs used two different
calendars, one measured
time, while the other was
used to fix religious festivals
• Aztec doctors used many
herbal remedies both to cure
and prevent illness
• Used splints to set fractures
• Aztec doctors understood a
great deal about the human
body
Family
• Strong families
• Parents taught children
responsibility, citizenship and lifeskills
• Harsh punishments were used if
child disobeyed
• One punishment had a child held
over a chili pepper fire and they
were forced to inhale the smoke
Economy
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Aztec merchants were called pochtecas
Several types of money(mainly beans) were in regular use
Small purchases were made with cacao beans
Larger purchases were made with cotton cloth called quachtli
Money was used mainly at weekly markets that held in each
town
In Aztec marketplaces, a small rabbit was worth 30 beans, a
turkey egg cost 3 beans, and a tamale cost a single bean.
A man could also sell his own daughter as a sexual slave or
future religious sacrifice, generally for around 500 to 700
beans. A small gold statue (approximately 0.62 kg / 1.37 lb)
cost 250 beans
Petty vendors sold small goods, farmers sold produce, potters
sold their vessels and plates
Professional merchants traveled from market to market
Food
• Maize (yellow corn) was
main food source
• Diet included avocados,
tomatoes, tamales, tortillas,
vegetables, meat, corn, chili
peppers, squash, chocolate
• Alcoholic drink was called
octli and was made from
the sap of the maguey plant
• Only noblemen could drink
octli and if they got drunk
they could be put to death
Clothing
• Women wore a skirt
wrapped around their hips
and waist
• Men wore loincloths and a
sleeveless poncho
• Men carried a pouch over
their shoulder which held
cocoa leaves they chewed
• Headdresses made of
feathers and beads were
worn for special ceremonies
• All women knew how to
weave and spin cloth
Art
• Stone workers carved
statues
• Potters made vessels
and plates
• Weavers made ornate
head wear and clothing
• Scribes would create
pictograms
Games
• Tlachtli – ball game for teams
much like a combination of
basketball and soccer.
• The players hit the ball with
their hips, knees, and elbows
and had to pass the ball
through a stone ring to
automatically win.
• However, no one knows the
exact rules of the game, as the
rules have never been
recorded, and thus, only
speculations exist.
• Losers were sacrificed
• Patolli – gambling game played
with dried beans and pebbles
Music and Dance
• Part of religious
ceremonies and storytelling
• Instruments used were
shells, rattles, whistles,
horns, bells and drums
• Children taught to sing,
dance and play
instruments at an early
age
Spanish Conquest
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Cortes landed on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico on Good
Friday in 1519
Aztecs greeted Spaniards with food and gold
Cortes set off to Tenochtitlan with 400 soldiers, 16 horses,
several cannons
150,000 enemies of the Aztec joined Cortes
On November 8, 1519 the fight against the Aztec civilization
began
Cortes took Montezuma II hostage
Montezuma encouraged his people to befriend the Spaniards
People disagreed and elected Cuitlahuac, Montezuma's
brother, as new ruler
Tenochititlan was destroyed August 31, 1521, and Mexico
City was built upon the ruins
An estimated 3/4 of Aztecs died from war and disease the
first century of conquest
Spanish introduced horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, sugar, grains
and fruits to the American continent
Spanish took potatoes, tomatoes, beans and maize back to
Europe