Transcript small islands in Lake Texcoco

The Aztecs
The Chichimec Period
The Aztecs finally found refuge on small
islands in Lake Texcoco where, in 1325,
they founded the town of TENOCHTITLAN
(modern-day Mexico City).
Other Chichimecs followed who were
more civilized but stole women and
practiced sacrifice.
– brought knowledge of the Maya calender
system, cultivated crops with irrigation,
constructed with stone.
Basin of Mexico
Chain of interconnected lakes
– Lake Texcoco
deepest and water flowed from it to other lakes
the Basin is about 3,000 sq miles and about
15% of that is covered by water.
Population estimates at around
A.D.1519 are between 1 to 1.2 million.
Aztec Empire
Tenochtitlan
How were they all fed?
Used the Chinampas (floating gardens) for
agriculture.
– 25,000 acres of chinampas at the time of contact.
– gardens never actually floated, but were created
by making use of the vegetaion in the swamps.
– Floating water plants were used to build up
gardens and then were dragged onto shore for
chinampas.
– They became anchored to the native cypress.
– Lake mud was piled on and canals were built.
Chinampas
However, although chinampas were very
productive, the number of people living in
the area at the time of contact could not
keep up with subsistence and surplus food
demands.
These marsh plots also brought in birds
and fish that could be gathered while they
were working.
Chinampas
Ancient Aztecs tending to chinampas
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~delacova/aztec-society.htm
Cultural Innovations:
Trade, Economics, Market System
Part of inter-related regions which
consisted of Morelos to the south, Puebla
to the east, Mezquital to the north, and
Toluca to the west.
– although many crops the same, some areas
had their specialty crops.
– tropical fruits, cotton, cacao from Morelos,
beans from Puebla.
– flowers were also a big part of the economy
because one of the great pleasures was of
the smelling of flowers.
Aztec Market
Market days were held once each five days, four
times each month. Sometimes daily in larger
towns.
– reflected community craft specializations as well as
imported goods.
– also slaves were traded, and dogs for food (400 on a
slow day).
Bernal Diaz de Castillo says that he didn’t even
have time to list how many things were offered
one day at the market
commodities and goods exchanged by barter.
Human sacrifice
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~delacova/florentinecodex.htm
Cultural Innovations
Art
– Stone carving to communicate ideas.
– Free-standing figures of Aztec deities.
– Aztec Calender stone.
Metallurgy
– acquired from Maya.
– Mostly gold, silver.
Art
Obsidian vessel carved
in the shape of a
monkey
Polychrome terracota
plaque with molded and
apliquéd sculpture of a
human face
Stone box with representations
of corn cobs
http://www.mesoweb.com/features/jpl/99.html
Jewelry
Necklaces found in the
Great Temple at Tenochtitlan
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~delacova/aztec-jewelry.htm
Masks
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~delacova/aztec-masks.htm
Social Structure
Basic unit of social organization
– calpulli (clan)
– not all lineages within the clan were equal.
Membership by birth.
– families traced their descent through fathers,
which is a lineage, and these lineages make
up a calpulli.
– marry within the calpulli.
– one lineage provides leader of that calpulli.
Four principle social categories:
Pipiltin- ruler
– ruler of the city state and his relatives.
– only ones to own their own land
Macehualtin-commoner clan.
– serfs who worked others land.
Pochtea-merchant clan.
– owned communal land.
Tlacotin-slaves.
– no land, no rights.
– Irreversible status.
Political Organization
Divine King or ruler of Aztec
Each city (other than Tenochtitlan) ruled by a pettyking selected from the pipiltin.
Dual leadership-military and religious
– supreme leader chosen from special lineage, with brother
succeeding brother.
– court which ruled over military, justice, treasury, and
commerce.
Moctezuma II
http://www.rosehulman.edu/~delacova/florentin
e-codex.htm
Moctezuma II and Cortes
Moctezuma’s priestly training, particularly in the old
Toltec traditions, was his downfall as he believed the
return of Quetzalcoatl to be incarnated in Cortes, it
paralyzed him and his vast armies until it was too late for
the Aztecs.
He believed it was his destiny to preside over the Aztecs
while a total destruction of the Mexica civilization
occurred.
Moctezuma was considered a skilled statesman and
many references were made by the Conquistadors to
their admiration for him.
While a captive of Cortes he lost his stature among the
general population of Tenochtitlan and was hit in the
head by a stone thrown by his former subjects and died
while a captive of Cortes