16.3 - The Aztecs

The most important rituals involved who?

Huitzilopochtli

What happened in the legend of "Quetzalcoatl"?

In legend: after exile from Tula, the god traveled east, crossing seas on raft of snakes and brought new reign and peace to the land

Who/What was the Triple Alliance?

Powerful alliance between the Aztecs, Texcoco and Tlacopan - alliance was leading power in Valley of Mexico - gained control of neighboring regions

Topiltzin encouraged to worship _____________________.

Quetzalcoatl

__________ was a major role in Aztec society.

Religion

What connected the city center with outlying residential area?

Streets, broad avenues

The Aztec ancestry included the ___________ and ___________.

Olmec and Zapotec

What was the first major civilization of Central Mexico?

Teotihuacan

In 1428, an alliance with _________________ and _______________ happened.

Texcoco and Tlacopan

Who were the warlike people?

The Toltecs

The Aztel ceremonial calendar was full of religious festivals that were ___________________________________________________________ being honored.

dependent of the gods

What did the Aztecs do with rebellious villages?

destroyed rebellious villages and captured the citizens of rebellious villages and slaughtered citizens

No single culture ________ after Teotihuacan fall

dominated // but then Toltecs rose to power

Huitzilopochtli usually took form of an _____, in honor of the sun god.

eagle

Why did the city abruptly decline? [city abandoned by 750]

either by invasion by outside forces or conflict of ruling classes

Who was part of the Lowest class?

enslaved people - captives with many diff. jobs

What was the nickname of Quetzalcoatl?

feathered serpent

Aztec ceremonial calendar = __________________________________

full of religious festivals

What was the Great Temple?

giant pyramid with twin temples at the top, one for the sun god and the other to the rain god, it was also the center of Aztec religious life

Who was Quetzalcoatl?

god for many ancient civilizations

Who was Huitzilopochtli?

god of sun and warfare

The Aztecs let the local rulers govern their own regions, but they needed to give what as tribute?

gold, maize, beans, cotton, jade and other stuff

noble class = _____________ officials and priests and _____________ leaders.

government officials priests military leaders

What is obsidian?

green or black volcanic glass found in Valley of Mexico

The Aztecs had the most ________________ ___________________.

human sacrifice

Tenochtitlan contained hundreds of what?

hundreds of temples and religious structures

What did canals do?

intersected with roadways

Teotihuacan population was one of the ___________ cities at the time.

largest (150k - 200k)

Aztecs let _____________________________ govern their own regions

local rulers

The emperor lived in a ______________ __________________ with ________ and ____________

magnificent palace with servants and wives

How was the center of city?

massive, walled complex, filled with palaces, temples and government buildings

What did animal symbols by warriors mean?

meant that they would inherit an animal's qualities

Who were the commoners of the Aztecs?

merchants, artisans, soldiers, farmers who owned land

How was the Aztec's power base?

military conquest and tribute they gained from conquered subjects

The ______________ was the most valuable trade.

obsidian

Tenochtitlan remained an _____________ ________________ site.

original island site

Canoes bought ___________ from farthest places of empire to economic _______________ of ___________.

people, economic heart of city

Villagers at the site began to ______, ______ a monumental city

plan and construct

Who were the Aztecs formerly?

poor nomadic people from harsh deserts of Northern Mexico

Describe the valley of Mexico.

-a mountain basin about 7,500 feet above sea level -was the home base of several powerful cultures -had several large, shallow lakes at it's center -accessible resources -fertile soil

How many different forms of Quetzalcoatl did the Aztecs worship?

-god of learning and books -god of wind -symbol of death and rebirth

Where was the produce in Market of Tlatelolco grown at?

-grown on chinampas which are farm plots built on marshy fringes of lakeand they're extremely productive, providing food needed for a big population

Why was the eagle the favorite?

Because Eagle = victory

Describe the vast empire that the Triple alliance controlled

FROM CENTRAL MEXICO, TO PACIFIC AND ATLANTIC COASTS, AND SOUTH INTO OAXACA (80k sq miles in total) - empire of 38 provinces - population of 5-15 million people

Who did the Toltecs worship?

Fierce war god who demanded blood and human sacrifice

What was the main structure in the complex?

Great Temple

What was another name the Aztecs were called by?

Mexica

What did the site named Teotihuacan mean?

"City of Gods"

Who were high ranking Aztec leaders?

"eagle warriors"

What were nicknames for chinampas?

"floating gardens"

Military Leaders = ________________ _______________ in society.

"great power"

Describe the story of finding Tenochtitlan.

- Huitzilopochtli, the god of sun and warfare told them to find a city of their own -then they looked for a place where an eagle rested on a cactus holding a snake at it's mouth - then the people found a place on a small island in Lack Texcoco at the center of the valley -At 1325: The Aztecs found a city named Tenochtitlan

How is Quetzalcoatl pictured?

- as "feathered serpent" - as a pale-skinned man w/ beard

How did visitors enter the Emperor's presence?

- in bare feet - looked down to not look at the emperor

Describe nobles of the Aztecs

- many nobles owned huge estates - nobles ruled over like lords in estates - great wealth and luxurious life

What happened in the religious public ceremonies?

- priests made offerings to gods - showed ritual dramas, songs and dances with masked former(s)

What did the Toltecs build?

- pyramids and temples

Who were the rebels of Topiltzin?

- rebels were war god followers

When Toltecs rose to power, they ruled over ________________________________ from _____________________ at ______________.

- ruled over the heart of Mexico from the capital at Tula

What surrounded the lake? and what is the effect of the mysterious surroundings of the lake?

- smaller cities

What kind of things did visitors find in the Market of Tlatelolco

- visitors: found great deal of local agricultural produce on displace - examples: avocados, beans, chili peppers,corn squash and tomatoes.

Who did the advantages attract?

-the people of Teotihuacan and the Toltecs

What was the social pyramid of the Aztecs?

1. Emperor 2. Noble Class 3. Commoners 4. Enslaved People

The rebellion of war god followers forced Topiltzin and his followers into _________ on _____________________________________. Then, Toltec power ____________.

1. Exile 2. Yucatan Peninsula 3. decreased

There was no evidence that Teotihuacan conquered their neighbors, but _____ and ______ from _______ was found throughout Mesoamerica.

1. art styles 2. religious beliefs 3. Teotihuacan

The Valley had a number of small _________-___________ that survived collapse of ___________ rule.

1. city-states 2. Toltec

In the main market, how many judges are in the law court?

10 or 12

What happened if no tribute was given?

A brutal response

Who was Topiltzin?

A leader who tried to change Toltec religion, told to stop human sacrifice

The story of Quetzalcoatl would come back to haunt __________, the greatest ___________ of ____________.

Aztecs ; greatest empire of Mexico

What is the Teotihuacan?

Center of thriving trade network that extended into Central America

What kind of site was the modern Mexico City in the past?

In the past, it was the greatest city of Mesoamerica

What was the Tenochtitlan?

It was an extraordinary urban center. - larger than London or any European capital of that time

Where are the Teotihuacan ruins at?

Just outside of Mexico City

How did merchants achieve great wealth?

Merchants traveled widely, acting as spies for the emperor

What was the giant Pyramid of the Sun?

The biggest pyramid (more than 200 ft tall, about 3000 ft around base)

What was the heart of the city?

The central avenue lined with more than 20 pyramids dedicated to various gods

What animal does the Africans treasure the most? and why?

The lions bc fighting and ferocity

What did the Toltecs carve?

They carve pillars in shape of armed warriors

Where did Teotihuacan people live in?

They lived in apartment-block buildings in the area around central avenue

Merchants were a special type of what?

They were a special type of elite

Who were the temples and religious structures of Tenochtitlan dedicated to?

They were dedicated to approx. 1000 gods

What are the 10 or 12 judges doing in the law court of the main market?

They're performing their office and taking decisions on all marketing controversies

How did the island and the mainland connect in Tenochtitlan?

To connect island to mainland: Aztec engineers built 3 raised roads (causeways over water and marshland).

What was the obsidian used for?

To make razor-sharp weapons

Who were the two people/gods who became one in the legends of Valley of Mexico people?

Topiltzin and Quetzalcoatl

Some important developments happened in and around __________.

Valley of Mexico

The emperor's power was = _______________

absolute

Aztec adopted many _______ and ________ ________ related to them from other Mesoamerican peoples.

adopted many gods and religious practices

The people of Teotihuacan and the Toltecs settled in the valley and developed ____________________ that controlled most of the area.

advance civilizations

Allowed ___________ to bring people to _______ ________________ directly

allowed canoes to bring people to the city center directly

What did Aztec religious practices center on?

public ceremonies designed to talk to gods and win favor

What did the Aztecs find work as?

soldiers-for-hire for local rulers

The Aztecs adapted to what?

the local ways

Where (and when) did the Aztecs arrive?

they arrived at the Valley of Mexico in A.D 1200

What did celtic fighters wear to be strong and fearless?

they wore boars' heads

What did high ranking Aztec leaders wear in battle?

they wore eagle costumes

Emperor was the _________!

top

Who did the emperor sometimes consult with?

top generals or officials

The things in Market Tlatelolco was sold by ______ or by _________ not _________.

was sold by piece or by measurement not weight