Aztecas

POINTS OF TOPIC

• The name Aztec was derived from the ancestral homeland, which means “the place of Herons. The Mexican Indians ruled over the Aztec Empire from their capital city Tenochtitlan in the valley of Mexico, it became the heartland of the Aztec civilization, surrounded by volcanic mountains. The Aztec Empire of 1519 was the most powerful Mesoamerican kingdom of all time. Themulti-ethnic, multi-lingual kingdom stretched for more than 80,000 square miles through many parts of what is now central and southern Mexico.
• The Triple Alliance was the agreement between the Natuahl speakers, Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan, with their power they were able to dominate the Valley of Mexico and extended their power towards the Gulf of Mexico.
• The emperor of Tenochtitlan wasMoctezuma II; he played an immensely important role in the Aztec civilization, known as the 'Angry Lord, The Younger', 9th Ruler. Was the emperor of the Aztecs during the time of the three Spanish expeditions, the third of which was led by Hernán Cortés

• Even though smaller pyramids were located throughout Tenochtitlan, the Great Pyramid was the primary spot for religious ceremonies and rituals,and it was located in the valley of Mexico. Their civilization was highly advanced in technology that enabled them to build these grand step pyramids.
• The Aztecs had were polytheist, and their most important Deity was the sun god, Huitzilopochtli, who was also considered to be the god of war. Other important gods were Tlaloc (the god of rain) and Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent (the god ofwind and learning, also associated with resurrection).
• The sacrificial rituals were elaborate in form, calculated according to the stars to please specific gods at specific times. The priest would hold the heart aloft to the god being honored and then fling it into a sacred fire while it was still beating

• Most of the Aztec Civilizations were Nahuatl speakers that belonged to diversecommunities and ethnic groups. The Aztecs were not one ethic group, but a collection of many ethnicities.
• Pictographs were used to represent their written language. The language, both written and spoken, was important in completing business arrangements and in keeping track of family and cultural histories.
• The Aztec language was also used to create beautiful poetry and other prose used in ritualsand ceremonies. (Places where it can be found maybe) nowadays?
• The Aztec economy was very specialized and intricate. A variety of goods were produced within the Aztec empire, including tools, pottery, figurines, jewelry, cloth, and baskets. These goods were either made specifically for the ruler or sold in the local markets.

• Cortés, with 508 Spaniards, did not fight alone but with asmany as 150,000 or 200,000 allies from Tlaxcala, and eventually other Aztec tributary states, which helped to the defeat of the Aztecs. With that taking from them their valuables such as Gold, and most importantly their culture by imposing the Spanish language, which to date from Central America to South America is still spoken.
• Disease played a huge part in the fall of the Aztec empire. When aSpanish army came from Cuba this group was full of African slaves, who had smallpox and very contagious disease. The first epidemic, an outbreak of smallpox occurring from 1520–1521, decimated the population of Tenochtitlan and was decisive in the fall of the city. The Spaniards, trying to make more of the diminishing population, merged the survivors from small towns into the bigger ones. Thisbroke the power of the upper classes and dissolved the coherence of the indigenous society.
• The population before the time of the conquest is estimated at 15 million; by 1550, the estimated population was 4 million and less than two million by 1581

The Mexican Indians ruled over the Aztec Empire from their capital city Tenochtitlan in the valley of Mexico, they had very obscure and humble...