Aztec (jan 1, 1200 – jan 1, 1521)

Description:

Time Period: (13th c. -16th c.) C.E.
(1200-1521) C.E.
Location: Central Mexico (Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean)


S:
-multiple city-states made provinces
-social class system:
Great speaker
land-owning nobles,
scribes, healers
craftspeople, merchants/ POCHTECA
peasants , soldiers,
slaves

P:
-theocracy
-Emperor called the GREAT SPEAKER
-capital: TENOCHTITLAN (now Mexico City)
-polytheistic
-human sacrifices

I:
- Tenochtitlan was located in the middle of a swampy lake
-on LAKE TEXCOCO they built floating gardens called CHINAMPAS
-staple food: corn, beans, squash, tomatoes

C:
-356 day calendar adopted from Mayans
-system of picture writing similar to Maya

E:
-had a tribute system
- extensive trade- from the Pacific Coast to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea

achievements:
-the GREAT PYRAMID
-CHINAMPAS
-accurate calendar

the fall:
-in the late 15th c.
-low level technology--such as the lack of a wheel and pack animals--> more difficult and inefficient
-disease from Europeans
-subjects rebelled when Spanish under Cortes attacked in 1519

vocab:
-

Added to timeline:

Date: