Money and Market
What were the main crops grown by the Aztecs?
Answer: Corn, squash, and beans
Name two materials Aztec artists used to create jewelry.
Answer: Jade and obsidian
Who was Huitzilopochtli, and why was he important to the Aztecs?
Answer: The sun and war god who guided them to their homeland
What kind of homes did most Aztecs live in?
Answer: Mud and reed huts
What was the purpose of Aztec warfare?
Answer: To capture prisoners for sacrifice and expand territory
What did Aztec women primarily create, and how was it used?
Answer: Textiles, used as currency and for trade
What happened to much of the Aztec gold and silver jewelry during the Spanish invasion?
Answer: It was stolen and melted down for money
How did the Aztecs honor their gods?
Answer: Dances, banquets, sacrifices, and incense burning
What was a common Aztec meal?
Answer: Tortillas, beans, and maize
What was a common Aztec weapon?
Answer: Macuahuitl (wooden club with obsidian blades)
How did the Aztecs use textiles and cacao beans as currency?
Answer: They traded them in marketplaces
What types of artwork were the Aztecs known for?
Answer: Jewelry, stone carvings, and statues
Why were sacrifices important to the Aztecs?
Answer: They believed it pleased the gods and kept nature in balance
What was the main language spoken by the Aztecs?
Answer: Nahuatl
What was the highest rank in the Aztec army?
Answer: Jaguar and Eagle warriors
What is a marketplace called in the Aztec language?
Answer: Tianquiztli
What kind of art did the Aztecs borrow from other cultures?
Answer: Sculpting, metalwork, and pottery
What was the symbol Huitzilopochtli sent to guide the Aztecs?
Answer: An eagle sitting on a cactus
What did children learn at Aztec schools?
Answer: History, religion, and military skills
What was the Aztec capital city?
Answer: Tenochtitlan
What was a key reason the Aztecs turned to fishing?
Answer: To supplement their food supply
What small objects did Aztec artists carve from pearl and coral?
Answer: Tiny insects
What did the Aztecs believe caused droughts and famines?
Answer: Angry gods
What was the main form of transportation in Tenochtitlan?
Answer: Canoes
What was the main reason for the Aztec Empire's rapid expansion?
Answer: Military strength and alliances