Geography
Where did the Aztecs live?
Northern Deserts of Mexico
What was the main belief of the Aztecs?
The gods controlled every aspect of their life
What was sacrificed from humans by the Aztecs to the gods?
Human blood
Who did the Aztecs trade with?
They traded with the defensive allies and the people around them
Who was at the very bottem of the Aztec hierarchy?
Slaves
Why were the mountains important to the Aztecs?
It brought the Aztecs closer to the gods
Why were the Aztecs called people of the Sun?
They felt that the sun would not rise without sacrifice and rituals
Why did the Aztecs sacrifice humans?
They belived that the blood would nurish the gods and without it they belived they would grow sick and die and the world would end
How did the slaves help with trade?
Carry the goods they purchased on trading expiditions.
Who was at the very top of the Aztec hierarchy?
The Emperor
How did the Aztecs know when to settle?
When they saw an eagle pearched on a cactus
What kind of belief system did the Aztecs have?
Polytheistic (the belief in multiple gods)
Why was war so important to human sacrifice?
Gave them the oppertunity to capture new victims for sacrifice?
What did merchants also act as?
Spies for the army
Aztec people had their rights protected by a system of written laws. What was this system called?
The Legal Sytem
What lake is surounding the Aztec city?
Lake Texcoco
What important religious event takes place every 52 years?
New fire.
Why were some Aztecs willing to sacrifice themselfs?
it was considerd an honour and a guarantee to enter a blessed afterlife
What were the primary jobs of the commoners?
farmers, fishermen, or craftsmen
What kind of justice system did the Aztecs use?
Restoritive justice system
What was the Aztec city called?
Tenochtitlan
Who was the most important god to the Aztecs?
Huitzilopochtli
What benefit did human sacrifice have on Aztec's perceived power?
The large-scale displaying of the sacrificed war captives' skulls was intimidating to rivals and kept adversaries away.
What were the eight different social classes of the Aztec socity?
rulers, warriors, nobility, priests and priestesses, free poor, slaves, servents, and the middle class
The Aztec socity was organized into units. What were these called?
Capolli's