Aztecs - Term 4 Flashcards
Revision
Draw the social structure of the aztecs
Check in book but …
- rulers
- nobles
- big social divided
- higher commoners
- commoners
- lower commoners
- enslaved people
When did the aztecs settle and where?
Settled in Mesoamerica from the 1300s
When was the time when the aztecs rose to great heights (wealth, power, sophistication)?
1500s
Who are Spanish conquistadors?
soldier-explorers
When did the spanish arrive and what did they do?
In 1519, Spanish conquistadors (soldier-explorers) arrived in Mesoamerica. Two years later, the Aztec civilisation had been destroyed.
What does alliance mean?
an agreement between two or more groups of people to work together towards a common goal.
What does tribute mean?
payment in goods or services to a ruler.
What was the altepetl?
city - states - independent cities
(aztecs lived in a number of these)
What did each altepetl (city state contain)?
had a main town, containing the palace of the ruler, a temple to its patron (protector) god and a market.
Around the city states?
smaller communities called calpulli consisted of families who shared an area of land.
Families surrounding the city states?
The families owed allegiance (had to be loyal to) a local noble who owned the land. Families had to pay tribute to this nobleman.
Sumptuary Laws?
These are laws in society that lay out what people can wear and own depending on their status
Who were lip plugs worn by?
Only by by people such as nobles, priests and successful warriors.
codex
manuscript or book
Empire
a group of countries or areas ruled by a single government
