Chapter 7 review final

Question 1

who were the Aztecs and where did they live?

Answer 1

they were created by a nomadic tribe who settled in the valley of Mexico during the 15th century.

Question 2

In 1168, the god of the Aztecs, Huitzilopochtli commanded the Aztecs to do what?

Answer 2

commanded the people to migrate south and told them to look for an eagle perching on a cactus. There they would settle and build a great city

Question 3

What did the Aztecs find in 1325?

Answer 3

in 1325 the Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico a wide plain with fertile land, plentiful water, and mild climate.

Question 4

What name did the Aztecs call their home?

Answer 4

they called it Tenochtitlan

Question 5

For the Aztecs, a mountain was more than a physical site, they also saw a mountain as what?

Answer 5

as a sacred or holy site, and brought people physically closer to the gods.

Question 6

For the Aztecs, the world consisted of what 2 landscapes?

Answer 6

physical and sacred

Question 7

In what ways did a mountain bring the Aztecs physically closer to their gods?

Answer 7

the Aztecs believed that their god Huitzilopochtli had sent them to the place where they lived. Religion was a powerful force in the Aztec society and the idea that their god had sent them to this site gave the Aztecs determination to survive there.

Question 8

The temples that Aztecs built to worship their gods were ________ in the shape of mountains?

Answer 8

the temples were in the shape of mountains

Question 9

Why was the island of Tenochtitlan, not an ideal location?

Answer 9

it was small, swampy island in a lake with salty water

Question 10

To make sure they had plenty of clean drinking water even in times of drought, the Aztecs built _________

Answer 10

aqueduct

Question 11

In what ways were poetry important to the Aztecs?

Answer 11

• by creating poetry the Aztecs felt that they were imitating their god, Ometeotl the creator of the universe.
• during peaceful times writing poetry was considered the only worthy occupation for an Aztec warrior.

Question 12

How did Lake Texcoco protect Tenochtitlan?

Answer 12

• the Aztecs created three causeways linking the lake and the mainland.
• Brigshes that connected the causeways to the city and the mainland could be destroyed to protect the city from invasion.

Question 13

What were chinampas and how did they help the Aztec society?

Answer 13

chinampa was known as floating islands, they built in the waters around Tenochtitlan and other areas to grow crops,

Question 14

How did the lakes become salty?

Answer 14

the lakes had become salty through evaporation which left behind the natural salts in the water.

Question 15

According to the Aztec religion, what was the difference between their different gods?

Answer 15

although Aztecs had many gods they believed some were greater than others.

Question 16

What was the solar calendar and the sacred calendar?

Answer 16

the sacred calendar was 260 days long. It took the sacred calendar exactly 52 years to “catch up” with the solar calendar.

Question 17

What was the great stone calendar?

Answer 17

it was carved in the mid- 1400s was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli it shows how the world began and how it will end.

Question 18

According to the legends, the first fire was destroyed by_____, the second by _______, the third by ________, the fourth by ________, and the fifth will be by ______ ?

Answer 18

first was destroyed by the Jaguars the second by the hurricanes the third by fiery rain and the fourth by a flood. earthquakes will destroy the fifth Sun in the center of teh calendar.

Question 19

Why was human sacrifice important to the Aztecs?

Answer 19

killing another person has the strongest expression of their de devotion to the gods, since they believe that the victim’s blood actually nourished the gods.

Question 20

Why was war important?

Answer 20

because it gave them the opportunity to capture new victims for sacrifice.

Question 21

What was the “new fire” ceremony?

Answer 21

it took place every 52 years the people would fast and would let their fires go out. they would wait for a courier and then they would relight the fires.

Question 22

In the world, what part of the map was Tenochtitlan located?

Answer 22

Tenochtitlan was a model of the world, with the Great Temple at the very center.

Question 23

The Aztecs loved tropical fruits and a bright tropical bird. In order to get these things, what did the Aztecs have to do?

Answer 23

they had to trade with the cultures that has these goods.

Question 24

What was the role of the Aztec merchants?

Answer 24

the merchants often set off with hundreds of slaves to carry the goods they purchased on trading expeditions. the merchants also acted as spies for the Aztec army.

Question 25

What did the Aztecs believe about the group and the individual?

Answer 25

the Aztecs firmly believe that the group- their society- was much more important than the individual within it. Every Aztec was prepared to sacrifice his or her own life for the good of the group.

Question 26

Military service was _______ among the Aztecs?

Answer 26

compulsory- means that the law required every young man to serve in the army

Question 27

what is a tribute ?

Answer 27

it is to collect valuable gifts and taxes, from the conquered group. They collected from cities they conquered including cotton blankets feathered headdresses and shields, stings of jade beads and cocoa beans.

Question 28

Why were cocoa beans important to the Aztecs?

Answer 28

because the Aztecs made drinks out of the cocoa beans, hot chili peppers, and cornmeal which they blind gave them wisdom and power. the cocoa beans were used for currency

Question 29

what were the names of all the gods

Answer 29

• Huitzilopochtli
• Tezcatlipoca
• Quetzalcoati
• Tlaloc

Question 30

what was the duty of Huitzilopochtli

Answer 30

he encouraged the Aztecs to leave their ancestral homeland and settle in the Valley of Mexico. he was the Aztecs tribal god and had warlike aspects

Question 31

what was the duty of Tezcatlipoca

Answer 31

the most powerful of the gods. He was used to seeing visions of the future

he was locked in an eternal struggle with the god Huitzilopochtli

Question 32

what was the duty of Quetzalcoatl

Answer 32

he was the god of the wind.

Question 33

what was the responsibility of Tlaloc?

Answer 33

he was the god of rain.