The Aztecs - Key Words

Question 1

Plateau

Answer 1

a flat/leveled piece of land or area that consists of a flat terrain, which is usually located on high ground as in the top of mountains. Like a mountain with its top cut off.

Question 2

Aztecs

Answer 2

an indigenous group of people/civilization, that were the dominant people in Mexico before the 16th century.

Question 3

Aztlan

Answer 3

The name of the mythical homeland of the Aztecs, the ancient Mesoamerican civilization also known as the Mexica.

Question 4

Mexica

Answer 4

aside from the Aztecs, these people also called themselves Mexica. The name the Aztecs used for themselves. They did not call themselves Aztecs.

Question 5

Nahua

Answer 5

it is the historical/ancestral language of the Aztec. A group of indigenous people of Mexico and El Salvador, historically also present in parts of Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Question 6

Huitzilopochtli

Answer 6

the main and most important god for the Aztec peoples. He is known as the god of sun and war, that ordered the Aztec people to start their pilgrimage. A deity of war, sun, human sacrifice, and the patron of the city of Tenochtitlan. He was also the national god of the Mexicans, also known as the Aztecs, of Tenochtitlan.

Question 7

Mesoamerica

Answer 7

Refers to the diverse civilizations that shared similar cultural characteristics in the geographic areas comprising the modern-day countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Question 8

Lake of Texcoco

Answer 8

The natural lake within the Valley of Mexico. Lake Texcoco is where the Aztecs built the city of Tenochtitlan, which was located on an island within the lake.

Question 9

Tenochtitlan

Answer 9

An Aztec city that flourished between A.D. 1325 and 1521. Built on an island in Lake Texcoco, it had a system of canals and causeways that supplied the hundreds of thousands of people who lived there.

Question 10

Saline

Answer 10

something that contains large amounts of salt, such as soil.

Question 11

Causeways

Answer 11

a lifted bridge or track across wet ground used to connect land to water. A road on the upper point of an embankment across a low, or wet place, or piece of water.

Question 12

Chinampa

Answer 12

A floating garden, a small, stationary, artificial island built on a freshwater lake for agricultural purposes.

Question 13

Aqueduct

Answer 13

a water pathway or channel used for transporting water throughout a city usually in the form of a bridge or fountain.

Question 14

Xiuhtlapohualli

Answer 14

This was the Aztec’s 365-day solar yearly calendar that determined their seasons in order to regulate agricultural activities. It had existed long before the Europeans had made their 365-day calendar.

Question 15

Meztli

Answer 15

The 18 months that made up the solar calendar, Xiuhtlapohualli, was called the meztli.

Question 16

Veintena

Answer 16

In each of the 18 months, there were 20 days. This 20-day cycle was called the veintena.

Question 17

Nemontemi

Answer 17

Five extra days at the end of the 365-day year that is considered unlucky for the Aztecs. During these days, no activity of any kind was carried out, believing that only misfortune would result.

Question 18

Xihuitl

Answer 18

This is what the last day of the last veintena of the year gave its name to, in order to name the year. The xihuitl had four names that it could name the year with, like Calli, Tochtli, Acatl and Tecpatl, translating into the house, rabbit, reed, and flint.

Question 19

Tonalli

Answer 19

A day in the sacred calendar was called a tonalli, in which each day was represented by a symbol or daysign.

Question 20

Trecene

Answer 20

A trecene is a 13-day cycle/week in the sacred (tonalpohualli) calendar.

Question 21

Tonalpohualli

Answer 21

The tonalpohualli was the sacred calendar to the Aztecs, which was mainly used by priests to determine when their religious rituals and sacrifices should be performed. Each day on this calendar was associated with a specific fate.

Question 22

Xiuhmolpilli

Answer 22

This is a stone monument made to commemorate a New Fire Ceremony. Meaning “year bundle” it contains 52 reeds tied with a rope and covered in a symbol of the final year. During the ceremony, 52 of these same bundles were burnt.

Question 23

Quetzalcoatl

Answer 23

A great Mesoamerican/Aztec god that’s name is translated as a feathered serpent or precious twin. He was a legendary figure in which the Aztec priests were led by during a New Fire Ceremony.

Question 24

Yohualtecuhtli

Answer 24

This is a star that indicated when the priests would make their sacrifice on a New Fire Ceremony. When this star shone in the center of the night sky, that was when the human sacrifice would happen.

Question 25

Tlequauitl

Answer 25

This is a sacred fire stick drill that was used to kindle a fire in the empty chest cavity of the person that was sacrificed.

Question 26

Temple

Answer 26

A temple is a structure usually built for and dedicated to religious or scriptural reasons. In the Aztecs, it was mainly used for sacrifice and worship.

Question 27

Huitzilopochtli

Answer 27

Huitzilopochtli was the Aztec god of the sun and war, his name meaning “Blue Hummingbird on the Left.” He was the Aztec’s main god.

Question 28

Templo Mayor pyramid

Answer 28

This was a very large pyramid in Tenochtitlan that dominated the central sacred precinct of the capital of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. It was very important and the focal point of the Aztec religion and the very center of the Aztec world. On top, there were two twin temples that were dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. It was also the scene in which coronations and the place of countless human sacrifices took place. The blood of the victims was thought to feed and appease the two great gods to whom it was dedicated.

Question 29

Pulque beer

Answer 29

This is a mildly alcoholic drink that the Aztecs drank when the New Fire Ceremony had ended. It is similar to beer, as it’s made from fermented juice or sap from the maguey plant. The potency of this drink was often increased with the addition of certain roots and herbs.

Question 30

Toxhiuhmolpilia

Answer 30

This was a ceremony called the New Fire Ceremony that took place every 52 years when the two calendars would start on the same day. This was a time of uncertainty for the Aztecs as they were unsure if the sun would rise, or if the world would end. For this ceremony, all the fires in the city were extinguished and a cleaning operation to clean everything in the city took place. When darkness fell, a priest would sacrifice a human, which was a great honor, by taking out his heart and replacing it with fire. If the fire burned brightly they would celebrate, as they would have another sun!

Question 31

Huitzilopochtli

Answer 31

Huitzilopochtli was the Aztec god of the sun and war, and he was a patron of war and sacrifice. His name meaning “Hummingbird on the Left,” he was the Aztec’s main/one of the most important gods to them. He was the god that founded the Aztec’s settlement - Tenochtitlan, and he told them they should establish their city there.

Question 32

Human Sacrifice

Answer 32

The sacrifice/killing of a person, by an Aztec priest, that was usually done at their main temple in Tenochtitlan. They believed that the best nourishment for the gods was the still-living hearts of the sacrificed warriors. Today, we believe there would be one to hundreds of warriors that were sacrificed each day to honor their gods.

Question 33

Tezcatlipoca

Answer 33

Tezcatlipoca was another one of the Aztec’s main gods. His name meant “Smoking Mirror,” and was the god associated with death and cold. He is often represented as an evil power and was the patron of the night, of the north. He was the opposite of his brother, Quetzalcoatl.

Question 34

Quetzalcoatl

Answer 34

Quetzalcoatl was probably the most famous/well-known Aztec god, his name meaning “Feathered Serpent.” He was the god that was associated with knowledge and learning and was a very creative god. If a person wanted to do good in school, they would pray and bloodlet themselves for this god. He’s also linked to the idea that he was the last human-formed Aztec emperor.

Question 35

Tlaloc

Answer 35

Tlaloc was one of the most important and ancient gods to the Aztecs and was the rain god. He is associated with fertility and agriculture. The Aztecs believed that the cries and tears of newborn children were super sacred to this god, so many ceremonies for him involved the sacrifice of little children.

Question 36

Bloodletting

Answer 36

harm to one’s self/body with sharp bones or weapons that were also seen as a sacrifice to the gods. A person would cut themselves, and let their blood drip down and would please the gods, as they thought that the gods valued human blood over everything else.

Question 37

Ritual

Answer 37

a religious ceremony or event consisting of many actions or activities performed according to a specific order. In a ritual, the Aztecs sacrificed humans.

Question 38

Sacrifice

Answer 38

the act of killing an animal or person as an offering/gift to a god.

Question 39

Tlacotin

Answer 39

The tlacotin were the Aztecs that were the lowest in status. They were the slaves. No one was ever born into slavery, but many people were able to sell their way into it if they were unable to pay a debt. The owner of the slave didn’t own the person - only the work of the person.

Question 40

Toltecah

Answer 40

The toltecah were like artisans so they were skilled workers that created things by hand. These things would be taken in by merchants and traders and traded for lots of money.

Question 41

Pochteca

Answer 41

Pochteca were professional long-distance traders/traveling merchants in the Aztec Empire who organized caravans of porters all across the empire. The Macehualtin or middle class, were able to improve their status by becoming a pochteca. The pochteca were very important and very wealthy. Sometimes called spying merchants because they often traveled to enemy territories and reported back to the emperor so they can take over that are. They held a high position in society.

Question 42

Mayeques

Answer 42

The Mayeques were the lowest class or peasants in the Aztec Empire. They worked the land of the nobles, they were required to build and maintain temples, and they were forced to pay heavy taxes. In spite of the fact that the land belonged to the nobles, they were still guaranteed a plot of land in which they could live and pass on to their children. They also receive a share of the produce, but only after taxes and tribute were paid.

Question 43

Macehualtin

Answer 43

The macehualtin were the middle class of the Aztec Empire. They kept the economy of the Aztec empire flourishing and made up most of the military. They were able to improve their status by gaining positions in the military, being priests, merchants, artisans, or long-distance traders.

Question 44

Priests

Answer 44

a priest is a religious leader that had the authority to perform certain rituals and ceremonies. The priests were important advisors to the emperor for dreams or omens, as they were speaking God’s words. They studied the religious calendar in order to decide which days were lucky to go to war, and which to hold sacrificial ceremonies for the gods. Their most important role was to offer human sacrifices to the gods.

Question 45

The Eagle Knights and the Jaguar Knights

Answer 45

These were the two military orders that were reserved for the nobility that gained sufficient honor. When noble warriors gained a lot of honor, they would join into one of these military groups, as they were super important and looked upon.

Question 46

Tecutin

Answer 46

A leader under the emperor that ruled smaller altepetl. They kept records of tributes and managed the marketplace, important resources, and local legal matter. They made sure all the records of the state they ruled were correct. They had the rank of the general among the warriors and were also members of the Council of Wise Men.

Question 47

Tlatoque

Answer 47

The tlatoque were part of the nobility group and ruled the major towns and cities within the empire. They made sure all the records of the state they ruled were correct. They managed the marketplace and resources, held authority of legal affairs, and had the rank of the general among the warriors. They were also members of the Council of Wise Men.

Question 48

Hereditary

Answer 48

of a title, or position, that is based on inheritance because of your family; to be born into a position.

Question 49

Council of Wise Men

Answer 49

The Council of Wise Men was a group of the greatest warriors and the wisest priests that were chosen by members of their clans. This council elected the emperor and advised him. They could also dismiss him if he didn’t carry out his job properly.

Question 50

Chief of Internal Affairs

Answer 50

The Chief of Internal Affairs was a man that was right under the emperor in status. He was extremely important and was the closest advisor to the emperor. He was also second in command, so if something happened to the emperor the Chief of Internal Affairs would take over control.

Question 51

Huey tlatoani

Answer 51

The Huey tlatoani was known as the “great speaker”. The emperor was called this, as it was the name of his position in the Aztec language, Nahuatl. This was the highest-ranking role in Aztec society, and held the greatest political and spiritual power.

Question 52

Pipiltin

Answer 52

The pipiltin were the Aztec nobility, the most important individuals governing the empire. This class was made up of nobles, higher ranking warriors, and high ranking priests. They owned their own land that was worked by the commoners, although they lived in different areas from them. They followed a strict code of behavior, and if they made a mistake they would be punished more severely than the commoners. They had top positions in government, priesthood, and military.

Question 53

Triple Alliance

Answer 53

When three altepetl (city-states) would form an alliance. The Mexica were one of the three that formed the alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan. These three forces would join together, and fight alongside each other, so when they defeated another area, they would have to pay the tribute for them.

Question 54

Calpulli

Answer 54

Calpulli in Nahuatl meant “clans.” Each altepetl would be made up of these related clans.

Question 55

Altepetl

Answer 55

Altepetls were similar to the Italian city-states, in which each person belonged to one. The society in each city-state practiced their own customs and beliefs. They also had their own origin stories and history. Also, each was a distinct cultural group.

Question 56

Codex

Answer 56

an ancient manuscript in book form/ a book of the Aztec history that is written through pictures because they didn’t have letters.

Question 57

Calmecac

Answer 57

the higher ranking school for the Aztecs that the nobles attended.

Question 58

Telpochcalli

Answer 58

the lower ranking school for the Aztecs that the commoners attended.

Question 59

Tribute

Answer 59

a tax or payment the people were required to the Aztecs and their empire. This was required to be paid by the societies conquered by the Aztecs in order for the emperor to be able to support Tenochtitlan and the Triple Alliance. The tributes went right to the capital of their empire, Tenochtitlan, because that’s where their government was. When they paid this tribute, they were provided with protection.

Question 60

Cottage Industries

Answer 60

small neighborhoods or communities that produced local goods from raw materials. Producing these goods developed the cottage industries. They supplied these products to their neighbors and people living in their cities. Not only would they make local goods, but they would also mine products like salt or stone that were also supplied to other citizens in the marketplace.