Who are the Aztecs? Flashcards
What year did the Spanish conquistadors arrive in Mesoamerica
1519
What year did the Spanish defeat the Aztecs
1521
What century did the the Aztecs settle in Mesoamerica
1300s
When did Aztec society become advanced?
In the 1500s the Aztecs rose to great heights of wealth, power and sophistication
Where is Mesoamerica?
Mesoamerica is an area which spans the south of modern-day Mexico and central America.
What did Aztecs live in?
City-states or Altepetl
What do people pay with in the Aztec Markets?
Cacao beans
How did city-states cooperate?
-They made alliances
-Traded with each other
Why did Altepetl fight with each other?
- to maintain land
- to secure tribute
- demonstrate the power of their ruler
What did each altepetl consist of?
Each altepetl had a main town, containing the palace of the ruler, a temple to its patron (protector) god and a market.
What did families have to pay?
The families owed allegiance (had to be loyal to) a local noble who owned the land. Families had to pay tribute to this nobleman
How were communities arranged?
In cities, the communities were arranged around occupations, for example, merchants, goldsmiths or feather workers lived and worked together.
What was the order of people in the Aztec Society?
- emperor, rulers
- nobles.
There was a big social divide - High commoners - merchants, luxury craftworkers
- Commoners
- Lower commoners
6.Enslaved people
What are Sumptuary Laws
These are laws in society that lay out what people can wear and own depending on their status
How did Aztecs show there status?
Aztecs showed their status through clothes and body ornamentation.
Body piercing and feathers were status symbols for the Aztecs.
