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The Awesome Aztecs

By: Ted Angstadt

The Aztec tribe lived in ancient Mexico for about 400 years.No one wanted the Aztecs as neighbors. The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice.They believed that if their gods were not fed, they

would not do their jobs. The sun god would not bring up the sun, and everyone would die.

Aztec Origins

Some of the people they sacrificed were Aztecs. However, most of the people they sacrificed were captured from neighboring tribes.This did not make them popular with their neighbors. Sooner or later, their neighbors would band together to chase the Aztecs away.

Aztec’s On The Move

When the Aztecs first arrived in the Valley of Mexico, other tribes were already living on the best land in the area.This time, rather than fight for the best land

or for captives to feed their hungry gods, the Aztecs quietly settled along the swampy shores of Lake Texcoco.

Settlement

To build the city they wanted, they knew that they would need engineers, builders, and traders. This required an educated population. To solve this problem, the Aztecs set up a system of public schools.Attendance was mandatory for all Aztec children, even girls and slaves.The Aztecs were the only people up to that time in history to have free schools that every child had to attend.They set up three schools, one for girls, two for boys.

Aztec Schools

Boys Schools: Sons of the upper class and of wealthy traders and merchants went to the nobles’ school. They studied law, writing (hieroglyphics), medicine, engineering and building.

The other boys’ school was for sons of commoners. Its main goal was to train warriors and farmers. Boys had to sleep under skimpy blankets. They were given hard bread to eat.

Boys Schools

Girls learned about religion and were trained to be good

wives and mothers. They learned how to cook, sew,

and how to care for their children. They also learned how to make beautiful woven textiles.

Girls School

Thanks to Aztec schools, which produced trained engineers, builders, and traders, the Aztec capital of

Tenochtitlan (Tec-noc-tay-lan) became a great city. It had huge temples, beautiful open plazas, and a large central marketplace.By the mid-1400s,Tenochtitlan was one of the largest cities in the world. It had a population of over 200,000 people.

Tenochtitlan

As the Aztec population grew, more food was needed. To solve this problem, Aztec engineers created “floating” gardens called Chinampas. They built rafts, which they anchored to the lake bed. They piled on dirt and grew crops. They made walkways out of mud and reeds to connect the floating rafts.

Floating Gardens

Questions?

CitationsCreative Commons. (2010) Floating Gardens [Image]. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from http://search.creativecommons.org

Creative Commons. (2010) Aztec Dancer [Image]. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from http://search.creativecommons.org

Creative Commons. (2010) Mexican Flag [Image]. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from http://search.creativecommons.org

Discovery Education. (2010) Aztec Mural [Image]. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.discoveryeducation.comDiscovery Education. (2010) Aztec Mural [Image]. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.discoveryeducation.com

Discovery Education. (2010) Aztec Mural [Image]. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.discoveryeducation.com

Discovery Education. (2010) Aztec Mural [Image]. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.discoveryeducation.comDiscovery Education. (2010) Aztec Mural [Image]. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.discoveryeducation.com