Daily life in tenochtitlan
Chapter 25, pgs. 279-287
tenochtitlan
Capital of the Aztec Empire
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS
Men married at around 20; women
around 16.
Arranged marriages (no “love at first
sight”).
Polygamy: more than one husband or
wife (if you could afford it).
Divorce was allowed.
food
Maize (corn)
Beans
Turkeys
Squash
Red peppers
Sweet potatoes
religious practices
Aztecs worshiped the sun god, Huitzilopochtli,
as well as many other gods.
Most Aztec rituals included blood sacrifice,
since the Aztecs believed that blood helped
nourish the sun god for his nightly battle
against the forces of darkness.
Priests often pierced their skin with cactus
spikes to offer their own blood.
family life
Men had higher status than women in
Aztec society, and were the masters of
the house.
Men’s roles included building the house,
working as farmers, or as crafstmen.
Women’s roles included fixing meals,
tending the gardens, and raising children.
markets
At the market, people bartered for all
kinds of goods.
The pochteca had a special place in the
market where they sold such goods as
jade, quetzal feathers, and tortoise
shells.
People came to the market to meet
friends, gossip, and hear the day’s
news.
recreation
Patolli, a board game, was a favorite form
of entertainment for the Aztecs.
Tlachtli, played only by Aztec nobles,
was a game in which players tried to hit a
rubber ball through a small ring.
Hundreds of spectators from all levels of
Aztec society watched tlachtli games.