Ancient Aztecs
Introduction
The Aztecs settled in the Valley of Mexico in the 1200s and ruled the area through the early
1500s. This civilization became one of the most advanced in the Americas. They were religious people
and built huge temples and sculptures to honor their gods.
Physical Characteristics and Dress
Ancient Aztecs had thick black hair and were short and stocky with brown skin similar to the
Mayans. Clothing varied by gender and social class. Women wore a loose, sleeveless blouse and a
wraparound skirt while men wore a loincloth around their hips and a cloak knotted over one shoulder.
Poorer people wore animal skins or clothing made from maguey fibers. The maguey plant belongs to the
cactus family. Wealthier people wore clothing made form cotton. The women of the household produced
the cloth.
Women
Men
Farming and Diet
Like the Mayans, the most important crop to the Aztecs was maize. They also grew other crops
such as avocados, different kinds of beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and other squashes, green and red
tomatoes, peanuts, red, yellow, and green peppers, chili peppers, herbs, and vanilla beans.
The tropical lowland climate provided a great environment to produce cotton, papayas, rubber,
and cacao seeds. The farmers cleared dense forests by chopping down trees and then burning them
(slash and burn method). The ashes were mixed into the soil as fertilizer.
The Aztecs used maize was ground into cornmeal to make a thin pancake called tlaxcalle, or a
tortilla. This was eaten at every meal. Beans were the second most important food eaten. Their diet
consisted mainly of vegetables however they did hunt. The meat sources they ate were turkeys, ducks,
and dogs.
Religion
The Aztecs were religious people who worshipped many gods. They built a huge temple in their
capital city of Tenochtitlan. This was considered the center of their world. At this spot many human
sacrifices were offered to the gods. They believed that if they offered blood to the gods it would keep
the sun alive and the world would continue.
Government
The Aztecs were ruled by an emperor who lived in a palace in the capital city. The emperor
placed a nobleman in charge if each city-state and was instructed to run the city according to the
emperors laws. All city-sates followed the same laws and if those laws were broken there was a
consequence. All laws were written down along with the consequence that would be given if that law was
broken. The laws were very harsh and often resulted in death is they were broken.
Economy
Much of the Aztec economy was based on farming early on. However, as the population grew
farming was no longer enough to support the people. The trading of luxury items, such as, gold
ornaments, brightly colored woven cloth, and salt harvested from the lake bed became the livelihood of
the civilization. These items were traded for other luxury items, such as tropical bird feathers and
jaguar skins (used for ceremonial garments), cotton, rubber, and cacao beans (for chocolate). This
practice soon became a very important part of life. Most of the trading took place at the marketplace.