The
Awesome
Aztecs
Introduction
The Aztec tribe lived in ancient
Mexico for about 400 years.
For the first 200 years, the Aztecs
were constantly on the move. 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.
Introduction
To keep their gods happy, the Aztecs believed
that human sacrifice was necessary. They used
people to feed their hungry gods.
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.
Settlement
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.
They built canoes so they could fish, hunt
waterfowl, and trade with other tribes
for the building materials they needed.
Free School for Everyone
To build the city they wanted, they
knew that they would need many
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.
All-Girls School
There were three different
schools: one for girls, and
two for boys.
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.
Sons of the Upper Class
Sons of the upper class went to the
nobles’ school. Sons of wealthy
traders and merchants also went to
this school. They studied law, writing
(hieroglyphics), medicine,
engineering and building,
interpretation of dreams and omens,
and self-expression. They also learned
about their history and religious
beliefs.
It was a tough school. The boys were
humiliated and tormented to toughen them up.
Sons of Commoners
and Slaves 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.
The commoners’ school also
taught history, religion,
manners, correct behavior, and
important rituals, along with
singing and dancing.
Specialized Professions
No matter which school an Aztec
boy attended, he was trained to be
a specialist. Boys studied how to be
farmers, traders, engineers,
builders, astronomers, and doctors.
Students who became builders and
engineers designed and built the
amazing Aztec cities, including the
capital city of Tenochtitlan, located
on the swampy shores of Lake
Texcoco.
Floating Gardens
As the Aztec population grew, more
food was needed. To solve this
problem, Aztec engineers created
“floating” gardens. They built a
series of 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.
The gardens were quite successful.
The Aztecs grew chili peppers,
squash, corn, tomatoes, and beans.