Tarlton Law Library - Aztec and Maya Law - online exhibit The Aztec empire was made up of a series of city-states known as altepetl. Each altepetl was ruled by a supreme leader (tlatoani) and a supreme judge and administrator (cihuacoatl). The tlatoani of the capital city of Tenochtitlan served as the Emperor (Huey Tlatoani) of the Aztec empire. The tlatoani was the ultimate owner of all land in his city-state, received tribute, oversaw markets and temples, led the military, and resolved judicial disputes. New emperors were elected by a high council of four nobles who were related to the previous ruler. Sources: Aguilar-Moreno (2006), Almazan (1999), Avalos (1994), and Seus (1969). Image Information: The Palace of Montecuhzoma.
Introduction to the Aztecs exhibition: Melbourne Museum A pot in the shape of Tláloc, the Aztec rain god. Tláloc is a Nahuatl word that translates as 'He Who Makes Things Sprout'.Image: Michel ZabeSource: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes - Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia Canny conquerorsTalented artisansHeart-stopping ritualsA nasty ending Aztecs is an exhibition about a highly organised civilisation and the spectacular city it created - Tenochtitlán (pronounced Teh-notch-tit-lan). Visit Melbourne Museum from 9 April until 10 August 2014 and discover the Aztecs’ ingenious agricultural technology, bustling trade and array of gods. In developing this exhibition, historians, archaeologists and curators drew on primary sources reflecting Aztec and Spanish perspectives, including accounts from people who lived through the Spanish Conquest. A lot of knowledge comes from the work of Bernardino Sahagun, a 16th century Spanish priest.
History for Kids: Aztecs, Maya, and Inca Back to History The three most dominant and advanced civilizations that developed in the Americas prior to the arrival of the Europeans were the Aztecs, the Maya, and the Inca. Map of Aztec, Mayan, and Incan Civilizations by Ducksters Aztecs The Aztec Empire was located in central Mexico. It ruled much of the region from the 1400s until the Spanish arrived in 1519. The capital city of the Aztec Empire was Tenochtitlan. The Aztec called their ruler the Tlatoani. Maya The Maya civilization began as early as 2000 BC and continued to have a strong presence in Mesoamerica for over 3000 years until the Spanish arrived in 1519 AD. The Maya were located in Central America in a region that is today made up of southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, and northern El Salvador. The Maya were the only American civilization to develop an advanced written language. Inca The emperor of the Inca was known as the Sapa Inca. ActivitiesCrossword PuzzleWord Search
Aztec Civilization The Aztec Empire flourished between c. 1345 and 1521 CE and, at its greatest extent, covered most of northern Mesoamerica. Aztec warriors were able to dominate their neighbouring states and permit rulers such as Motecuhzoma II to impose Aztec ideals and religion across Mexico. Highly accomplished in agriculture and trade, the last of the great Mesoamerican civilizations was also noted for its art and architecture which ranks amongst the finest ever produced on the continent. The Aztec state is actually the most well documented Mesoamerican civilization with sources including archaeology, native books (codices) and lengthy and detailed accounts from their Spanish conquerors - both by military men and Christian clergy. Historical Overview Sometime around 1100 CE the city-states or altepetl which were spread over central Mexico began to compete with each other for local resources and regional dominance. TenochtitlAn Religion The sun, not surprisingly, had great significance for the Aztecs.
The Aztec World A kingdom of blood. SEP, Department of Education. The capital city of the Aztecs, Tenochtitlán, was an engineering masterpiece. In 1978, while digging in the basement of a bookstore, workers for Mexico City's power company hit a huge stone disk. Huitzilopochtl, God of the Sun, was the Aztec principal god. The Aztec empire of 1519, shown in orange, ruled over vast expanses of central Mexico. Tenochtitlan: A Legendary City The Aztecs dominated the Valley of Mexico for 100 years, until their downfall at the hands of Hernan Cortez and his conquistadors in 1521. One story central to the Aztec belief system was the tale of their origins. Her unborn child, Huitzilopochtl, learned of the plot. Huitzilopochtl commanded the Aztecs to travel south until they found a cactus with an eagle nesting in its branches. Rise and Fall of an Empire Within 50 years of founding Tenochtitlan, the Aztec had extended their rule all across the valley. created, produced by Katherine Guardado and David Shindle.
Aztecs The first European to visit Mexican territory was Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, who arrived in Yucatan from Cuba with three ships and about 100 men in early 1517. Cordobars reports on his return to Cuba prompted the Spanish governor there, Diego Velasquez, to send a larger force back to Mexico under the command of Hernan Cortes. In March 1519, Cortes landed at the town of Tabasco, where he learned from the natives of the great Aztec civilization, then ruled by Moctezuma (or Montezuma) II. Defying the authority of Velasquez, Cortes founded the city of Veracruz on the southeastern Mexican coast, where he trained his army into a disciplined fighting force. In November 1519, Cortes and his men arrived in Tenochtitlan, where Montezuma and his people greeted them as honored guests according to Aztec custom (partially due to Cortes’ physical resemblance to the light-skinned Quetzalcoatl, whose return was prophesied in Aztec legend).
History of Mexico - The Aztec Empire THE RISE OF THE AZTEC EMPIRE By John P. Schmal The Aztec Empire of 1519 was the most powerful Mesoamerican kingdom of all time. The multi-ethnic, multi-lingual realm stretched for more than 80,000 square miles through many parts of what is now central and southern Mexico. This enormous empire reached from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf coast and from central Mexico to the present-day Republic of Guatemala. Fifteen million people, living in thirty-eight provinces and residing in 489 communities, paid tribute to the Emperor Moctezuma II in Tenochtitlán, the capital city of the great empire. The Mexica (pronounced "me-shee-ka") Indians, the dominant ethnic group ruling over the Aztec Empire from their capital city at Tenochtitlán in the Valley of Mexico, had very obscure and humble roots that made their rise to power even more remarkable. My understanding of the Mexica Indians and the Aztec Empire has been greatly augmented by the works of the anthropologist Professor Michael E. Metztitlan.
Aztec History Aztecs - Woodlands History homework help The Aztecs The Aztecs were a wandering (nomadic) tribe from northern Mexico and were one of the last great Native American civilizations. They lived in an area will now know as Mexico The word "Aztec" means "someone who comes from Aztlán", an unknown location north of Mexico. The Aztec also referred to themselves as the Mehika or Meshika or Mexica, the origin of the name "Mexico". The Aztecs were famous for their agriculture, cultivating all available land, introducing irrigation, draining swamps, and creating artificial islands in the lakes. Legend has it that the Aztecs wandered for many years in search of a sign, an eagle and a serpent fighting on a cactus, to show them where to found their city. Mexicolore resources on the Aztecs. The Aztecs - Superb Primary School site (Nettlesworth Primary) The Ancient Aztecs - Explores the ancient Aztecs, their religious beliefs, their culture, and their everyday life. The Aztecs They lived in an area will now know as Mexico
Aztecs (Mexica) During the twelfth century AD the Mexica were a small and obscure tribe searching for a new homeland. Eventually they settled in the Valley of Mexico and founded their capital, Tenochtitlan, in 1345. At the beginning of the sixteenth century it was one of the largest cities in the world. Warfare was extremely important for the Mexica people and led them to conquer most of modern-day central and southern Mexico. Stone sculpture in the British Museum collection reflects the Mexica's complex religious beliefs and the large pantheon of gods they worshipped. Craftsmen also worked in gold, turquoise mosaic and feathers. Hernán Cortés and his small Spanish army arrived in 1519 and overthrew the Mexica ruler Moctezuma Xocoyotzin with relative ease. *The people and culture we know as 'Aztec' referred to themselves as the Mexica (pronounced 'Mé-shee-ka'). Image caption: Mosaic mask of Quetzalcoatl Mexica/Mixtec, 15th-16th century AD.
Nahuatl (Aztec) Family The Nahuatl (or Nahua) languages form the southernmost family of the Uto-Aztecan stock. Nahuatl has over a million and a half speakers, more than any other family of indigenous languages in Mexico today. The name “Nahuatl” (pronounced in two syllables, ná-watl) comes from the root nahua ([nawa]) which means ‘clear sound’ or ‘command’. The areas marked in green on the map are the traditional Nahuatl homelands where the Nahuatl languages are still spoken today. Nahuatl is known world-wide because of the Aztecs, also called the “Mexica” (pronounced approximately “may-she-kah”). Which is the correct form: Nahua, Nahuatl, Nahuat, or Nahual? ...and more. Linguistic structure of Nahuatl Specific varieties of languages in the Nahuatl Family Publications by the Summer Institute of Linguistics and its members Linguistics Literacy and literature Various fields For more information: The Aztec calendar that appears at the top of this page is in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
Aztec Calendar : Mexico Culture & Arts Dale Hoyt Palfrey Mexica/Aztec Calendar Systems The Civil Calendar The solar year was the basis for the civil calendar by which the Mexicas (Aztecs) determined the myriad ceremonies and rituals linked to agricultural cycles. Tonalpohualli - The Ritual Calendar The tonalpohualli (count of days) was the sacred almanac of the Mexicas. Other Ancient Mexico Articles 55 Historic Photos Got Colorized. It Changes Everything. Even if you’re a history buff that is well-versed on historical events, these photos might change how you feel about certain moments in history. A Redditor gathered together a group of cleverly edited historic photos; seeing these blew my mind. They’re not digitally altered to the point of ruining the photo, they are simply colorized. Somehow, just adding color to some of these incredibly iconic images makes it seem entirely different. These images seem less impressive or historic when they appear so modern (although you may feel differently when you see them). If only they had modern recording technology back then… Source: Reddit Did history look quite the way we picture it in these colorized photos? Share these enlightening photos with others by clicking below.
Aztec Math Decoded, Reveals Woes of Ancient Tax Time April 3, 2008 Today's tax codes are complicated, but the ancient Aztecs likely shared your pain. To measure tracts of taxable land, Aztec mathematicians had to develop their own specialized arithmetic, which has only now been decoded. By reading Aztec records from the city-state of Tepetlaoztoc, a pair of scientists recently figured out the complicated equations and fractions that officials once used to determine the size of land on which tributes were paid. Two ancient codices, written from A.D. 1540 to 1544, survive from Tepetlaoztoc. "The ancient texts were extremely detailed and well organized, because landowners often had to pay tribute according to the value of their holdings," said co-author Maria del Carmen Jorge y Jorge at the National Autonomous University in Mexico City, Mexico. The Aztecs recorded only the total area of each parcel and the length of the four sides of its perimeter, Jorge y Jorge explained. "Rule of Thumb" and Other Body Parts "It's just very natural.