THE AZTECS

THE HISTORY OF THE AZTECS

1100 - The Aztecs leave their homeland of Aztlan in northern Mexico and begin their journey to the south. Over the next 225 years the Aztecs will move many times until they finally settle down at the city of Tenochtitlán in the centre of Mexico.

1325 - The city of Tenochtitlán is founded. It will become the capital of the Aztec Empire. The location is picked by the priests because it is where they see the foretold sign of an eagle holding a snake while standing on a cactus. The Mexican flag shows that scene

The city of Tenochtitlán

1350 - The Aztecs begin to build causeways and canals around Tenochtitlán. They developed a great civilization by conquering other peoples and they built huge pyramids

1440 - Montezuma I becomes the fifth leader of the Aztecs. His rule will mark the height of the Aztec Empire.

1440 to 1469 - Montezuma I rules and greatly expands the empire.

1487 - The Templo Mayor (Great Temple of Tenochtitlan) is finished. It is dedicated to the gods with thousands of

human sacrifices.

1502 - Montezuma II becomes ruler of the Aztec Empire. He is the ninth of the Aztec kings.

1517 - The Aztec priests mark the sighting of a comet in the night sky. They believe the comet was a sign of impending doom.

1519 - Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrives in Tenochtitlán. The Aztecs treat him as an honored guest, but Cortés takes Montezuma II prisoner. Cortés is driven from the city, but Montezuma II is killed.

1521 - After two years planning the attack, Cortés defeats the Aztecs and takes over the city of Tenochtitlán. The use of horses and powder was very important for the Spanish victory

1522 - The Spanish begin to rebuild the city of Tenochtitlán. It will be called Mexico City and will be the capital of New Spain.

DAILY LIFE OF THE AZTECS

THE RICH PEOPLE

The rich lived in homes built of sun-dried brick and sometimes stone. The homes had a coating of white wash to make them sparkle in the sun. Homes had a separate place for steam baths. Water was poured over hot stones to generate steam. Bathing was an important

part of daily life.

Their clothes were colorfully embroidered and decorated with symbols. They carried fans made of feathers. Feathers were a sign of status.

THE POOR PEOPLE

The poor people were most farmers. They lived in huts with thatched roofs. They had little furniture. They wove mats for the floor and baskets to hold their belongings. They also had blankets. They had pots for cooking. Each home had a garden where the poor people could grow food for themselves. Their clothes were simple and NEVER decorated with feathers. It was against the law for a commoner to carry anything made of or decorated with feathers. If they broke this law, they were killed.

AZTEC FOOD

Like the food common to modern day Mexico, Aztec food tended to be both rich and spicy. In fact, many of the ancient Aztec foods were flavored with chili peppers and contained spicy sauces. In addition, the main food of the Aztecs was the tlaxcalli, which was a corn-meal pancake. This primary Aztec food was commonly wrapped around meat and vegetables in order to make tacos.

AZTEC CHOCOLATE The Aztec’s had a passion for chocolate.

In fact, one of the most sought after Aztec foods was actually a drink made of chocolate. Though the chocolate drink was a favorite treat of the Aztecs, only the rich people were able to drink it often.