Aztec Civilization

AZTEC CIVILIZATION
Pyramid of the Sun

The Teotihuacan pyramids are some of the largest of their kind in
the Americas. The Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the
Moon began construction around the year 100 C.E before the
Aztec had arrived in Teotihuacan.
PYRAMID OF THE SUN
Interesting facts
The legendary origin of the Aztec people has them migrating
from a homeland called Aztlan to what would become
modern-day Mexico. While it is not clear where Aztlan was, a
number of scholars believe that the Mexica—as the Aztec
referred to themselves—migrated south to central Mexico in
the 13th century.
The Mexica founding of Tenochtitlan was under direction from

their patron god Huitzilopochtli, according to legend. The
legend recounts that Huitzilopochtli told them to found their
settlement in the place where a giant eagle eating a snake was
perched on a cactus. This settlement, in the region of
Mesoamerica called Anáhuac located on a group of five
connected lakes, became Tenochtitlan. Archaeologists date the
founding of Tenochtitlan to 1325 C.E.
At first, the Mexica in Tenochtitlan were one of a number of small
city-states in the region. They were subject to the Tepanec, whose
capital was Azcapotzalco, and had to pay tribute to them. In 1428,
the Mexica allied with two other cities—Texcoco and Tlacopan.
They formed the Aztec Triple Alliance and were able to win the
battle for regional control, collecting tribute from conquered
states.
Key to the rise of Tenochtitlan was the agricultural system that

made it possible to feed the population. Chinampas, small, artificial
islands created above the waterline, were one feature of the
system. Recordkeeping was important to tracking tributes. Two
pictographic texts that survived Spanish destruction—the Matricula
de tributos and Codex Mendoza—record the tributes paid to the
Aztecs. The codices also recorded religious practices.
A 260-day ritual calendar was used by Aztec priests for divination,

alongside a 365-day solar calendar. At their central temple in
Tenochtitlan, Templo Mayor, the Aztecs practiced both
bloodletting (offering one’s own blood) and human sacrifice as
part of their religious practices. The Spanish reaction to Aztec
religious practices is believed to be partially responsible for the
violence of the Spanish conquest.
The Spanish, led by conquistador Hernando Cortés,
arrived in what is now Mexico in 1519. They were looking
for gold, and the gifts from the Mexica ruler,
Motecuhzoma, proved that gold was present. Upon
arriving in Tenochtitlan, Cortés took Motecuhzoma
prisoner and attempted to rule on his behalf, but this did
not go well, and Cortés fled the city in June of 1520.
This was not the end of the interactions, however. The

Spanish conquistadors laid siege to the Aztec capital from
the middle of May of 1521 until they surrendered on
August 13, 1521. They were aided by Texcoco, a former
Triple Alliance member.A great deal of Tenochtitlan was
destroyed in the fighting, or was looted, burned, or
destroyed after the surrender. Cortés began to build what
is now known as Mexico City, the capital of a Spanish
colony of which he was named governor, atop the ruins.
Key people
Choose three leaders for Black History Month using Bing.com and discuss their lives and
accomplishments. Here are some examples:
Bayard Rustin was a close advisor to Jesse Owens was an American track and Zora Neale Hurston was an American
Martin Luther King and an American field athlete and four-time gold medalist author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. In
leader of the civil rights movement. Rustin in the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. 1937, she published her famous novel,
organized and led several protests, Owens specialized in the sprints and the Their Eyes Were Watching God.
including the 1963 March on Washington. long jump.
Arts and literature Click icon to add picture
Provide examples of art and literature that are

significant to Black History Month. Here are a
few examples:
• The writing of James Baldwin
• The music of Miles Davis
Click icon to add picture
• The artwork of Alma Thomas
How to celebrate
List some ways you can celebrate Black History Month.
Here are a few examples:
• Discover African American artists
• Read African American authors
• Listen to African American musicians
• Learn important moments of African American history
Conclusion
Provide a brief summary of your presentation.
Remind the audience what you covered in the previous slides.
Questions & answers
Invite questions from the audience
Resources
List the resources you used for your research:
• Source #1
• Source #2
• Source #3

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AZTEC CIVILIZATION

Pyramid of the Sun

The Mexica founding of Tenochtitlan was under direction from

Key to the rise of Tenochtitlan was the agricultural system that

A 260-day ritual calendar was used by Aztec priests for divination,

This was not the end of the interactions, however. The

Provide examples of art and literature that are

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