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Aztecs – c. 1350- 1550. A Continuation of the Olmec and Maya cultures. Location / Geography. Central Mexico (not the Yucatan) Capital at Tenochtitlan (island) 500,000 people Total Pop: 10-20 million. Politics. Theocracy led by divine king/Priest
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Aztecs – c. 1350- 1550 A Continuation of the Olmec and Maya cultures
Location / Geography • Central Mexico (not the Yucatan) • Capital at Tenochtitlan (island)500,000 people • Total Pop: 10-20 million
Politics • Theocracy led by divine king/Priest • Military – nearly constant brutal wars for conquest, collect tribute, captives forslaves and sacrifice
Economics • Agriculturally based • merchants are limited by what they can carry since they don’t have large pack animals • Chinampas – huge floating islands for agriculture • The great market – daily trade in the merchant section of large cities
Religion • Polytheistic • Many Temples based on astronomy for worship, agricultural planning and sacrifice • Each holiday included ceremonies involving human sacrifice/cannibalism • Fatalistic and cyclical view of the world
Social • Large gap between upper/lower classes • Role of Women – decide fate of prisoners, domestic chores (grinding maize), can inherit land • Common people in constant fear of war/sacrifice/slavery
Intellectual • calendar, numbers and pictorial writing similar but not identical to Maya • Capital built on an island required great planning and coordination
Art • Temples • Gold objects • Sculpture • Skull racks
Conquered by Spanish • Spanish conquistadors led by Cortes crush the Aztecs during the 1530s • More on that later