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The Aztec Calendar

The Aztec Calendar. The Importance of Time to the Aztecs. Every aspect of Aztec life was coordinated by two calendars—the Xiutlapohualli and the Tonalpohualli:

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The Aztec Calendar

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  1. The Aztec Calendar

  2. The Importance of Time to the Aztecs Every aspect of Aztec life was coordinated by two calendars—the Xiutlapohualli and the Tonalpohualli: • The main calendar,Xiutlapohualli (she-uh-tlah-poh-WAHL-lee), had 365 days and was based on the cycle of the sun, with 18 months of 20 days (360 days) and five ‘useless’ days at the end of the year referred to as nemontemi. The Spanish and the Aztecs – Social 8

  3. Each month was named for a god and incorporated a religious festival dedicated to that god. The calendar regulated agricultural activities such as planting and harvesting, and determined market days. Each year began with a festival to honour the god of rain, Tlaloc. The Spanish and the Aztecs – Social 8

  4. The tonalpohualli (toh-nahl-poh-WAHL-lee) had a 260-day cycle and was the basis for rituals and religious ceremonies. The tonalpohualli calendar was composed of 13 numbers and 20 signs that represented an animal, a natural element such as water or grass, or an abstract idea such as movement. Each day was associated with a specific fate that was good, bad, or indifferent. The Spanish and the Aztecs – Social 8

  5. The Aztec used this calendar to determine when many of their religious rituals and sacrifices should be performed. The Xiuhnolpilli Calendar The Xiutlapohualli and the tonalpohualli combined to form a third called the Xiuhnolpilli (she-uh-nohl-PEEL-lee). This calendar had a cycle of 52 years, the time needed for the two calendars to go through their complete cycles and reach their beginning on the same day. The Spanish and the Aztecs – Social 8

  6. Each 52-year period was considered an era, somewhat equivalent to our century. The Aztecs believed that at the end of each era, there was a possibility that the world would be destroyed if sacrifice and specific rituals were not carried out. The Spanish and the Aztecs – Social 8

  7. End of an Era Rituals • All fires were put out throughout the country. • Statues made of wood or stone were thrown into the lakes. • Houses were thoroughly cleaned. • People climbed on rooftops, fearful that the world was going to end. • Priests kindled a new flame on a freshly sacrificed human heart on the peak of a sacred mountain and used this flame to rekindle everyone’s home fires. The Spanish and the Aztecs – Social 8

  8. Take Home Points • The Aztecs and other Mesoamerican societies developed very accurate and complicated calendars. • These calendars were based on extremely accurate astronomical and mathematical calculations. • The Aztec had two calendars. The Spanish and the Aztecs – Social 8

  9. The Aztec solar calendar determined agricultural activities such as planting and harvesting. • The Aztec ritual calendar determined their religious rituals and when sacrifices should be performed. • The solar and ritual calendar combined to create a third calendar to complete the two cycles. The end of an era was a time of fear and required sacrifice and specific rituals to prevent disaster. The Spanish and the Aztecs – Social 8

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