THE AZTECS

Slaves

The Aztec nobles had slaves.

Slaves were not captured people. They were Aztecs.

In the Aztec world, there were two ways you could become a slave. You could become a slave as punishment for a crime you had committed. You could be voluntarily sold into slavery to pay family debts. These were the only two ways.

Food and Drink

The Aztec's main food source was a type of corn called maize. The also ate tomatoes, avocados, tortillas made from maize and atole which was a form of porridge. Tamales that were prepared from steamed maize that was stuffed with vegetables or meat was also eaten.

In the Aztec culture chocolate was for warriors and the nobility. When cacao was combined with ground maize it made a drink that was said to help with strength and was used in religious ceremonies.

There were two meals a day with the main meal during the middle of the day when it was the hottest. Food such as fruit, vegetables, spices and edible flowers, dogs and birds could be bought in the Aztec markets.

Octli was an alcoholic drink that was used only by nobility, royalty and warriors. It was produced from the sap of the maguey plant. The sap was placed in a large jug and allowed to rot. A good maker of octli would boil it until it had the consistency of honey, while bad vendors would water the drink down. If a nobleman consumed too much of the drink and become intoxicated, he was put to death

School Aztec schools offered a formal

system of education. Every child had to attend, including girls and slaves. School was mandatory and free. Teachers were highly respected.

School was tough. There was no recess or time to relax in school. But all schools included instruction in song and in dance, not because it was a beautiful art, but because songs and dances were important to religious festivals.

There were three different schools. One school was for girls. Two schools were for boys.

Girls: Girls learned about religion. They learned how to cook, sew, weave, and how to care for their children.

Sons of the Upper Class: One school was for the nobles, and sons of wealthy traders and merchants. This school taught law, writing (hieroglyphics), medicine, engineering and building, interpretations of dreams and omens, and self-expression. Students were taught how to speak well. They also learned details of their history and of their religious beliefs. This was a tough school. The boys were humiliated and despised to toughen them up.

Sports Ballplayers: One of the most

highly respected professions in the Aztec world was that of ballplayer. The best players were treated like super stars, similar to the way we treat our best athletics today.

The Aztecs, like the Mayas, had huge ball courts. The goal of the game was to get a hard rubber ball over the middle line into your opponent’s court. You got points for that. But the real goal was to get your ball through one of the two hoops that hung down over the center of the court. The opposite team, of course, did everything they could to stop you.

Tenochtitlan

With the help of trained engineers, builders, and traders, the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan became a great city. It had huge temples, beautiful open plazas, and a huge bustling central marketplace. By the mid-1400’s, Tenochtitlan had a population of about 300,000 people, which made it the largest city in the world at that time!

When Spanish soldiers first arrived in the Valley of Mexico, they were amazed at what they found in the capital city of Tenochtitlan. Everything was clean. There were “eating houses” and hairdressers. You could buy medicines and herbs and all kinds of food. You could buy meat and game. There were streets that sold only pottery and mats. Painters could buy the paints they needed for their art.

Sacrafices

Types of sacrifices

Though the human sacrifice is the most talked about, there were actually many types of sacrifices in the empire. The people believed that they owed a blood-debt to the gods. They wanted to avert disaster by paying the endless debt. Blood was a common theme - the sacrifice that the gods required (see Aztec religion for more on Aztec sacrifice).

So, animals would be sacrificed, as well as humans. Also, there was ritual blood-letting, where people would cut themselves to offer their blood to the gods.

Spanish invasion

The Spanish had no idea how lucky they were that the Aztecs misunderstood who they were and why they were there. The Spanish conquistadors were looking for lands to conquer, gold to capture, and people to convert to the Catholic religion.

The Spanish were amazed at what they found in the capital city of Tenochtitlan. Everything was clean. There were “eating houses” and hairdressers. You could buy medicines and herbs and all kinds of food. You could buy meat and game. There were streets that sold only pottery and mats. Painters could buy the paints they needed for their art.

THE END!

By Aoife