1. A Continuation of the Olmec and Maya cultures
Aztecs – c
A Continuation of the
Olmec and Maya cultures

2. Location / Geography Central Mexico (not the Yucatan)
Capital at Tenochtitlan (island)‏ 500,000 people
Total Pop: million

3. Politics Theocracy led by divine king/Priest
Military – nearly constant brutal wars for conquest, collect tribute, captives for slaves and sacrifice

4. 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

5. Chinampa

6. 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

7. 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

8. Intellectual
calendar, numbers and pictorial writing similar but not identical to Maya
Capital built on an island required great planning and coordination

9. Art
Temples
Gold objects
Sculpture
Skull racks

10. Conquered by Spanish
Spanish conquistadors led by Cortes crush the Aztecs during the 1530s
More on that later