The Aztecs were located in the Valley of Mexico in 1250. Today, the location is in the centre of Mexico, where Mexico City stands now.

GEOGRAPHY

TENOCHTITLAN

The climate in Mexico City, where the Aztecs lived, has a Subtropical Highland Climate. It was hot and humid, but also experienced rainfall and colder climates in less elevated parts of the empire.

TEMPLOR MAYOR was completed in 1497 and stood at 60 metres high.

The Pyramids of the Moon and Sun are a sacred site. The pyramid of the sun stands at 65m high and the moon at 42m.

The Tempor Mayor was an important religious site with shines and was used in many rituals including human sacrifice. The Gods that were worshipped with the temple are Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc.
The Pyramids of the Sun and Moon are a sacred site even though they were built over 1000 years before the Aztecs arrived. The pyramids were thought to have been the birthplace of the most recent creations, the birthplace of the sun and the moon.

DAILY LIFE

The food eaten by the Aztecs is varied and contained maize as the staple of the Aztec diet. Maize, or corn, was used to make flat bread tortillas, tamales, and drinks. They also ate a lot of beans and squash which grew on the chinampa beds in the climate. Chilli, limes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and peanuts as well as chocolate were eaten.

HOUSES

Aztec homes are constructed from locally and imported materials. The typical house was one story with out windows, and with a large doorway that opened onto a patio. The houses are different depending on social class.

The less wealthy common houses were one main room which was used to sleep, cook and eat. The kitchen contain a metlatl, which is a corn grinding stone, and a comal, which is a clay dish for baking tortillas. Wealthier homes had the kitchen separate to the main room.

Close to the house there would have been a sweat bath, also called a temazcal that functioned like a sauna. There were often also turkey houses outdoors. The furniture was simple and sparse, usually with reed mats for sleeping and sitting.

Young Aztec children would play games, and learn about morals and ethics such as gambling, gossiping thieving and drunkenness. The children would have to do chores and attend school.
The schools attended by the poorer people, called the Macehaultin, who were a class of merchants, peasants and artisans would go to a school. Girls and boys went to different schools and the topics covered were civics, basic skills and warfare.
The calmecac was the school for wealthy or gifted children where they learned about astronomy, letters, poetry and Aztec history. Girls were home-schooled more than boys and learned skills such as basket weaving at age 4 and cook by the time they were 12. Boys attended calmecac schools at age 15 or went to the cuicacalli a military academy.
Music was central to their education and culture, and they could play and sing national songs by the age of 12.
The games played by children included marbles and the bow and arrow. The older children also played ullamaliztli, a ball and ring game as well as the board game patolli.

Ullimalitztli ring

Government

The system of government was ruled by the calpulli. Families didn't individually own land, the land was owned by a group of families, the calpulli. This structure of local government existed long before the Aztec empire.

MONTEZUMA II

Montezuma was a Aztec ruler. Montezuma opened the Aztec empire to Cortez in open arms. He believed Cortez was basically a god because the Aztecs believed a god will come with white skin with new advancements. Montezuma opened the city to Cortez only to be betrayed.

Culture

By the time the Mexican’s Empire (Mexican is the proper name for the Aztec’s) was at its height, the political and religions systems were in close interaction. The