Aztec Birdcage

The Aztecs were a remarkable civilization. Th is civilization were distrusted and disliked because they tended to push others out of their way. They ruled an empire in Tenochtitlan in the time of 1350 to 1519. They also were known for their agriculture and human sacrifices. Agriculture was a very important part of their h istory because without their farming method the Aztec couldn't have created such great civilization. According to Document A of the Aztec DBQ, states that the Aztec empire grew more than 200 miles west to east, and north to south. Th is means that with the growth of the empire the population also grew and more effective agriculture techniques were needed to feed the people. They created the method of ch inampas because they

“In the Western Hemisphere, no early culture was more remarkable than the Mayans” (Background Essay). The Mayans were an adept civilization and accomplished many exceptional things during their time. Their deeds include things such as a number system, immense cities, and a vast trade network but there is no Mayan achievement more remarkable than their calendars. The Mayans created three calendars: a sacred calendar called tzolkin, a solar calendar called haab, and a long cycle calendar.

In addition to sacrifices, religion even influenced the indigeneous peoples' geographic location. Most of us are familiar with the image that is on the Mexican flag; it is an eagle standing on a cactus, eating a snake. Huitzilopotchli, who was the leader of his people was told to leave Aztlan and travel south until he found a symbol to settle down. As he was traveling, he found an eagle on a cactus eating a snake and decided that that was the sign he was looking for; so he settled down. That now-famous image became the central symbol on the Mexican flag. This was symbolic to them because the eagle represented the sky or heaven, the cactus represented the underworld, and the snake represented the ground. In addition, the bird eating the snake on the cactus also represented duality, the coexistence of natural elements, as it fused together the bird which represented the sky, and the snake which represented the ground. Duality was important because it represented the stability and equality of everything(Covarrubias 2012). The stone of the fifth sun, also known as the “Aztec Calendar”, is a widely known symbol. However, what is not widely known is that the stone of the fifth sun is actually a religious reminder created by the Mechica/Aztecs. The four squares represent earth, fire, wind and water; and also represent the four previous suns. The two faces in the stone of the fifth sun appear

The Aztecs were a ancient civilization who ruled an empire in the region of mesoamerica between 1325 A.D and 1521 . From their capital city of tenochtitlan, presently the site of modern - day Mexico City, the Aztecs had many achievements. Two things they were most know for is Agriculture and Human sacrifice, which was very unique. However, historians should emphasize the role of Human Sacrifice in Aztec culture."

The Aztecs were Mesoamerican people from the early centuries in the Americas. The home of the Aztecs was in the Valley of Mexico, they named it Tenochtitlan an island in Lake Texcoco. Before they got to Tenochtitlan, the Aztecs were from Aztlan led by chief man Tenoch. It was believed that “they were hated and rejected by all the surrounding inhabitants of the valley because they were uncivilized” (Aztec Culture). It was also believed that the chief Tenoch got a message from their God that said to lead his people to a place surrounded by Lake Texcoco and, where they saw an eagle eating a snake on a cactus that was their place for them to grow. During the next couple of years, the Aztec empire began growing into the greatest and most powerful tribe in Mexico. The Emperor who led them after Tenoch was Moctezuma II and it has also who led them to their downfall when the Spanish got to Tenochtitlan.

In the book Daily Life of The Aztecs On the Eve of the Spanish Conquest by Jacques Soustelle you are walked through what life was like for the Aztecs. You are in 16th Century Mexico, or to them Mexico-Tenochtilan. Soustelle does an excellent job immediately putting you in character with the introduction of the book. The book is broken down into seven different main chapters detailing major aspects of the Aztecs lives in the late 1500’s. You learn about where they lived, to the wars they fought, and what life was like for them from birth to death. In this paper I will further discuss four topics that were very crucial in the daily lives of the Aztecs. I will help you find a better understanding in their daily life as well as the many changes they migrated through over time. The four topics I will be discussing are: 1. Culture and Customs of the Aztecs 2. Civilization vs Barbarism 3. Art and Architecture 4. Education and Home Life.

Obtaining the knowledge that was passed down to them from earlier Mesoamerican cultures, the Aztecs carved the calendar stone in 1479 (Smith 253). At the time, the Aztecs lived in a very civilized world filled with amazing architecture, an impressively complex government system, and they also employed intricate systems of writing and calendric systems (Taube 7). The Calendar Stone was made by basalt stone. For the Aztecs, everything was pictorial in nature around this era. The calendar stone depicted different pictograms or Codex Magliabechianoand, which was primarily written on religious documents (Aztec-History). Art was centered around religion in this era. So the pictograms of the gods on the calendar stone would correlate with that

The Aztec civilization was a very complex society that was feared and known well for their various gory sacrifices done to please their many gods in their polytheistic religion. The much feared civilization began by the exile of one of the two Toltec leaders, which lead to the decline of the Toltec state that was later replaced by Mexica, or the Aztecs. According to the Aztecs, the land chosen to build their main city was chosen by the portrayal of an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its mouth. Through military might, the Aztecs managed to become the most powerful civilization in the mid-fourteenth century. They maintained their power through military might and the fear they caused other civilizations because of the human

The religion of the Aztec, including their beliefs, customs and religions, acted as a tremendous influence on their government, economy, and culture. Religion was the foundation for the infamous culture of the Aztec Civilization. Through ceremonies of sacrifice, and the infusion of cosmology into their religion, the Aztecs sculpted a culture unlike that of any other civilization, and left behind a legacy to be studied and admired for generations to come. Religion ultimately shaped the unique civilization of the Aztecs, through cultivating the general outlook and values of the Aztecs, expanding the empire, and influencing the architecture and layout of their city.

The artist who created the piece titled Plate With Quetzalcóatl Deity was either male or female, we don’t know exactly, but we do know that the plate was made around 1200-1400 and they were from the Mixtec culture that included the regions of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Ouebla, Mexico.1 Furthermore knowing the artists’ culture we have a better understanding of the significance of the representation of the Quetzalcóatl (feathered serpent) on this three-dimensional plate. Onward, the plate itself seems to be 10 inches wide and symmetrical. Also, the feathered god covers the whole diameter of the plate. Even though it’s called a plate, we can speculate that this wasn’t a traditional plate for food, but rather than a plate to show sacredness of the mighty god. To illustrate this sacredness, the artist’s palate of colors that they chose is red, brown and white.

Mesoamerican was the religion of the Aztecs and other cultures. The religion consists of three main parts, earth, an underworld, and an upper plane. They claimed multiple gods and deities including Tlaloc, Huitzilopochtli and Quetzalcoatl. The Aztec’s had many rituals that coincided with their calendar. There were a series of eighteen spectacular, often grisly public festivals during the three hundred and sixty-five day Mesoamerican year. Some were simple enough such as burning their old kitchen utensils, and putting out all the fires and starting a new fire for a central bonfire. Simple rituals that did not have any ethical principles to speak of.

The religion of the Aztecs was made up of mainly three gods: Huitzilopochtli, Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl. Below these three main gods were four creating gods. Below these four gods were many other gods, however the most important were Tlaloc, the rain god, Chalchihuitlicue, the god of growth and Xipe, the god of spring. The main thing that captures the attention of Aztec religion is their human sacrifice made to the different gods. Although human sacrifice was practiced around Mesoamerica, the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice in a large scale never seen before to date. The idea of human sacrifice was that Gods gave things to humans like food, rain, wealth, and other goods only if they were given human beings in return. The Aztecs believed that the goods liked best the living hearths of sacrificed captives. If the captive was a well skilled soldier and very brave then the Gods would return better goods to his people. This idea lead to wars were the Aztecs fought with other indians and capture their bravest men for sacrifice. As we can imagine,

The Aztec’s hieroglyphics were their way of writing called Nahuatl. They used it to write down anything that was important that happened. This artifact is “The wind God Ehecatl” and it is prized in all aspects. The Aztec artifact belongs to the Penn Museum in Mexico, art gallery. This it is very preserved Aztec’s Hieroglyphic up today. They used

The Aztecs had really unique way of communicating. The language of the Aztecs is Nahuatl, which can be found everywhere in the exhibit. The Aztecs had to communicate for religion, jobs, and trade. For writing, the Aztecs used deer skin to write for the priest for religious purposes. This can be found in the middle of the exhibit where the temple is located. The Aztecs needed the codices because they held information about their life and religion. When the Aztecs counted, the Aztecs would use pictures, or symbols for their numbers which is located in the trade center on the top left corner. The Aztecs wrote on codices for the priests to read when they had religious ceremonies in the temple.

Aztec is civilization created by the ancient Indian, which was mainly distributed in central and southern Mexico. Aztecs were a tribe with a lower level of development at first, but they absorb and fuse with other outstanding cultural traditions of Indian in the region that they rose rapidly. Aztec had developed agriculture and the main crops were corn, beans, squash, potatoes. Religion played an important role in the life of the Aztecs. The inhabitants believed in the immortality of the soul and Supreme domination. They adored the natural god that one of the peculiar was to use the living person for sacrifice.