Influence Of Art In The Aztec Art

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

The Aztecs, part of modern day Mexico, were once the epitome of fine culture. They began their rule of southern and central Mexico during the 14th century and practiced an incredibly wealthy lifestyle. Nonetheless, this rule began to deteriorate when Spanish explorers disembarked at Tabasco and Vera Cruz on April 21st 1519. When the Spanish voyagers first arrived, they were welcomed warmly, respectfully and received Godlike treatment. Montezuma, the ruler at that time, believed that the Spanish military leader, Hernán Cortés, was the great god Quetzalcoatl. The Spanish took advantage of this Aztec belief and conquered Mexico within two years. By 1521, the Aztec culture was officially eradicated and a new culture, consisting of a

The Aztecs had one of the most successful and advanced empires of all time. They had a dwelling culture The Aztec civilization was located directly in the middle of two mountain ranges in the central valley of Mexico ( Platt 10). Although the Aztec empire eventually came to an end they were able to do well as an empire. Contributing factors that led to the rise of the empire was their political structure, social components, and religious traditions which they preformed earnestly.

The Incas and the Aztecs Before the Spanish and Portuguese "discovered" the New World, there

     The Aztecs society was structured in a hierarchy with nobles at the top. Social status was determined primarily at birth. All members of the nobility could trace their lineage to the first Aztecs ruler Acamapichtli . The only way one could rise up to another class in the system was to perform an outstanding military achievement.

After landing on the coast of Mexico in the early 1500’s in what is now Veracruz, Cortés caught word of the possibility of much wealthier land if he were only willing to travel more inland. The Aztec empire centered around it’s powerful capital city of Tenochtitlán, and Cortés wanted it for himself and Spain. After arriving in the great city he said to have gasped at the sight of the large buildings, beautiful design, and overall substance. While the accounts written by him and his men are the only known surviving writings of the late empire, we are able to get a pretty clear glimpse into its beauty by the way he spoke. Built on a sizeable lake, the Tenochtitlán was only assessable by four very large bridges. Cortés was quite impressed by the way in which 10 of his men could ride side by side while crossing. The actual size of the city was not what impressed him most, seeing as it was comparable to the city of Seville that he had seen at home, but instead he found it intriguing how the people had developed roads that worked around the grand body of water.

The ancient Aztec civilization is usually thought of as a barbaric, unintelligent people throughout modern society. This could be an ideal carried down from the Spaniards that concord the native lands or even something as simple as today’s society creating overblown stereotypes because of conjoined lack of understanding and overall knowledge. But, because of the extensive research and studies done by Miguel León-Portilla we are able to discover the true nature of the Aztec peoples way of life. Within the book “Aztec Thought and Culture” the author explains the develop of the Aztec civilization through education and philosophy as well as describing the Aztec people as an advanced society rather than the popular belief of a savage people and culture.

The Aztec society was organized into tightly structured groups or classes. There were three main classes that formed Aztec society. The nobles, the intermediate class, and the commoners. Each class was divided further. At the top was the emperor who belonged to the noble class. His power came from control of the military and was supported by Aztec religious beliefs. He had a very nice and luxurious life. The nobles were the smallest class, but had the most power. They owned large estates and ran the government and the military. Priests were also from the noble class. Merchants and skilled artisans

Mexico was one of the main points of the conquistadors’ conquest. Mexico was home to two of the biggest Pre-Colombian civilizations, the Aztecs and the Mayans. The Mayans and Aztecs both faced the wrath of the conquistadors, as they were both conquered very easily due to the Spanish’s advanced weaponry. After conquering the natives, the Spanish would rule over that land for anout 300 years. This new ruling came with new foods, races, animals, and changes that effected the natives.

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.

Art was used by the Aztecs upper class to set them apart from the lower class. They adorned themselves with feathers, jewelry and fancy clothes. The rich also owned paintings, statues and music to honor and praise their gods. Most of the lower class, however, could make art but only to sell to the rich. The Aztec empire had an appreciation and fascination with birds, bugs and animals. These animals were praised and admired and as a result, they were popular subjects in the Aztec art. Aztecs believed that their gods took the forms of animals. Paintings of them were always brightly colored. The Emperor received art as tribute. The Aztecs considered art as a tool to reinforce their dominance.

In addition, The Aztecs did not resist the Spanish in every possible way due to their superior military dominance. Their advanced technology was a huge advantage as psychologically cavalry and firepower scared the Aztecs as it was unseen and its devastating effects would make men tremble. Even though the Spanish conquistadors arrived with a mere 600 people their steel armour and swords made it merely impossible for the Indians to penetrate and kill. This meant that wounds were limited to the face, neck, limbs and any other unarmoured regions. The combination of the ships and harquebuses firepower overpowered the unarmoured Indians. The Spanish cavalry attacked with lances and teared through the Indians disrupting any formations they had. The

Birdcage: This amazing artifact shows the thought of birds and the respect towards them. This birdcage is well designed and durable, the nobles would have a sturdy and an elegant birdcage while a commoner would have a simple looking cage, using the less sturdy material. The Aztecs used birds for sacrifices and for appearances and they used several birds' feathers, for decoration, clothing, and for fans. Birds were highly respected though the most respected bird was the quetzal. The quetzal was highly respected for its feathers and its appearance, you see the quetzal's appearance looked similar to the god, Quetzalcoatl, the green, blue, and red fur matches the look of Quetzalcoatl. Quetzals were highly hunted for its feathers, used in things

A major part of an average Aztec man or woman entertaining area would be the game Tlachlli. This game would be played, and the results would affect how the future could be. They would play in a semi big stadium where a rubber ball would be hit with the Aztec players, as they would try to get it through a hole up on a wall. Goals were extremely rare, but if you did score, you would extremely famous throughout the empire. (Steele, 20&21.) Priests said that the gods would play Tlachilli, the sky would be their court, and the sun would be their ball. The results of a game would tell the priest what would happen in the future. (Steele, 21&25.)

American Indians is a native American inhabitants of North America. Paleo-Indians are the person who originally entered America and settled and they mainly lived in Mexico and South America. The three important things we need to know about American Indians prior to European invasion are the culture of Maya, Aztec, and the Anasazi.