Aztec EmpireDaily Life

History >> Aztec, Maya, and Inca for Kids 

Life for the typical person living in the Aztec Empire was hard work. As in many ancient societies the rich were able to live luxurious lives, but the common people had to work very hard. 

Family Life 

The family structure was important to the Aztecs. The husband generally worked on a job outside of the home as a farmer, warrior, or craftsman. The wife worked at home cooking food for the family and weaving cloth for the family's clothes. Kids attended schools or worked to help out around the house. 

 An Aztec family eating a meal

from the Florentine Codex

What type of homes did they live in? 

Wealthy people lived in homes made of stone or sun-dried brick. The king of the Aztecs lived in a large palace with many rooms and gardens. All of the wealthy had a separate bathing room that was similar to a sauna or steam room. Bathing was an important part of the Aztec daily life. 

Poor people lived in smaller one or two room huts that had thatched roofs made from palm leaves. They had gardens near their homes where they would grow vegetables and flowers. Inside the house, there were four main areas. One area was where the family would sleep, generally on mats on the floor. Other areas included a cooking area, an eating area, and a place for shrines to the gods. 

What did the Aztecs wear for clothes? 

The Aztec men wore loincloths and long capes. The women wore long skirts and blouses. Poor people generally wove their own cloth and made their own clothing. It was the responsibility of the wife to make the clothes. 

Women's clothingfrom the Florentine Codex

Men's clothingfrom the Florentine Codex

There were rules in Aztec society regarding clothing. These included detailed laws specifying what clothing decorations and color different classes of people could wear. For example, only nobles could wear clothing decorated with feathers and only the emperor could wear a turquoise colored cloak. 

What did they eat? 

The main staple of the Aztec diet was maize (similar to corn). They ground the maize into flour to make tortillas. Other important staples were beans and squash. Besides these three main staples the Aztecs ate a variety of foods including insects, fish, honey, dogs, and snakes. Perhaps the most valued food was the cocoa bean used to make chocolate. 

Did they go to school? 

All Aztec children were required by law to attend school. This even included slaves and girls, which was unique for this time in history. When they were young, children were taught by their parents, but when they reached their teens they attended school. 

Boys and girls went to separate schools. Girls learned about religion including ritual songs and dancing. They also learned how to cook and make clothing. Boys usually learned how to farm or learned a craft such as pottery or feather-work. They also learned about religion and how to fight as warriors. 

Aztec children were instructed early in life about manners and correct behavior. It was important to the Aztecs that children did not complain, did not make fun of the old or sick, and did not interrupt. Punishment for breaking the rules was severe. 

Marriage 

Most Aztec men got married around the age of 20. They typically did not choose their wives. Weddings were arranged by matchmakers. Once the matchmaker chose two people to be married, the families would both need to agree. 

Games 

The Aztecs enjoyed playing games. One of the most popular games was a board game called Patolli. Just like with many board games today, players would move their pieces around a board by rolling dice. 

Another popular game was Ullamalitzli. This was a ball game played with a rubber ball on a court. Players had to pass the ball around using their hips, shoulders, heads, and knees. Some historians believe the game was used in preparation for war. 

Interesting Facts about Aztec Daily Life

The elderly members of the family were well taken care of and respected in Aztec society.

The punishment for breaking a law regarding clothing was often death. The word chocolate comes from the Aztec word "chocolatl". The name for the ball game Ullamalitzli comes from the Aztec word "ulli" which

means "rubber". The sons of nobles went to a separate school where they learned advanced

subjects such as law, writing, and engineering. The students at these schools were actually treated rougher than at the commoners' schools.

Slaves were generally treated well and could buy their way out of slavery.

Aztec Empire - Daily Life Test Quiz

Questions on this quiz are based on information from Aztec Empire - Daily Life.

1) What member of the Aztec family typically worked at home cooking food and weaving cloth?

  Husband

  Wife

  Son

  None of the above

  

2) What were the homes of wealthy people in the Aztec Empire made from?

  Wood logs

  Animal skins

  Stone or Sun-dried brick

  Bark and twigs

  Concrete

3) True or False: The Aztec had very specific rules on what clothing each class of people could wear.

  TRUE

  FALSE

  

  

  

4) What type of clothing did the Aztec men wear?

  Pants and shirts

  Long dresses

  Tunics and kilts

  Loincloths and long capes

  They didn't wear clothing

5) What article of clothing could only be worn by the Aztec Emperor?

  Red cap

  Purple colored shirt

  Green pants

  Yellow robe

  Turquoise cloak

6) What food was the main staple of the Aztec diet?

  Fish

  Maize

  Insects

  Rice

  Chicken

7) True or False: Only children of the very wealthy attended school in the Aztec Empire.

  TRUE

   FALSE

  

  

  

8) Which of the following was part of what Aztec boys learned in school?

  How to farm

  Religion

  How to fight as warriors

  Crafts such as pottery

  All of the above

9) What was Patolli?

  A type of food

  A type of feathered hat worn by the wealthy

  A board game where pieces moved around by rolling dice

  A sport used to prepare men for war

  A delicious chocolate drink

10) True or False: The punishment for breaking the rules regarding clothing was sometimes death.

  TRUE

Aztec EmpireWriting and Technology

History >> Aztec, Maya, and Inca for Kids 

When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs had not yet developed iron or bronze metals. Their tools were made from bone, stone, and obsidian. They also did not use beasts of burden or the wheel. However, despite their lack of these basic technologies, the Aztecs had a fairly developed society. They also had some writing and technology of their own. 

Aztec Language 

The Aztecs spoke the language Nahuatl. It is still used to today in some parts of Mexico. Some English words come from Nahuatl including coyote, avocado, chili, and chocolate. 

Aztec Writing 

The Aztecs wrote using symbols called glyphs or pictographs. They didn't have an alphabet, but used pictures to represent events, items, or sounds. Only the priests knew how to read and write. They would write on long sheets made of animal skins or plant fibers. An Aztec book is called a codex. Most of the codices were burned or destroyed, but a few survived and archeologists have been able to learn a lot about Aztec life from them. 

 Examples of some Aztec glyphs (artist Unknown)

Aztec Calendar 

One of the most famous aspects of Aztec technology was their use of calendars. The Aztecs used two calendars. 

One calendar was used for tracking religious ceremonies and festivals. This calendar was called the tonalpohualli which means "day count". It was sacred to the Aztecs and was very important as it divided time equally among the various gods and kept the universe in balance. The calendar had 260 days. Each day was represented by a combination of 21 day signs and thirteen day signs. 

The other calendar was used to track time. This calendar was called the Xiuhpohualli or "solar year". It had 365 days divided up into 18 months of 20 days each. There were 5 days left over that were considered unlucky days. 

Every 52 years the two calendars would start on the same day. The Aztecs were afraid that the world would end on this day. They performed the New Fire Ceremony on this day. 

 The Aztec calendar stone by Unknown

Agriculture 

The Aztecs used agriculture to grow food such as maize, beans, and squash. One innovative technique they used in swampy areas was called the chinampa. A chinampa was an artificial island that the Aztecs built up in the lake. They built many chinampas and used these manmade islands to plant crops. The chinampas worked well for crops because the soil was fertile and the crops had plenty of water to grow. 

Aqueducts 

A major part of Aztec culture was bathing at least once per day. They needed fresh water in the city to do this. At the capital city of Tenochtitlan the Aztecs built two large aqueducts that carried fresh water from springs located over two and a half miles away. 

Medicine 

The Aztecs believed that illness could come from natural causes as well as supernatural causes (the gods). They used a wide variety of herbs to cure sickness. One of the main cures doctors suggested was steam baths. They thought that by sweating, the poisons making the person sick would leave their body. 

Interesting Facts about Aztec Writing and Technology

Aztec codices were made from one long sheet of paper that was folded like an accordion. Many of the codices were over 10 meters long.

The chinampa farms were often called floating gardens as they appeared to float on top of the lake. They were built in rectangles and the farmers would travel between the fields in canoes.

The Aztecs used canoes for transport and carrying goods around the waterways of the Valley of Mexico.

Aztec doctors would use splints to help support broken bones while they

healed. The Aztecs introduced the world to two of our favorite foods: popcorn and

chocolate! One of the innovations the Aztecs had before much of the rest of the world

was mandatory education for all. Everyone, boys and girls, rich and poor, were required by law to attend school.

Aztec Empire - Writing and TechnologyTest Quiz

Questions on this quiz are based on information from Aztec Empire - Writing and Technology.

1) Which of the following did the Aztecs develop before the Spanish arrived?

  Iron

  Bronze

  The wheel

  Beasts of burden

  None of the above

2) What were the tools used by the Aztecs made out of?

  Iron

  Bronze

  Steel

  Stones and bone

  None of the above

3) What is Nahuatl?

  A type of food eaten by the Aztecs

  The language spoken by the Aztecs

  The calendar of the Aztecs

  The Aztec god of science and technology

  An Aztec priest who specialized in medicine

4) Who were the only people in the Aztec Empire who knew how to read and write?

  Farmers

  Soldiers

  Priests

  Artisans

  Royal family

5) True or False: The Aztecs developed an advanced alphabet with 29 letters similar to the Spanish alphabet.

  TRUE

   FALSE

  

  

  

6) How often did the two calendars of the Aztecs start on the same day?

  Every 2 years

  Every 10 years

  Every 21 years

  Every 52 years

  Every 100 years

7) What were the Aztecs afraid would happened on the day when the two calendars began at the same time?

  The world would come to an end

  The crops would die

  They would lose in battle to their enemies

  The dead would come back to life

  The emperor would die

8) What was a chinampa?

  A type of food made with maize and beans

  An artificial island used to plant crops

  A way to bring fresh water into the city

  A religious calendar

  A Aztec god that played tricks on people

9) True or False: All Aztec children, rich or poor, were required to attend school.

  TRUE

   FALSE

  

  

  

10) What did the Aztecs build in order to carry fresh water into the city for bathing?

  Water trucks

  Underground plumbing

  Chinampas

  Aqueducts

  The Aztecs refused to bath

Aztec EmpireTenochtitlan

History >> Aztec, Maya, and Inca for Kids 

Tenochtitlan was the capital city and center of the Aztec Empire. It was founded in 1325 and served as the capital until the Aztecs were conquered by Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes in 1520. 

Where was it located? 

Tenochtitlan was located on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco in what is today south central Mexico. The Aztecs were able to settle there because no one else wanted the land. At first, it wasn't a great place to start a city, but soon the Aztecs built up islands where they could grow crops. The water also worked as a natural defense against

attacks from other cities. 

 Map of Tenochtitlan by Hanns Prem 

Click picture for larger view

Causeways and Canals 

Early on in the history of the city the Aztecs built causeways and canals for transportation to and from the city. A causeway is a raised road that allowed the people to easily travel over the swampy and wet areas. There were three major causeways that led from the island city to the mainland. There were also bridges built into the causeways that allowed small boats and canoes to travel under them. These bridges could be removed when the city was being attacked. 

The Aztecs also built many canals throughout the city. The canals acted like water roads that allowed people to easily travel around the large city in boats. The city was well planned and laid out in a grid that made traveling around the city easy. 

City Center 

At the center of the city there was a large area where many of the public activities took place. The temples to the Aztec gods were built here as well as a court where they played a ballgame called Ullama. The largest temple was a pyramid called the Templo Mayor. It was the tallest building in the city in order to be closest to the gods. Other buildings in the city center included the priests' quarters, schools, plus a rack of human skulls called the Tzompantli. 

Marketplace 

There were markets throughout the city where people would trade goods and food. There was one main marketplace where up to 40,000 people would visit during feast days to buy goods and food for celebrations. 

Why did the Aztecs settle on a swampy island? 

When the Aztecs were driven from their valley home by the Culhuacan they needed a new place to stay. The priests said they had a sign from the gods. The Aztecs should settle where they saw an eagle holding a snake while standing on a cactus. They saw this sign on a marshy island in the lake and began to build a new town on the spot. 

How big was it? 

Tenochtitlan was a large city that covered around 5 square miles. Some historians estimate that nearly 200,000 people lived in the city during its peak. 

Is it still there today? 

Most of the Tenochtitlan's buildings were destroyed by the Spanish and Hernan Cortes. The current capital of Mexico, Mexico City, is located at the same location. Archeologists have uncovered the ruins of Tenochtitlan near the center of Mexico City. 

 Model version of how Tenochtitlan looked at its peak by Thelmadatter

Interesting Facts about Tenochtitlan

There were two aqueducts over 2.5 miles long leading into the city that provided fresh water to the people living there.

Large crowds of as many as 8,000 people would sometimes gather in the central area.

The city was divided into four zones and twenty districts. The Aztec Emperors built their palaces near the temple district. They were large

stone structures with as many as 50 rooms as well as their own gardens and ponds.

The Aztecs built a 10 mile long dike that sealed off a portion of the lake. It helped keep the water fresh and protected the city from flooding.

Activities 

Aztec Empire - TenochtitlanTest Quiz

Questions on this quiz are based on information from Aztec Empire - Tenochtitlan.

1) Tenochtitlan was the capital city of what Empire?  Maya Empire  Inca Empire  Spanish Empire  Aztec Empire  Mexican Empire

2) What lake was Tenochtitlan located in the center of?  Lake Erie  Lake Texcoco  Lake Victoria  Aztec Lake  Lake Titicaca

3) What feature worked as a natural defense against the enemies of the Aztecs?  Water  Mountains  Cliffs  Ocean  Forest

4) What did the people of Tenochtitlan use for transportation in and around the city?  Causeways  Canals  Boats  All of the above

  None of the above

5) What was the tallest building in the city?  The emperor's palace  The public school  The pyramid temple to the gods  The capital building  The priest's quarters

6) When was the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan founded?  200 BCE  620 CE  980 CE  1325 CE  1942 CE

7) What sign did the priests see that caused the Aztecs to choose the spot to build their city?  A wolf and a rabbit standing next to each other  An eagle holding a snake standing on a cactus  A tall tree surrounded by flowers  A snake riding on the back of a bobcat  A cloud in the shape of an arrow

8) What modern-day city is located on the site of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan?  Guadalajara  Monterrey  Tijuana  Cancun  Mexico City

9) What did the Aztecs build in order to carry fresh water into the city?  Water trucks  Underground plumbing  Chinampas  Aqueducts

  The Aztecs did not have fresh water

10) What public building was built in the city center?  The Templo Mayor  An Ullama court  School  Priest's quartersLife as a Maya Noble 

The Maya king and his nobles lived an easy life. They had their every need provided for by the commoners. They were even carried from place to place in litters by slaves. 

Life as a Maya Commoner 

Life as a Maya commoner was full of hard work. The typical peasant worked as a farmer. At the start of the day, the wife would get up early and start a fire for cooking. Then the husband would leave to go work at the fields. After a hard day working at the fields, the farmer would come home and bathe. Bathing was an important part of the day for all the Maya people. The men spent evenings working on crafts such as tools, while the women wove cloth to make clothing. 

What were their clothes like? 

The clothing worn by the Maya depended on the region they lived in and their social status. The wealthy wore colorful clothing made from animal skins. They also wore feather headdresses and fancy jewelry. 

Commoners wore simpler clothing. The men often wore loincloths while the women wore long skirts. Both men and women would use a blanket called a manta to wrap around their shoulders when it was cold. 

 Clothing for a Maya woman by Daderot

Men and women both wore their hair long. Once they were married, both men and women often got tattoos. 

What did the Maya eat? 

The most important food that the Maya ate was maize, which is a vegetable like corn. They made all types of food from maize including tortillas, porridge, and even drinks. Other staple crops included beans, squash, and chilies. For meat the Maya ate fish, deer, ducks, and turkey. 

The Maya introduced the world to a number of new foods. Probably the most interesting was chocolate from the cacao tree. The Maya considered chocolate to be a gift from the gods and used cacao seeds as money. Other new foods included tomatoes, sweet potatoes, black beans, and papaya. 

What were their homes like? 

The nobles and kings lived inside the city in large palaces made from stone. The commoners lived in huts outside the city near their farms. The huts were usually made from mud, but were sometimes made from stone. They were single room homes with thatched roofs. In many areas the Maya built their huts on top of platforms made from dirt or stone in order to protect them from floods. 

Entertainment 

Although much of the Maya life was spent doing hard work, they did enjoy entertainment as well. A lot of their entertainment was centered around religious ceremonies. They played music, danced, and played games such as the Maya ball game. 

 Maya ball court by Ken Thomas

Interesting Facts about Maya Daily Life

The Maya considered crossed eyes, flat foreheads, and big noses to be beautiful features. In some areas they would use makeup to try and make their noses appear large.

The Maya loved to wear large hats and headdresses. The more important the person, the taller the hat they wore.

The farmers of the Maya did not have metal tools or beasts of burden to help them farm. They used simple stone tools and did the work by hand.

Sometimes the ball games that the Maya played were part of a religious ceremony. The losers were sacrificed to the gods.

The Maya had hundreds of different dances. Many of these dances are still practiced today. Some examples of the dances include the Snake dance, the Monkey dance, and the Dance of the Stag.

Maya Civilization - Daily Life

Test QuizQuestions on this quiz are based on information from 

Maya Civilization - Daily Life.

1) How did the Maya nobles travel from place to place?

  They walked

  They rode horses

  They were carried in litters by slaves

  They rode llamas

  They rode in carriages pulled by slaves

2) What would a Maya farmer do after coming home from working in the fields?

  Play a game

  Take a bath

  Work in the yard

  Cook dinner for the family

  Weave cloth for clothes

3) How did Maya men and women wear their hair?

  Both wore their hair long

  Men had long hair, women short hair

  Women had long hair, men short hair

  Both wore their hair short

  The men shaved their heads, the women wore their hair long

4) What was the most common food of the Maya?

  Rice

  Wheat

  Fish

  Maize

  Chicken

5) True or False: Wealthy Mayans wore tall hats and feather headdresses.

  TRUE

   FALSE

  

  

  

6) What food did the Maya considered a gift from the gods?

  Rice

  Deer

  Squash

  Turkey

  Chocolate

7) What did the Maya use for money?

  Shells

  Bones

  Cacao Seeds

  Pebbles

  Teeth

8) Why did the Maya sometimes build their homes on platforms of dirt or stone?

  To get closer to the gods

  To protect from floods

  To get above snakes and bugs

  To get a better breeze in the heat

  To help when defending their home

9) Which of the following features did the Maya consider to be beautiful?

  Flat foreheads

  Big noses

  Crossed eyes

  All of the above

  None of the above

10) What did the Maya use to work their fields when farming?

  They had Iron plows

  They used plows pulled by Oxen

  They used plows pulled by Donkeys

  They used stone tools by hand

  All of the above

Maya CivilizationWriting, Numbers, and

CalendarHistory >> Aztec, Maya, and Inca for Kids 

Of all the ancient American civilizations, the Maya developed one of the most advanced systems of writing and numbers. They also used a complex system of calendars to track both time and religious ceremonies. 

Writing 

The Maya used an advanced form of writing called hieroglyphics. Their writing looks similar to the ancient Egyptians, but is actually quite different. In Mayan hieroglyphics, they used symbols (also called glyphs) to represent words, sounds, or objects. By putting several glyphs together the Maya wrote sentences and told stories. 

Only the wealthy Maya became priests and learned to read and write. They wrote on long sheets of paper made from bark or leather. These sheets were folded up like an accordion to make books. A Maya book is called a codex (or codices for more than one). 

Numbers 

The Maya used a number system with the base number of 20 (we use a base-10 number system). They wrote numbers using a system of bars and dots. A bar represented the number 5. Every 5 numbers they added another bar. The number zero was written with a symbol that looked like a shell. See below for an example of how the Maya wrote the numbers 0 to 19. 

 Maya Numbers by Ducksters

Calendar 

The Maya had two kinds of calendars, a religious calendar called the Tzolk'in and a solar calendar called the Haab'. Every 52 years the two calendars would start on the same day. They would celebrate the New Fire Festival on this day (El Fuego Nuevo). All the fires throughout their households would be put out and they would throw away all their clay utensils. It was a time of renewal and new beginnings. 

The solar calendar, or Haab', had 18 months of 20 days each. There were five extra "unlucky" days in the 19th month to get to total of 365 days in a year. They numbered the days in the month from 0 to 19. Here is a list of the 19 Maya months in the Haab' calendar:

Pop Wo Sip Sotz' Sek Xul Yaxk'in' Mol Ch'en Yax

Sak' Keh Mak K'ank'in Muwan Pax K'ayab Kumk'u Wayeb (month with

only 5 unlucky days)

The religious calendar, or Tzolk'in, was a 260-day calendar. This calendar has two cycles, a 20 day cycle and a 13 day cycle. Each day has a name and a number. The name comes from the 20 day cycle and the number from the 13 day cycle. Here is a list of the 20-day cycle names:

Imix Ik Ak'b'al K'an Chikchan Kimi Manik Lamat Muluk Ok

Chuwen Eb B'en Ix Men K'ib Kab'an Etz'nab Kawak Ajaw

Beginning and End of the World 

The Maya also had a third calendar they used for historical purposes. It was called the Long Count Calendar. The Long Count calendar started on August 11, 3114

BC. This was the day on which the Maya believed the world was created. Some people think that the Maya also predicted the end of the world to be on December 21, 2012. 

Interesting Facts about Maya Writing, Numbers, and Calendar

Unfortunately, when the Spanish found the Maya codices (books), they thought they were evil and burned them. Only a few survived.

The Maya wrote using black ink made from coal and quills made from turkey feathers.

Each Maya month had a glyph that represented the month. Some of the glyphs also represented animals. For example, the glyph for the month of Sotz also meant bat, Xul meant dog, Muwan meant owl, and K'ayab meant turtle.

The word "Kin" was used to represent a day. It also meant "sun". The base-20 number system is called the vigesimal system. The Maya wrote

large numbers in powers of 20.

Maya Civilization - Writing and Numbers

Test QuizQuestions on this quiz are based on information from 

Maya Civilization - Writing and Numbers.

1) What are hieroglyphics?  Books with accordion-like pages  Priests who knew how to write  A type of writing using symbols  The months of the Maya calendar  The main calendars of the Maya

2) What other ancient civilization used hieroglyphics like the Ancient Maya?

  Ancient Rome  Ancient Egypt  Ancient Greece  The Franks

  The Inca

3) What is a codex?  A book with accordion-like pages  A symbol used in hieroglyphics  The head priest of the Maya  A Maya numbering system  A Maya calendar

4) What was the base number for the Maya numbering system?  2  7  10  12  20

5) What symbol did the Maya use to represent the number 5?  Four lines with a slash across  A horizontal bar  A snake  Five dots  A clamshell

6) True or False: Every 52 years the two Maya calendars would start on the same day.

  TRUE  FALSE      

7) What festival was celebrated every 52 years by the Maya?  Maize Festival  Pyramid Festival  New Fire Festival  Snake Festival

  Festival of the Gods

8) The Maya had three calendars including a solar calendar and a historical calendar. What was the third type of calendar?

  Farming  Weather  Astrological  Religious  Animal

9) What year did the Maya predict that the world would come to an end?  3150 BCE  70 CE  1000 CE  2012 CE  3033 CE

10) True or False: The Maya did not develop a writing or numbering system.

  TRUE  FALSE