NAME: _________________________ DO THE ESSAY Describe 3 parts of Aztec civilization Give an overall evaluation of whether Aztec culture was barbaric or civilized use facts to

support your answer

Document #1: Society“When we saw all this beauty, we didn’t know what to think, and we doubted whether all that we saw was real. A series of large towns stretched themselves out along the banks of the lake Texcoco. Many canoes (boats) were in the water everywhere around us. We passed over bridges and before us lay the great city of Mexico (Tenochtitlan) in all its splendor (glory).”-Bernal Diaz del Castillo, The Conquest of New SpainQuestion #1: Describe the author’s impression of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Document #2: Economy“Everyday 60,000 people gather here to buy and sell goods. Everything is available including food, clothes, gold silver, leather, bone, mussels, coral, cotton. In the main market there is a law court. “-Hernando Cortes, Letters of Information

Question#2: Explain why the economy (business) of the city of Tenochtitlan would be considered advanced for its time.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Document #3 Religion“The Aztec practice of human sacrifice (offering to the gods) was an important part of their religion. Human blood was the correct food for the gods. It was believed that the sun, especially needed human blood in order to survive and rise again. The fear that human sacrifices helped the Aztec Empire keep their power. Most sacrifice victims included people captured during war and criminals.There were many different sacrifice techniques. Rain rituals (ceremonies) involved killing children hoping that their tears would bring rain. Springtime rituals included priests wearing the skins of the whipped victims. Other ceremonies involved shooting arrows into captives that were tied up. The most common form of sacrifice was to march or drag male captives up the steps of a pyramid, where they were stretched across a sacrificial stone while four priests held the arms and legs and another priest stabbed a black stone (obsidian) knife into the chest and pulled out his beating heart.”-Robert Miller, Mexico: A HistoryQuestion #3: Describe the reasons for human sacrifice and explain the different forms of human sacrifice.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Document #4 ReligionAZTEC HUMAN SACRIFICE RITUAL

Question #4: How would you describe the Aztec human sacrifice ritual shown above?

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Document #5: Aztec Farmins

To produce enough food to support their population, the Aztec constructed chinampas or floating gardens, in swampland and shallow water. The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan was built on an island in the middle of lake Texcoco (which later dried up and is now the site of Mexico City), limiting the amount of available dry farmland. This 16-th century painting shows farmers making a chinampa by laying soil on top o a wood frame floating in the water. In the top right corner there is a close up of chinampas floating in the lake Texcoco.

Document #5: Why is creating a new way to farm advanced?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS

Aztec Drawing Human Sacrifice

On the same day Diaz was wounded by an arrow as he stood up to the waist in water fighting with the Indians in canoes. He never makes much account of any of his wounds, but sets them down just as he sets down any other detail of his life. As they were struggling on the causeway on the evening of the same day, once more the melancholy sounding drum was beaten on the great temple, and from a platform high up upon the building came the noise of cymbals and of horns. When they looked up they saw a sight which, fighting as they were against great odds, must have made their blood run cold and sent a chill deep down into their hearts. Ten or twelve Spaniards were driven up with blows and kicks before the statue of the great god of war called Huichilobos ; feathers were stuck upon their heads, and then, with

160 BEKNAL DIAZ

blows from instruments like flails, 1 they made them dance before the idols. After they had danced they threw them down and cut their hearts out with sharp knives made of flints, and offered them before the statues of their gods.

The Indians kicked their bodies down the temple steps to where the butchers stood, who cut them up like sheep. Their flesh was eaten, stewed with red pepper, 2 at a banquet, and the wild beasts devoured their entrails. " These cruelties all of us saw from our own camp. . . . The careful reader may imagine for himself how it affected us and how each one of us gave thanks to God that he had not been carried off that day and sacrificed." 3