AZTEC

The Aztec Civilization: Then and Now

The Aztec existed in a place called Tenochtitlan; it is about 50 miles wide and long. It is bordered with mountain ranges and volcanoes. The Aztec civilization was surrounded by large bodies of water. At night, the temperature was mild but at night it got a lot colder because they were about 8000 ft above sea level.

The Aztecs name means "heron people" their name is derived from the mythical homeland to the north called Azatlan. Their native language (Nahuatl) came from Soshonean, linguistic family. The Aztecs civilization major key crop was maize. They used maize to cook with lime. Then they ground it up to make dough for tortillas. They had several other major crops such as, cotton, chilies, beans, squash, and tomatoes. Maguey and agave were crops that were used to make cords, sandals, sacks and in clothing. Juice from the maguey was used to make an alcoholic beverage in which they used in traditional ceremonies called pulque. The elderly men were the only ones that could drink anytime they wanted to. Other generations could drink only when it was a certain religious ceremony going on. Getting drunk was something that was not taken lightly. Punishment was so harsh it was that if caught you could have died.

The Aztecs divided themselves up into different tribes. The land was divided up to each of the family of the whole tribe and then when no one else is left of the family it goes back to the tribe. Urban areas where families owned their own land and shared their land were called capulli. A portion of what was made off the land was given to the state tax and the other portion was traded, sold or for personal use. The farmers that worked the land were considered...

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The religious building of the Aztecs were similar to the pyramids of Egypt except they were cut by large stairways with banisters formed resembling giant serpents which showed the way to the summit in which was a shrine. In the pyramid marked a skull rack, pointed stakes. Surrounded by the square were the priest’s houses. The Aztecs writings were called codices. These writings were written on many different things such as paper, stone, or by using hieroglyphs. The writings consisted of the history and geography of the Aztecs.

In today’s world, the Aztec’s subside in the vicinity of Mexico City. There are over 1 million people. This is considered the biggest aboriginal group in Mexico. Aztec-Nahuatl is the language that is still used today. The main religion is a mix of Aztec and Roman Catholicism.