The Aztec people had a highly advanced system of communication to help them live on their island of Tenochtitlan in the middle of lake Texcoco. This made the Aztecs have to be creative when inventing the ways in which they were gonna lay out the city. The communication systems were complex and consisted of causeway and bridges, roads, runners, and Canals and canoes and transport.
The Causeways and bridges were important to the function of Tenochtitlan. The causeways and bridges were most use to travel in and out of the city. (“Aztec Empire Tenochtitlan”). There were 4 causeways that went out of Tenochtitlan. The first was to the north and went to a city called Tepeyac. The second was to the South and it went to a city called Iztapalapan. The third was to the west and it went to a city called Tlacopan (Te papa Museum);(“Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec”). “The fourth causeway was to the east and it went to a city called “Chapultepec” on this causeway there was an aqueduct in which brought most of the freshwater into the city”(“Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec”). Causeways were raised roads that people would make to travel over swampy or wet areas (“Aztec Empire Tenochtitlan”). The causeways were made in layers starting with boulders and getting smaller as they went up
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(“Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec”). What was special about these causeways was that they had bridges in them to both let the traffic of boats and canoes through and to make the island difficult to reach in the occurrence of an attack because the bridges were removable. (“Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec”). In the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan there were few roads in the city but many on the outside of it. The main streets in the city, known as “ohtli” were wide across and in straight lines to keep with the grid in Tenochtitlan , but the roads that were smaller were half canal and the other half on land (Jarus). The roads outside the city were designed to be traveled on foot and mostly made by the “pochteca” also known as merchants (Juras). “Usually, the roads got maintained through tribute, and travelers had a place to rest and eat and even latrines [ bathrooms ] to use in regular intervals, roughly every 10 or 15km” (“Aztecs Culture and Society”). There was high surveillance of the roads in and near Tenochtitlan it was safe for women to travel alone. This was a new concept for the Spaniards because this was not something that was possible in Europe at the time (“Aztecs Culture and Society”). The runners in Tenochtitlan name is “paynani” (“Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec”).
Their job was as “professional massage carriers that kept Aztec nobles in communication with each other” (“Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec”). It is also one of the duties to help keep the roads in good condition (“Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec”). The paynani’s other job while traveling was also to keep the Aztecs informed of events that were happening or have happened (“Aztec Culture and Society”). There were also the important runners, called “titantli” (“Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec”). Their job was to travel on diplomatic missions (“Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec”). They dressed with fans and a staff to signify their importance (“Basic Aztec Facts:
Aztec”). There are many canals in Tenochtitlan that had different uses. Tenochtitlan had canals throughout the city that transported people by boat (“Aztec Empire Tenochtitlan”). In the canal, people travel in large boats almost like present day water taxis and canoes (“Aztec Empire Tenochtitlan”). Tenochtitlan had a plan organized into a series of intersecting grids which let traveling around the city fairly easy. (“Aztec Empire Tenochtitlan”). The canoes “on average [ were ] 14 feet in length, were dug out from a single tree trunk and with upturned ends, and propelled by a wooden pole or paddle” (Mursell). Almost every person in the city owned a canoe (Mursell). The Canoes had many purposes both for transport and for communication systems. The canoes helped the people move heavy objects long distance through the canals in the city because there were few road and no wheels or pack animals (“Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec”). The canoes were also used to move messages to different places throughout the city because it was the fastest way to get around (“Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec”). The Aztec were very advanced people that had so many things at that time that we did realize how to make or think of using. Their communication systems were very advanced considering how they were not educated on other lands such as Europe.
The layout of the Maya cities was quite a unique one. They had no formal plan and expansion was done
The Aztecs were a large group of Indian tribes.They were originally migratory and as they migrated they assimilatated other tribes. Through this process they joined together and became rich in civilization. The tribes the comprised the Aztecs were the Toltect whom the Chichimec [Aztecs] conquered in the early 1300's A.D. The Toltect embarked on conquests, which resulted in the Aztecs becoming a dominate civilization of their time.(1) Their migratory pattern stopped on the southwestern border of Lake Texcoco as they discovered an eagle sitting on the stem of a cactus, holding a serpent in his talons with his wings open to the sun. This as an omen from the gods.(4) The Aztecs finally settled in central Mexico, where Mexico City is now located, and began building Tenochtitlan in 1325. Over time the civilization's control spanned from Tenochtitlan east to the Gulf of Mexico and south to Guatemala.(1)
Spain, as one of the most powerful nations in the old world, had a great influence on many events in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Spanish also had an influence on many other empires/nations' fate. One of the empires that suffered a grave fate at the hands of the Spanish was the Aztec empire. The Aztec empire was not the oldest Mesoamerican empire and it was formed from an agreement between three city-states. The Aztec's class system had the emperor on top, then the priests, and everyone else below them. The priests were responsible for keeping the gods happy. The sacrifice of goods and people was a commonplace in the Aztec culture, and it was often the goods/people of other nations that were taken for sacrifices. As one can imagine,
August 13th, 1521 marked the end of a diabolical, yet genius group of leaders. They were referred to as the Aztecs. They were an extremely advanced ancient civilization. The Aztec’s were overthrown by the Spanish, yet we still haven’t forgotten the Aztecs. But since their culture was so complex it’s hard to know what is the most necessary thing to study when it comes to them, especially when their were so many things that defined their culture. The Aztecs were highly religious and believed in human sacrifice. They also had a complex method of farming called chinampas. This grew an extremely large amount of food per year by using canals. This was extremely successful because of how complex it was. When asked if historians should emphasize agriculture
Back in the time of the Aztec their culture was very different but also similar from our now. For instence they belived in human sacrifice and also there was only a few different jobs that you could make a living through. . There are four major jobs in their society,which are being a priest,tradesmen,warrior or in your a women you would more often then not work hard in the houses learning how to weave and make clothes.
The pottery was used to eat out of and they could also trade it to other tribes for food or maybe even horses. The Aztecs did feather working and goldworking. They made shields and did art work with the feathers. They held the feathers together with glue made from bat dung.
The Aztecs were isolated from the world until they fell to the Spanish which highlights that they didn’t have any of the inventions and innovations that the rest of the world experienced
The Aztec Empire was the most powerful Mesoamerican kingdom of all time. They dominated the valley of Mexico in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Aztecs were an advanced and successful civilization that built beautiful, sophisticated cities, temples, and pyramids. They also created a culture full of creativity with mythological and religious traditions. Aztecs lead a structured and evocative life that let their society to become a very superior civilization. The Aztec’s communication skills were very well developed for their time; through religious beliefs, government involvement, and family life they lived a full and productive life. Until in 1519 when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico, and defeated the Aztecs.
Both the Aztec and Incan civilizations used trade, tribute, redistribution of goods, and agriculture to balance out their economy. However, the Aztecs had a more mixed organization, the use of more than one functions, used trade markets, and had a merchant class, unlike the opposing Incan economy. The Aztecs were more engaged with trade than the Incans, shown with the trade markets at Tlatelolco. Tlatelolco was a trade market controlled by the merchant class, or Pochteca and the development of currency was put in place using beans and or gold dust. On the other hand, the Incans did not have trade markets due to their trade being more informal, along with no merchant class or currency. To help specifically long distance trade, advanced road systems were put in place as way stations. Both civilizations used tribute and was an important aspect to the economic organization, but the Aztecs collected goods and the Incans collected labor, mita. ...
The Aztecs were from Aztlan, located in both north and northwest Mexico. These civilizations were possible because the people in the areas became sedentary and agricultural. They were able to do this because of the vast natural resources and climates of where they lived. Their cultures were for the most part male dominated, possessions usually past through the male line from one male member to another male. Women would normally move to the male’s village when they got married.
According to their own history, the Aztecs, who called themselves the Tenochca or Mexica, started as a small nomadic tribe originating from a place called Aztlan. Aztlan existed somewhere in the southern part of California or the north west of Mexico. At this time they were Nahuatl speaking. During the twelfth century they started a period of wandering and in the thirteenth century they came across Mexico's central valley. There they decided to settle.
Mexico City was built above the Aztec City. Which was built above a lake, an actual lake, and after the many years it’s slowly starting to sink. During its time, the Aztec empire ruled over that area, until one day Spanish explorer Hernan Contes made it clear he was there to conquer the area. The Aztec emperor, when he first heard the news did nothing as he feared Cortez was a god and even offered him gift despite Cortez being there to take over. Mexico City is home to many beautiful museums, in fact it’s among one of the cities with the most museums in the world, which some are free in the weekends.
The three social classes of the Aztecs were slave, commoner, and nobility. The slaves (lowest class) were basically servants, although they could buy there way to freedom or if they escaped from their masters and reached the royal palace without being caught they would earn their way to freedom. There were two kinds of commoners (middle class). The maceualtin were given a lifetime ownership of a plot of land in which they would build their house on. The tlalmaitl were tenant farmers. The nobility (highest class) were usually rulers, chiefs, or nobles(Aztecs/ Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia). The Aztecs typical home was on a log raft covered with mud which had plants on it that stabled the raft with its roots. The home usually had it’s back to a canal with a canoe tied at the door so they could have efficient transportation(Aztec Empire History).
The floating pathways that are used for transport around the city had gaps between them with narrow, modular bridges to connect them. On the surface it seems like it was due to bad design, but when you start to think about, it makes more sense. They can remove the bridges making it harder for enemies to traverse the city. It is still possible to attack the city, but they have to cross the bridges in small groups which are easier to deal with than an entire army at once. The one thing the passage leaves out is the volcanoes that “Popocatepetl and Ixtlaccihuatl” tries to
Who were the Aztecs? Why were they considered to be an empire even greater than the Romans? And how was Hernan Cortes able to defeat them? These are some of the questions that people ask about these indigenous people. These people are known as the Aztecs but originally called themselves Mexica. They came to Mexico in the early thirteenth century and from there they started to develop a social structure and government consisting of priests, kings, peasants, and soldiers. Besides having a very organized society the Aztecs had a very large and intimidating army consisting of full time soldiers and peasants. By 1427 A.D. the Aztec empire became the dominant group and controlled most of central Mexico. Considering how advanced and large the Aztec culture and society were makes me believe that they were aware of other people outside of their civilization. A clear example would be that they knew of neighboring tribes other than their own that they went to war with and conquered. Although I do believe that the Aztecs were caught off guard and even amazed when they saw the light skinned Spaniards. I also believe that Cortes wasn’t the first outsider to make contact with the Aztecs but I do believe he was the first light skinned person to make contact with them because of Moctezumas reaction to Cortes description. Hernan Cortes was a Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs with less than 1000 soldiers and a handful of horses. Some reasons that have to do with the Aztecs fall from power are the Prophecy of Quetzalcoatle, their Emperor Moctezuma, enemy tribes, disadvantages in technology, their omens, disease, and lastly their warfare rituals.