Aztecs 24 25
About this set
Created by:
laurajstocks on May 18, 2010
Subjects:
Description:
Aztec questions that may be answered after studying chs. 24 and 25 in History Alive.
Classes:
Latin America Curie, ASMS Stocks
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57 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Aztecs | A Mesoamerican culture who built a vast empire in central Mexico. |
| Lake Texcoco | Aztec legend states that their priests saw an eagle with a snake in its beak on an island in this lake. |
| Tenochtitlan | Aztec city meaning "the place of the fruit of the prickly pear cactus" |
| Mexica | As a nomadic band of hunter gatherers, the Aztecs originally called themselves this name |
| mercenary | a soldier who is paid to fight for another country or group |
| alliance | a group of countries, city-states, or other entities who agree to work together, often to fight common enemies |
| plaza | place where the Aztecs gathered in the center of Tenochtitlan for religious rituals, feasts, and festivals |
| causeway | a raised road built across water or low ground |
| Five million | At its height, the Aztec empire included this many people |
| early 1500s | The Aztec empire was at its largest and strongest during this period of time |
| tribute | The Aztecs relied upon this form of payment from the surrounding people |
| Huitzilopochtli | The Aztecs believed that this chief god required human blood for survival |
| Five main classes | Aztec society was divided into this number of classes |
| The Ruler | the top of the Aztec hierarchy |
| The Ruler | this position was not hereditary |
| hereditary | passed on from parent to child; inherited |
| semidivine | more than human but not fully a god |
| government officials, priests, and military leaders | the Aztec noble class consisted of these three groups |
| pochteca | the highest class of commoners (traders) were called |
| pochteca | lived in a separate section of Tenochtitlan and paid taxes with rare goods |
| commoners | craftspeople and artisans like potters and jewelers were members of this social class |
| commoners | most farmers, fishers, laborers and servants were members of this social class |
| calpulli | a neighborhood that is a political unit within a city |
| calpulli or ward | plots of farm land were loaned to commoners by this group |
| prisoners of war, lawbreakers, and debtors | slaves included these three groups |
| peasants | free people who were considered inferior to commoners |
| peasants | this group was not loaned land by the calpulli so they hired out their services to nobles |
| the groom's family | chose the bride for an Aztec marriage |
| matchmaker | an older woman who was hired to help arrange an Aztec marriage |
| polygamy | marriage practice in which a man or a woman has more than one spouse |
| dowry | a gift of money or goods presented to a man or a woman upon marriage |
| the bride's family | this family set a dowry before the marriage |
| physical abuse, desertion, failure to support | Accepted reasons for Aztec women to divorce men |
| neglect home duties, have a poor temper, produce no children | Accepted reasons for an Aztec man to divorce a woman |
| to bear and care for children | Aztecs believed this was a woman's most important job |
| to be a soldier | commoner boys trained at school for this task |
| to be priests, government officials, or military commanders | sons of nobles learned these three skills at their school |
| maize | this food was the mainstay of the Aztec diet |
| winged ants and an axolotl (lizardlike creature) | wealthy Aztecs might eat these two prized delicacies |
| Barter or trade | Instead of a money exchange, Aztecs used this practice within the market |
| the sun god or Huitziilopochtli | the Aztec chief god |
| nourish or "feed" the god blood | Aztecs believed that this was the way to keep their sun god strong |
| warriors captured in battle | Aztecs believed that this group had particularly "strong blood" |
| cutting off women's heads | Aztecs honored the goddess of corn in this manner |
| patolli | board game played by the Aztecs |
| tlachtli | ball game played by the nobility |
| the world | the tlachtli court represents this |
| a heavenly body | the ball used in the game of tlachtli represents this |
| codex | a type of bark-paper book used by the Aztec to record historical, religious, governmental, and scientific knowledge |
| Mexico City | Tenochtitlan existed near to this modern day city |
| 1.) the ruler; 2.) nobles consisting of government officials, priests, and military leaders; 3.) commoners; 4.) peasants; 5.) slaves | five Aztec classes in order from highest to lowest |
| Nahuatl | Aztec language |
| a temple | What building was at the center of Tenochtitlan was the city's most important building? |
| that the people pay tribute to the Aztec emperor | What did the Aztecs demand of the people they conquered? |
| A group of advisors would choose the next emperor. | How did the Aztecs choose their emperor? |
| the priests | Which group of Aztecs studied the sky, predicted the future, and ran the schools? |
| corn | What is maize? |
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