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Aztecs
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Aztecs | Mesoamerican people nomadic people who came to build a vast empire in central Mexico which flourished from 1428 to 1519 CE. |
Eagle | The animal the Aztecs believed would be a sign from the gods about where to build their capital city? |
Tenochtitlan | "the place of the fruit of the prickly pear cactus"; also what the Aztecs named their city; one of the great cities of the world at that time. Located |
Teotihuacan | A group which created an empire which came before the Aztecs and collapsed around 700. |
Toltecs | A group which dominated central Mexico in the 10th and 11th centuries which the Aztecs greatly admired. |
Mexica | Another name for the Aztecs. |
Aztlan | The Mexicas' legendary homeland. |
Mercenary | A soldier who is paid to fight for another country or group. |
Quetzalcoatl | The feathered serpent god of the Teotihuacans which Aztecs also claimed as one of their own gods. |
Tepanecs | The group which the Aztecs defeated to become supreme rulers of central Mexico. |
Itzcoatl | Leader who led the rebellion over the Tepanecs. |
200,000 to 300,000 people | The size of Tenochtitlan at the time when the Spanish invaded. |
"floating islands" | Created in Lake Texcoco to create more land for agriculture |
plaza | A public square or other open area in a city where people can gather. |
pyramids | Used as a place where human sacrifice was conducted. |
marketplace | Use as a place where goods from all over the Aztec empire were bought and sold such as food, gold, silver, turquoise, animal skins, feathers, clothing, pottery, chocolate and vanilla, tools, and slaves. |
causeway | A raised road built across water or low ground |
dike | A wall or dam built to hold back water and prevent flooding |
Aztec empire | It covered much of Central Mexico and reached as far south as the current border with Guatemala. More than 5 million people lived there. |
tribute | What conquered groups around the Aztecs had to pay the Aztecs to live peacefully. Items included food, cacao, gems and stones, cotton, cloth, animals, animal skins, shells, building materials, soldier or even sacrificial victims. |
soldier | Every Aztec male trained to be one. |
60 days | The number of days a city had to pay the Aztecs tribute before all hell broke-out (warfare). The Aztecs were so good at warfare, wars usually lasted one battle. |
Huitzilopochtli | The main Aztec god which surrounding groups in the Empire had to obey after they had been defeated. |