The Aztecs, By Amy

 

In 2015 my parents went on a trip to Mexico for my grandma’s birthday. They came back with stories and pictures of the pyramids, buildings, and ruins that they had visited. It made me want to learn more about the people that lived there. These people were the Aztecs. They were an interesting people who farmed, built cities, and were religious.

The Aztecs were a wandering tribe from northern Mexico and were one of the last great Native American civilizations. “Aztecs” means “someone from Aztlan”. They were famous for their agriculture, temples, hieroglyphics, calendar system, and famous pyramids.

The Aztecs farmed on floating gardens called chinampas which were used to produce the city’s food. Squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and maize were the most common foods grown in the gardens. The farmers main tool was the digging stick. The digging stick was a long stick with a half diamond on the end. The Aztecs would cook on a round stone placed over a fire, it was mainly used to cook tortillas. The Aztecs favorite food was maize. They could grind it into flour and eat it cooked.

The Aztecs built large cities with many important buildings. The Aztecs temples were a giant pyramid with two smaller buildings on them, one for each god. They built their pyramids, temples, and homes using stones, chisels, and blades. They had to build on strong foundations because the ground would sink. They had ball courts in their cities as well.

No matter what rank they had, the Aztecs would all sleep on a floor mat. Even the king did, but his was nicer. There were religious festivals every month with singing and dancing, music was very important at these festivals. The Aztec civilization was highly developed socially, artistically, and intellectually. Rank was very important to the Aztecs. Farmers, peasants, and slaves were the lowest rank.

In 5021 the Aztecs were conquered by Spain. When Spanish explorers arrived in Tenochtitlay, an Aztec city, the Aztec people thought they were gods and trusted them which was a bad idea. Many Aztecs also died from European diseases.

The Aztecs were an interesting people to learn about. They had unique lives and a fascinating history. I hope to someday visit the area where the Aztecs lived and learn even more about them.