Aztec Clothing

      Along with every culture comes the way they dress. The Aztecs were no different. They dressed very casually and received a culture shock when the Spanish invaded due to their full armor. The Aztecs typically wore loose clothing, and while it was not considered skimpy, it did not fully cover everything. Their clothes and tunics were usually made of cotton and dyed with an array of colors. If they were in the military, their "costume" was usually embroidered with a eagle or a jaguar to show power and superiority. The common people dressed very differently. Slaves simply wore a loincloth, women wore skirts and sleeveless blouses with mild designs, and men often donned a cloak of sorts called tilmas, which was fashioned from a triangular cloth. 

Aztec Quiz

1. What did boys do during their daily life?

2. Who did the Aztecs worship?

3. What God were the round pyramids built for?

4. What important instruments did the Aztecs use?

5. Art was an important part of Aztec culture. True or False

6. What number system was the Aztec number system based on?

7. Many believe the Aztecs to originally be hunter-gatherers. True or False

8. What language did the Aztecs originally speak?

9. What role did girls play for each household?

10. What is a festival that occurs 3 times a year to encourage rain fall?

11. How many days did the  Xiuhpohualli have?


What happened to the Aztecs?

Aztec Capital

          Tenochtitlan became the capital of the expanding Mexican Empire. At its peak ,the city was the largest city in the Pre-Columbian Americas. Tenochtitlan was founded where an eagle was eating a snake, sitting on a cactus in the middle of a lake. Tenochtitlan was formed on top of this lake, despite the unfavorable terrain. Mexico City was then built on top of Tenochtitlan as shown below.



          Tenochtitlan's main temple complex, the Templo Mayor, was dismantled and the central district of the Spanish colonial city was constructed on top of it. The great temple was destroyed by the Spanish during the construction of a cathedral. The location of the Templo Mayor was rediscovered in the early 20th century, but major excavations did not take place until 1978–1982. The ruins of Tenochtitlan still remain under Mexico city.

Aztec Music

         Music was an important part of life for many aztecs. Music was used as a way of passing down tradition. In school, music was an important subject. Significant cultural songs were taught to students between the ages of 12 and 15. They would sing hymns in bands. These hymns would be to the gods, telling about what they had done. Along with these they sang lighthearted songs about everyday life. The symbolism in their songs is so bizarre to us today it can be very hard to get any real meaning.
        The use of drums played a big part in Aztec music. These drums were accompanied by music or played alone. Some of their drums were the aoytl, teponaztli, and huehuetl.

Aztec Festivals

          The Aztecs have many celebrations and festivals. One festival is called the Aztec Rain Festival Celebration. It is celebrated 3 times a year to encourage rain-fall. The first rain festival at the beginning of the agricultural year in February. The second rain festival was offered to Tlaloc and other rain gods in March, once flowers had begun to bloom. The Aztecs formed images of the god, Tlaloc, in small mountains. Another festival is the Celebration of Quecholli Festival. It is a celebration to honor Mixcoatl, who is also known as the Cloud Serpent. He is one of four creators of the world; they believed he created the humans. The Aztecs honor him by a ceremonial hunt.

Aztec Hunters, Quecholli Festival

Aztec Language

          Aztecs communicated with each other through a language called Nahuatl as well as they a system of hieroglyphs. This form of writing was poorly understood early on in the development of the Aztec empire. It had three primary functions: to mark calendrical dates, to record accounting mathematical calculations, and to write names of people and places. 

Aztec Pyramids

         Aztec people valued their craftsmanship. They were known to build pyramids similar to those of the Mayas. They also created some of their own called the twin stair pyramids, such as the one in the Temple Mayor of Tenochtitlan. In these pyramids their were two towers and a double staircase. Each god had their own if these temples.
         Round pyramids were another type of pyramids they built. This type of pyramid was built in honor of the wind god Quetzalcoatl. The pyramids were built in a round shape. This was so that it would not be a barrier for the wind. These were popular in Taluco Valley.