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Aztecs: Should Historians Emphasize Agriculture or Human Sacrifice?

By Mr. Scovell
Last updated over 4 years ago
11 Questions

Aztecs: Should Historians Emphasize Agriculture or Human Sacrifice?

Weekly Reading...

A Short History of the Ancient Aztecs

At the same time that the Renaissance was unfolding in Europe, the Aztecs were creating a remarkable world-class society in the Americas. The years were 1350 to 1519. The place was roughly the site of present-day Mexico City.

Frequently, we begin our study of the Aztecs in 1519 because that is the year Hernan Cortes and 500 Spanish conquistadors (“con-kees-ta-doors”) first entered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (“ten-och-teet-lan”). However, we are interested in Aztec culture before the Spanish arrived. It is the pre-conquest Aztecs that will be the focus of this week's lesson.

Understanding any civilization is challenging because civilizations are complex. We should not expect a smoothly ironed history. There will be wrinkles – some triumphs, some losses; some beauty, some ugliness. And historians will disagree about what to emphasize.

This is even true for the history of the United States of America. Some modern historians choose to emphasize the losses and ugliness of our past to paint America as oppressive and a deterrent to freedom for their own political agenda. Others choose to ignore our failures and paint America as perfection immune to any wrongdoing. Like all things, there is a balance, where it is necessary to acknowledge the ugliness and terrible things mankind has done but have an overwhelming sense of pride and patriotism for the country that has provided more opportunity and liberties both economically and culturally than any other in history.

Back to the Aztecs, on the basic geography, there is no disagreement. The Aztecs lived in a geological basin in
central Mexico that is about the size of Rhode Island. Surrounded by high mountain peaks, the basin extends 80 miles from north to south and 49 miles from east to west. In Aztec times, the basin collected water that formed five interconnected shallow lakes which provided splendid irrigation for farming. In the middle sat Tenochtitlan, an urban island built on landfill, and home to 300,000 people. The climate in this high region was unpredictable, with wet summers and dry, frost-filled winters. However, with the help of their calendars and their gods, the Aztecs managed to cope quite well.

The Aztecs first migrated to the shores of Lake Texcoco around 1100 CE. At the time they numbered about 10,000 people. When they arrived, there were already many groups of farmers living in the lake area of central  Mexico. The Aztecs were distrusted and disliked because they tended to push others out of their way. Eventually, after centuries of aggression, they were totally in charge. By 1434, they were demanding tribute and military support from people throughout the region. They were also busy developing a remarkable agricultural system called chinampas  (“chin-ahm-pahs”). Because of their strong military and agricultural success, Aztec leaders were able to rule some ten million people.

Religion gave the Aztec's direction and purpose. Their religion included at least 128 major deities, including gods of rain, fire, water, corn, the sky, and the sun. The gods were recognized by a cycle of festivals and ceremonies that involved feasting, dancing, and human sacrifice. The most important god, Huitzilopochtli (“weet-zee-lo-poch’-tlee”), was the Aztec sun god, who struggled to keep the night at bay and to bring warmth to the world. Huitzilopochtli needed strength in order to carry out his duties and the Aztecs believed that human blood and hearts provided the necessary nourishment. This led to some disturbing practices.
1.

Answer the questions 1-3 from the video above

The Aztec Empire, which covered most of Mexico and Central America, included...
(Choose ALL that apply!)

2.

What disease "desomated" the Aztec population? (one answer)

3.

How did the Aztec empire fall to Cortez and the Spanish?
(Choose ALL that apply!)

4.

Answers 4 - 6 come from the pictures and captions above
What is their agricultural system called?

5.

What was so "ingenious" about their agricultural system?

6.

More than one answer
Select the crops that would have been grown by the Aztecs

7.

Answer this question using the above image
The purpose of this mural is to...

8.

Questions 8 & 9 from document D
Who were the people being sacrificed?

9.

Why do you think they raised the heart to the sun?

10.

Question from document E
How were the enemy warriors being treated?

Watch the video below that will provide you with evidence and information.
11.

Legacy defines the ancient people and is how you will be judged by future generations. What should be emphasized more when teaching the Ancient Aztecs? Write a paragraph that provides a claim that answers the essential question. Provide three pieces of evidence (essay, videos, or documents) that support your claim and analysis explaining your answer.