Aztec Culture and Religion

Aztec Culture and Religion Huitzilopochtli, Aztec god of sun & war
Hernán Cortés and his Spanish Conquistadores landed on the coast of Mexico, at Veracruz, and traveled from there to the capital of Tenochtitlan (tay noach teet lawn), which is present day Mexico City.
Hernán Cortés
The Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, was found on a man made island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. Notice the causeways that connected it to the land. These causeways had bridges that could be removed to enhance defense of the city. The point was to make the city more difficult to attack.
The Aztecs invented the “chinampa” agricultural system of man­made islands with huejote trees on each side of the artificial islands to keep them from eroding. This was the most productive farming system in the world at that time!
Tlaloc, the Rain God
Model of the Templo Mayor or the main temple for the Aztecs, located in the capital city of Tenochtitlan.
Model of the center of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, with the Templo Mayor at the back center.
Ethiopian Stone or Tecpatl which was the sacrificial knife used to cut open the chest to allow the priest access to the heart. Ceremonial knife in rock holder.
Maize was provided as a new food source for the Europeans.
Huitzilopochtli The god of war and the sun. Loaded the sun in a chariot and carried it across the horizon each day. He was fueled by the hearts of human sacrifices.
Ollama ­ ancient ball game played with a solid rubber ball.
Details of masonry designs placed on the walls of the ball court.
Ollama hoop. Vertical hoop that the teams tried to get the rubber ball through.
El Castillo pyramid (temple) in Chichén Itza, on the Yucatan Peninsula.
Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuácan, Mexico.
Sacrificial gladiatorial combat with a Jaguar Knight or Eagle Warrior (elite forces) was allowed for captured warriors who were particularly good fighters. If they won, they were granted freedom. They had to fight while anchored by a large stone and with feather clubs.
The Jaguar and Eagle Warriors were the elite Aztec forces.
Aztec warriors shown in the Florentine Codex
Macuahuitl – sword used by the Aztecs which consisted of a wooden club, embedded with razor sharp obsidian rock pieces. Atlatl – spear thrower that allowed the warrior to get more momentum on the throw.
Child infected with smallpox