What is an interesting fact about the Aztecs?
They were one of the last Native American civilisations! They lived in Mexico before the Spanish conquest of the 16th century. In fact, the word ‘Aztec’ means ‘someone who comes from an unknown location in Mexico’. Aztecs were also called Mehika or Mexica – the original name of ‘Mexico’.
What is the Aztec empire known for?
The Aztec Empire (c. 1345-1521) covered at its greatest extent most of northern Mesoamerica. Highly accomplished in agriculture and trade, the last of the great Mesoamerican civilizations was also noted for its art and architecture.
What did the Aztec civilization do for fun?
The Aztecs enjoyed playing games. One of the most popular games was a board game called Patolli. Just like with many board games today, players would move their pieces around a board by rolling dice. Another popular game was Ullamalitzli.
What killed the Aztec civilization?
The mysterious epidemic that devastated Aztecs may have been food poisoning. In 1545, an unknown disease struck the Aztec Empire. Over the next five years, the disease—then called “cocoliztli,” or “pestilence”—killed between seven and 17 million people.
Did the Aztecs invent chocolate?
Who invented chocolate? Chocolate’s 4,000-year history began in ancient Mesoamerica, present day Mexico. It’s here that the first cacao plants were found. The Olmec, one of the earliest civilizations in Latin America, were the first to turn the cacao plant into chocolate.
What things did the Aztecs invent?
What Inventions Did the Aztecs Make?
- Mandatory Education. The Aztec empire was one of the few in the world to implement mandatory education.
- Chocolate. The Aztecs and Mayans take credit for introducing chocolate to the world.
- Medicine.
- The Calendar.
- Gum.
What was the Aztecs greatest achievements?
Their engineering achievements include the construction of a double aqueduct, a massive dike, causeways and artificial islands. Among other things, the Aztecs had a number system, a calendar, great knowledge of medicine and a rich tradition in poetry.
What technology did the Aztecs invent?
The advances demonstrated in Aztec technology are so remarkable that they are still looked upon adoringly to this day. Just a few of the Aztec accomplishments have been the development of mathematics, the canoe, the highly specialized Aztec calendar, and remarkably helpful forms of medicine.
What did the Aztecs invented?
The Aztecs produced prodigious amounts of corn, beans and squash, and they even raised animals such as turkeys through the use of floating gardens known as chinampas. To create these agricultural wonders, areas of approximately 90 feet by 8 feet (27.4 meters by 2.4 meters) were staked out in the lake.
What caused the Aztec civilization to fall?
Disease was a very important factor that led to the fall of the Aztec Empire. The Spanish brought many deadly diseases when they arrived in Mexico. The diseases, like smallpox, caused many Aztec die. The diseases also weakened many people which gave the Spanish an advantage while fighting.
What did the Aztecs discover?
They developed a form of hieroglyphic writing, a complex calendar system, and built famous pyramids and temples. Legend has it that the Aztecs wandered for many years in search of a sign, an eagle and a serpent fighting on a cactus, to show them where to found their city.
What are 10 facts about the Aztecs?
10 Fascinating Facts About the Aztecs. The Aztecs are best known for eating chocolate, killing boatloads of people in sacrifice to their heathen gods and eventually getting beaten by the Spaniards . They are known by most as a warlike, barbaric race, mostly due to the incredible amount of people they killed.
What was the Aztec civilization famous for?
The Aztecs were famous for their agriculture, cultivating all available land, introducing irrigation, draining swamps, and creating artificial islands in the lakes.
What happened to the Aztec civilization?
Aztec peoples practiced a religion that affected every part of their lives. To honor their gods, they constructed towering temples, huge sculptures, and held ceremonies that included bloody human sacrifices. The Aztec empire was destroyed by the Spaniards , who conquered it in 1521.
What was the civilization that the Aztecs built?
Aztec civilization was built around corn cultivation . Society was divided between “pipiltin” (nobles) and “macehualli” (commoners), and was led by an Emperor. The Aztecs also had slaves, and individuals could become slaves due to debts, as a criminal punishment, or as war captives.