<<ALT TAG: This calendar is a circular, and is reminiscent of a bicycle wheel. It features “spokes” that run through the center.>>
Tenochtitlan was situated on an island in Lake Texcoco. Many of its structures were built in the water, and were connected by canals and bridges. The city was also a bustling trade center, with merchants and farmers from neighbouring cities flocking to Tenochtitlan and its sister city to sell their goods. In 1450, Tenochtitlan was one of three cities in the Triple Alliance. This alliance was intended to stabilize trade and keep peace in the region. This image shows some of the items that would be paid to the Triple Alliance by subjugated cities.It was created as part of the Codex Mendoza, an account commissioned by Europeans after the conquest of the city.
<<ALT TAG: This image depicts various elements of Atzec education.>>
This image is of the tonalpohualli, or sacred Aztec calendar, a highly accurate method of tracking the year based on 20 month cycles. The Aztecs also had a daily calendar, the xiuhpohuali of 365 days used to track agricultural activities. Both calendars together describe the rituals to be performed on that day to appease the gods. These rituals varied, but did include blood sacrifices ranging from a small amount of bloodletting to human sacrifice. Historians agree that around 1450, the Aztecs engaged in a series of ritualistic conflicts with neighbouring cities. These unusual wars seemed to be pre-arranged with their opponents, featured equal number of combatants, and were waged only with weapons that allowed warriors to show their skills. The Flower Wars may have been a way to obtain more slaves for human sacrifice. Historians who support this view cite a Spanish source which claims the Aztecs needed regular and consistent human sacrifices to appease their gods.
Aztec culture featured a rigid and sophisticated class structure. Nobles and commoners, for example, featured subclasses with their own complex ranks and rules. The image to the left is from the Mendoza Codex, which was created to provide the Spanish king with an understanding of Aztec life. It depicts the education of Aztec youths. Though the education for the sexes and classes differed, all males and females who were not slaves received some kind of structured education.