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| The beautiful city of Tenochtitlan. |
Though they would be considered a savage and primitive civilization, the Aztecs were advanced not only in warfare, like mentioned in the post on warriors, but also in architecture, math, and agriculture. These advancements helped the Aztecs thrive.
ARCHITECTURE
The Aztecs city of Tenochtitlan was almost unparalleled in the world of Mexican civilizations. The Aztecs found a good place to raise a metropolis. They decided on the center of a lake. This not only helped them with agriculture and fishing, but it kept their city safe from invaders.
The mathematical and architectural feats of the Aztecs are almost unbelievable. The temples were large and foreboding, the main temple being that the one dedicated to Huitzilopochtli.
The temples were unbelievably strong and some have stood to this day. They were built to withstand earthquakes which were common in that time.
THE AZTEC CALENDAR
In 1479 the Aztecs carved a calendar stone.
The Aztecs focused on special dates for honoring different gods. This worship called for something that could help them keep track of the time. So they made that thing. Of course, the calendar was dedicated to the Sun God. The actual calendar was enormous; about three feet thick, twelve feet across, and weighing almost 25 tones.
The first Aztec calendar was called the xiuhpohualli, and marked the year to have 365 days. The actual length of these days was almost exactly to that of the solar cycle, the Aztecs simply forgot the leap year. The Aztecs were gifted astronomers and studied the stars enough to make the calendar.
The Aztecs believed that the world would end in the year of 2012, because that was the year that their calendar ended, but obviously they were wrong. But as a side affect, this movie was made;
AGRICULTURE
Aztec's were expert farmers. Their area, the Valley of Mexico, had rich, fertile, soil which allowed for rapid cultivation of crops.
CHINAMPAS
Chinampas were a quaint but useful agricultural technique used by the Aztecs around Tenochtitlan. This method of irrigation which used rectangular areas of crops within the lake.
The chinampas provided rich soil for the Aztec crops. This feat of irrigation is inspiring and was used by many people since.
The Aztecs also used terraces.
Terraces were basically hills that were used to create deeper soil, even if the land was flat.
As you can see, the Aztecs, though maybe not exactly technologically, were highly advanced for their age and area. They mapped out the stars and created a calendar. They created awe-inspiring temples in the middle of a lake. They used agricultural techniques that were not only impressive but also risky.
ARCHITECTURE
The Aztecs city of Tenochtitlan was almost unparalleled in the world of Mexican civilizations. The Aztecs found a good place to raise a metropolis. They decided on the center of a lake. This not only helped them with agriculture and fishing, but it kept their city safe from invaders.
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| The bridges were used to access the city. |
The mathematical and architectural feats of the Aztecs are almost unbelievable. The temples were large and foreboding, the main temple being that the one dedicated to Huitzilopochtli.
 |
| The largest temple in Tenochtitlan, used for sacrifices. It was over 197 feet! |
THE AZTEC CALENDAR
In 1479 the Aztecs carved a calendar stone.
 |
| A picture of the Aztec Calendar Stone. |
The first Aztec calendar was called the xiuhpohualli, and marked the year to have 365 days. The actual length of these days was almost exactly to that of the solar cycle, the Aztecs simply forgot the leap year. The Aztecs were gifted astronomers and studied the stars enough to make the calendar.
The Aztecs believed that the world would end in the year of 2012, because that was the year that their calendar ended, but obviously they were wrong. But as a side affect, this movie was made;
AGRICULTURE
Aztec's were expert farmers. Their area, the Valley of Mexico, had rich, fertile, soil which allowed for rapid cultivation of crops.
CHINAMPAS
Chinampas were a quaint but useful agricultural technique used by the Aztecs around Tenochtitlan. This method of irrigation which used rectangular areas of crops within the lake.
The chinampas provided rich soil for the Aztec crops. This feat of irrigation is inspiring and was used by many people since.
The Aztecs also used terraces.
Terraces were basically hills that were used to create deeper soil, even if the land was flat.
As you can see, the Aztecs, though maybe not exactly technologically, were highly advanced for their age and area. They mapped out the stars and created a calendar. They created awe-inspiring temples in the middle of a lake. They used agricultural techniques that were not only impressive but also risky.
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