The Aztecs also practices human sacrifice, offering a human heart to the sun god, for example, to win favor from the gods. Geography: This area is characterized by an extraordinary diversity in topography and climate and is crossed by two major mountain chains, the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental. The Aztec civilization developed in the Valley of Mexico, wedged between high mountains and surrounded by lakes that provided fish, waterfowl, potable water and reeds for thatching and weaving.
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During the rule of Moctezuma II to dumping of waste and even littering in public spaces was prohibited and penalized.
Aztec society expected its rulers and nobility to be role models and stipulated stiffer penalties for them than for the general population if they violated the law. Wastefulness was not tolerated, particularly among the elite: children of nobility were sentenced to death if they were wasteful.
This contrasts markedly with most contemporary societies, where high government officials and policymakers enjoy legal immunity from prosecution, and their children sometimes flaunt their wealth and privileges. Extracts from the Codex Mendoza depicting Aztec punishments. Photos: considered public domain. Scavengers — called pepenilia — were in charge of recovering recyclable materials.
See the bottom of this page for previous Our World articles on contemporary scavenging in Mexico. No descriptions or records have been found of Aztec garbage dumps.
Instead they developed a system that is similar to a sustainable materials management system , considered today as the most desirable way to manage solid wastes, conserve resources and protect the environment. The Aztecs maximized recycling, burned some materials and disposed of the remainder in their chinampas. From what we know about Aztec society, they found productive uses for all wastes.
Unfortunately, after the Spaniards defeated the Aztecs militarily they dismantled the waste management system, drained the lakes, and built Mexico City over the lake bed.
Waste management became a problem that still poses challenges to Mexico City officials today. I would argue that the contemporary world can learn valuable lessons from the Aztecs, such as the following:. And, in the process, they developed a resource-efficient culture with a highly-productive agricultural system that recycled nutrients from their wastes. Their intensive recycling practices created a competitive economy that minimized wastes and used them productively to satisfy their needs.
The Aztecs had to survive in a region where other nations already lived and were not always friendly. A strong economy allowed them to eventually build an empire. Contemporary societies face significant challenges such as the need to feed a growing population, environmental pollution, habitat destruction, biodiversity loss and the possible negative impacts of climate change.
Societies today need to transition to a development model that is more inclusive, less unequal, more resource-efficient, and low-carbon.
The transition will not be painless, but the Aztecs demonstrate that a society can successfully adapt to dramatic changes in environmental conditions and build a strong economy by making an efficient use of resources and not wasting anything. Necessity made the Aztecs pursue self-sufficiency. The Spaniards then murdered thousands of Aztec nobles during a ritual dance ceremony, and Montezuma died under uncertain circumstances while in custody.
European diseases like smallpox, mumps and measles were also powerful weapons against the local population, who lacked immunity to them. After his victory, Cortes razed Tenochtitla and built Mexico City on its ruins; it quickly became the premier European center in the New World. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The Maya Empire, centered in the tropical lowlands of what is now Guatemala, reached the peak of its power and influence around the sixth century A.
The Maya excelled at agriculture, pottery, hieroglyph writing, calendar-making and mathematics, and left behind an astonishing The Aztec Empire was a shifting and fragile alliance of three principle city-states.
The Aztec Triple Alliance exerted tremendous power over a Teotihuacan is an ancient Mesoamerican city located 30 miles 50 km northeast of modern-day Mexico City. Aztec priests, using razor-sharp obsidian blades, sliced open the chests of sacrificial victims and offered their The history of chocolate can be traced to the ancient Mayans, and even earlier to the ancient Olmecs of southern Mexico.
The word chocolate may conjure up images of sweet candy bars and luscious truffles, but the chocolate of today is little like the chocolate of the past.
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