1. Social Studies
for 9 th E.G.B.
THE AZTECS Teacher:
Mauricio
Torres

2. WHO WERE THE AZTECS?
 Around AD 1200, nomadic people from the north, settled in
the Valley of Mexico.
 These tribes were dif ferent nations, but they all shared the
same language: Nahuatl.
 Legend says they come from a place of legend called
Azatlan, therefore their name: Aztecs.

3. TENOCHTITLÁN.
 According to legend, the gods
told the Aztecs to search for an
eagle holding a snake in its
beak while perching atop a
cactus. This was sign of where
to build their capital city.
 They saw this sign on a swampy
lake called Texcoco, and they
built it in the middle of it.
 Today, México D.F. is built upon
this lake.
 They found ingenious ways to
enlarge their city in this
strange environment as their
population grew.

4. POPULATION
 Their population started to
grow rapidly, and it was fed
with maize and beans
mainly.
 When their empire expanded
in the 1400s, their numbers
reached an estimated six
million people.
 Their territory was expanded
through warfare and
alliances.

5. SOCIET Y
 It was ruled by only one
emperor, form the capital city.
 Nobles served as officials, judges
and governors of conquered
provinces.
 Warriors could rise to
nobility, through warfare.
 Priests were an entirely different
class. They performed sacrifices to
please gods.
 Middle class was formed by:
traders.
 Commoners were the vast majority.
 These were farmers and slaves.

6. CULTURE
 The Aztecs were polytheistic (they believed in many gods).
 They worshipped gods such as Quetzacoatl, a feathered serpent
who reigned over earth and water.
 They built enormous Pyramids, which towered towards the sky.
 Aztecs also built wide roads, temples, apartment buildings in
well planned cities.

7. CULTURE
 Through the writing of
hieroglyphics, priests
recorded laws and historical
events.
 They also ran schools.
 Like other Mesoamerican
cultures, they developed a
knowledge of astronomy and
a calendar.
 Aztec physicians also treated
illness and used natural
medicine!

8. SPORTS
 Aztecs didn’t just develop Rules:
The object of the game is to keep the ball in
things, but they also play and in bounds. Depending on the score –
improved traits and the local variant of the rules – the ball is
developments done by other played either high or low. A team scores a
point when a player of the opposing team hits
cultures from Mesoamerica. the ball out of turn; misses the ball; knocks
the ball out of bounds; touches the ball with
 For example, their rubber their hands or some other body part aside
ballgame was called: Ulama. from the hip; accidentally touches a team-
mate; lets the ball stop moving before it
reaches the centre line or even if they fail to
announce the score after they have scored a
point.

9. DEMISE
 They fell to the power
and treachery of the
Spaniards.
 Their last leader was
Montezuma. He died in
battle.
 Hernán Cortés finally
conquered Tenochtitlán
and razed it to the
ground, in order to build
México city.
 Smallpox decimated the
Aztec population.

10. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Ellis, E. G., & Esler, A . (2009). World Histor y. (P. Hall, Ed.)
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, US: Pearson Education INC.
 Burstein, S. M., & Shek, R. (2012). World Histor y (Teacher ´s
Edition) (1st Edition ed.). (H. McDougal, Ed.) Orlando, Florida,
US.: Houghton Mif flin Harcourt Publishing Company.
 Images taken from Google.