Daily Life in Tennochtitaln

Daily Life in Tenochtitlan

The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican people who built a large empire in central Mexico. Their empire arose in a fertile area nearly 8,000 feet above sea level known as the Valley of Mexico. Two groups, the Teotihuacans and the Toltecs, had built civilizations there that strongly influenced them. The Aztec empire extended from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific ocean by 1500 C.E.; it occupied a great area of Central Mexico and reached as far south as the current border of Guatemala.The civilization flourished between the years 1428 to 1519 C.E. and is known for its great city, Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was a unique city because it is made of small islands called chinampas. In addition, the city had a large plaza where the Aztecs gathered for certain events, and  a marketplace where a variety of goods were traded. Furthermore, getting around the city was not a problem; a thousand workers swept and washed down the streets everyday, keeping them spotless. For the most part, Aztec life was centered around tribute and warfare; collecting tribute was the city’s most important business. The Aztecs relied on tribute to support the huge population of Tenochtitlan. In addition, the Aztecs had a declaration of war that followed a ritualized pattern. The Aztecs first asked a city to join their empire as an ally, the city was given 60 days to agree. If the ruler did not accept the offer, the Aztecs declared war. Only a few demands were made by the Aztecs on the defeated city: the people had to honor the god Huitzilopochtli, obey the Aztec ruler, and pay tribute.

The commoners in the Aztec empire began their day early in the morning to perform their daily tasks such as farming, fishing, serving, or making and trading goods. After working several hours, commoners would eat a simple meal in the late morning. At midday, commoners ate their main meal of tortillas, maize cakes, boiled beans, or tamales. The commoners went to markets to trade, sell their own goods, and socialize. Marriage and family life were important to Aztecs of all social classes. It marked an Aztec child’s entry into adulthood. Men usually married and the age of 20 and girls married at 16. The father was the master of the house. Women cared for children, wove clothes, fixed meals, tended the garden, and looked after the livestock. The Aztecs also gathered at the plaza for religious rituals, feasts, and festivals. Religion was very important to the Aztecs. They believed that gods were essential for survival. It was also important to perform rituals and ceremonies to please the gods. The Aztec’s own god was Huitzilopochtli, the sun god and the god of war. The Aztecs were especially known for rituals including blood sacrifice and human sacrifice. While religion and rituals were important to the Aztecs, they also had some time for recreation. They especially enjoyed music, dancing, and playing patolli.

Most of Aztec life for commoners consisted of consistent, faithful work to achieve many marvelous accomplishments. For example, the building of the island city, Tenochtitlan, was one of the most extraordinary achievements in the Aztec empire. Today, flower farmers in Xochimilco still use chinampas. In addition, tourists enjoy taking boat trips to see the beautiful “floating gardens”. Another impressive achievement was the three causeways that connected Tenochtitlan to the mainland. The causeways were usually teeming with people traveling to and from the capital. Furthermore, the Aztecs created the Sun Stone which was dedicated to the god of the sun. Today, the sun stone is a famous symbol of Mexico. In architecture, the Aztecs are known the best for their stone temples, like those of the Great Temple in Tenochtitlan. Finally, the Aztecs created a writing system that used pictographs and glyphs. As you can see, the Aztecs were a successful empire because of their unique accomplishments in many areas.