Aztecs 2 Acheivments and a Little History
Brian Lee 4/5/2013
Ms. Suri Period: 5 The Aztec In the ancient Americas, the Aztec, Incas, and Mayans were superior civilizations, but of those 3
the Aztec were exceptional. The Aztec represent multiple city states formed by an alliance into 1
civilization. The original “founders” of the Aztec civilization were tribal nomads known as the Mexica,
who wandered to Mexico. There they were kicked out by settlers who already called the valleys of
Mexico home, forced on to a small inhospitable island in the middle of lake Texcoco, they settled. To
settle such inhospitable land they had to create anachronistic engineering feats to acquire basic survival
requirements and expansion. The Aztec today are known for their numerous architectural feats that
make them exceptional. Not only were the Aztec phenomenal engineers they also were intelligent
mathematicians, and astronomers. Because of their highly advanced concepts of math, astronomy, and
architecture this is what truly make them anachronistic and significant.
When the Mexica were forced onto a island they were forced to think of other ways to get
a stable source of food. To solve this issue they created chinampas, or floating gardens. “Chinampas
were floating gardens built on swamps... First, canals were built through the marshes and swamps.
Then, the mud from the canals were placed on mats, which were made from weeds and straw. Then,
trees were planted at the corners. When these trees took root, they secured the chinampa firmly in
place.” (http://library.thinkquest.org/16325/y-farm.html). According to this excerpt the chinampas were
simple yet ingenious, representing the Aztec skill in architecture and adaption. The Aztec also built
magnificent temples of worship or... sacrifice, where multiple people (often criminals) were sacrificed
to appease various gods. One notable structure of
Ms. Suri Period: 5 The Aztec In the ancient Americas, the Aztec, Incas, and Mayans were superior civilizations, but of those 3
the Aztec were exceptional. The Aztec represent multiple city states formed by an alliance into 1
civilization. The original “founders” of the Aztec civilization were tribal nomads known as the Mexica,
who wandered to Mexico. There they were kicked out by settlers who already called the valleys of
Mexico home, forced on to a small inhospitable island in the middle of lake Texcoco, they settled. To
settle such inhospitable land they had to create anachronistic engineering feats to acquire basic survival
requirements and expansion. The Aztec today are known for their numerous architectural feats that
make them exceptional. Not only were the Aztec phenomenal engineers they also were intelligent
mathematicians, and astronomers. Because of their highly advanced concepts of math, astronomy, and
architecture this is what truly make them anachronistic and significant.
When the Mexica were forced onto a island they were forced to think of other ways to get
a stable source of food. To solve this issue they created chinampas, or floating gardens. “Chinampas
were floating gardens built on swamps... First, canals were built through the marshes and swamps.
Then, the mud from the canals were placed on mats, which were made from weeds and straw. Then,
trees were planted at the corners. When these trees took root, they secured the chinampa firmly in
place.” (http://library.thinkquest.org/16325/y-farm.html). According to this excerpt the chinampas were
simple yet ingenious, representing the Aztec skill in architecture and adaption. The Aztec also built
magnificent temples of worship or... sacrifice, where multiple people (often criminals) were sacrificed
to appease various gods. One notable structure of
Bibliography: 1. "Aztec Society, Religion, and Culture (Overview)."World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras.ABC-CLIO,2013. Web. 4 Apr. 2013. 2. "Aztecs."History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2013. 3. "The Aztec Empire."The Aztec Empire. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2013. 4. ThinkQuest Team 16325. "Empires Past: Aztecs: Farming and Agriculture" 31 August 1998. [Accessed 5 April 2013]. 5. "Cholula Pyramid."Cholula Pyramid. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2013. 6. "Maya, Inca, and Aztec Achievements."Maya, Inca, and Aztec Achievements. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2013.