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City & Empire Layout
During the reign of the Aztecs, they had managed to build two cities: Teotihuacán (c. 500-750 CE) and Tenochtitlán (c. 1428 - 1521 CE). The Aztecs centered their original city, Teotihuacán ("City of the Gods"), around their two major pyramids. The architectural design of the city were based heavily on the cosmology, astronomy, and religion of the Aztecs. Main buildings were connected by a large road: the Street of the Dead. At the end of the street was the Pyramid of the Moon. |
Their second city, Tenochtitlán, was built on an island in Lake Texcoco with a grid system. It was connected to the mainland with three raised roads called causeways. This new city was inspired by the remaining ruins of Teotihuacán. The city centre was a walled complex filled with temples, palaces, and government buildings. As one gets farther from city centre, scattered on the outskirts were homes, ball courts, and their gardens and farming land. The city had a plaza and a marketplace, along with two aqueducts that supplied fresh water.
The Aztecs carved their stones as decorations around the city, and also had hundreds of temples. |
Pyramids
During their empire, the Aztecs built many pyramids. The Aztec pyramids were much like the Egyptian pyramids, except that the tops were flat. The flat tops of these pyramids were used for sacrifices, and the insides were painted and decorated with statues. Their staircases had thirteen steps that each had astronomical influences, and at the end of these staircases would be statues of dragon-like figures with stone serpent heads.
The Aztecs had two famous pyramids that served as the focal points for the city layout of Teotihuacán: the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. Excavations of the Pyramid of the Sun reveals a cave underneath with numerous scenes of water and fire rituals. The Pyramid of the Sun was one of the largest structures in the Americas. Along with the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, there are more than 20 other pyramids dedicated to various gods of the Aztec religion. In the latter Aztec city, Tenochtitlán, residing in the main structure of the plaza was the Great Temple (Templo Mayor), a giant pyramid with twin temples on top. One of these temples was dedicated to the sun god, and the other to the rain god. |
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Houses
Aztec homes were fairly simple, and were built typically based on their social classes. The houses of nobles resided near the marketplace and city centre, while the houses of the peasants were located on the outskirts of the city. Commoners: The homes of commoners mainly consisted of one large room that had a sleeping area shared by the family. The large room would also often be sectioned off for different purposes, and their furnitures were sparse and simple. Nobles: The common Aztec building material was generally made up of sun dried brick or a mixture of cement, sand, and lime. If a noble was extremely rich, the entire house could be made of stone. Aztec nobles were allowed to build second floors to their homes. The nobles also had several rooms in their houses, and large houses often had a small courtyard. |
Tools
Obsidian, a volcanic green-blue glass found in the Valley of Mexico, was often also used to make sharp weapons. Because obsidians were glass-like, it was easy for the ancient Aztecs to create weapons and tools. They were able to create weapons such as a short obsidian knife, or day-to-day objects such as mirrors. Later on, the Aztecs also relied on stone and copper to make axe blades, or reeds and bones to make drills. |