AZTECS
The ancient Mexican region not only stands out as a mythological haven, but also as a culturally vibrant and technologically advanced civilization. Among the Mesoamerican civilizations, the Aztecs standout for their significant contributions in the fields of astronomy, medicine, and also for their bizarre ritualistic practices.
The Aztecs represent an important group of the Mesoamerican civilizations. They arrived from the north to the 'valley of Mexiaco' or what is currently the city of Mexico, during 1200 AD. Known as the 'Tenochca' or the 'Toltec' tribe, the Aztecs dominated the Mexican valley between the 14th and 15th centuries. Initially, confronted by the Culhuacans the Tenochcas had to flee the mainland and move towards the island. Under the command of Itzacoatl, the Tenochcas gained freedom and undertook the construction of the grand city of Tenochtitlan. As new regions in the valley of Mexico came under the Aztecs they also absorbed the local gods into their religion. The Aztecs were ruled by a succession of kings from Mocteuzma I (1440-1469) to Mocteuzma II (1502- 1518) before the Spanish conquest in 1519 (led by Hernan Cortes) ended their domination. [Richard Hooker ]. With well-developed trading networks, religious mythologies, sacrificial rituals, advanced astronomical and mathematical knowledge; the Aztecs present a distinct and highly stratified society in the history of America. Let us have a brief overview of the Aztecs, their customs and practices, with special focus on their achievements in the field of astronomy.
Aztec Empire
The Aztecs reached the peak of their domination in the 15th century and established an empire that can be rivaled in size only by the Incas. The economy of the Aztecs was primarily based on agriculture and trading. It is estimated that during the peak of their reign almost half of the Aztec population was occupied in farming. The pilli and the macehualles represented the social class divisions among the Aztecs. The pilli were the noble class while the macehualles were the 'commoners'. These divisions were not made on the basis of birth but on the basis of skills of the people. Bravery on the battlefield and other special skills granted the status of a pilli on any common citizen. The Aztec kinship system was organized into different calpulli groups with each calpulli practicing a different trade. They had an education system where children, upon reaching the age of 15, were enrolled in a school known as the 'telpuchcalli' (school of youth). In the 'telpuchcalli' the youths were trained in the art of war and in the specialized trade that applied to their calpulli. They were also taught about their history and cultural traditions. In the Aztec society, women were not treated on par with men and hence they were barred from any important official posts. This subordinate status for women relegated them to household chores.[Richard Hooker]
Religion and Crime Policies
The religion of Aztecs is pretty complex involving many gods and demi gods. The Huitzilopochtli or 'the Humming bird', the Tezcatlipoca or the 'Smoking mirror' and the Quetzalcoatl ('Sovereign Plumed Serpent') represented the three main deities. Below these main gods were the sub-gods namely Chalchihuitlicue (god of growth), Tlaloc or the rain god, Xipe or the god of spring. One of the shocking religious practices of the Aztecs was the custom of human sacrifice as an act of appeasing the gods. During the reign of the king Ahuitzotl (1468-1502) it is believed that more than 20,000 human sacrifices were offered to mark a successful campaign of Oaxaca. The usual custom was to make a hole into the ribcage and pull out the live heart and offer it to the sacrificial fire. In cases of offerings to god 'Huehueteotl' the victims were drugged and thrown direct into the sacrificial fire. Crimes were also severely dealt with in the Aztec community. Stealing, adultery and other forms of serious crimes received corporal punishment while minor offenses were also treated severely. Organ mutilation was a common punishment for minor offenses. [Richard Hooker]
Aztec's Knowledge of Astronomy
The study of the Aztec civilization offers enough proof of their deep knowledge of astronomy. Their stone calendar, is an example of their through understanding of the solar cycle. The giant stone calendar is 12 feet in diameter and weighs around 24 tons. The Aztecs carved out this massive stone calendar during the 15th century and the work is understood to have taken more than 52 years for completion. This stone calendar contains pictographs, which depict 18 months each with 20 days, and five dots marked...
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