Location
Central Mexico; capital in Mexico City
Time Period
1300s – 1521 CE
Capital City
Tenochtitlan
Important Site
Templo Mayor – temple to Huitzilopochtli (sun/war) and Tlaloc (rain/fertility)
Politics
Empire ruled by an emperor
Social Classes
Emperor, nobles, priests, warriors, merchants/artisans, farmers (commoners), slaves
Tribute System
Conquered peoples paid goods, crops, and labor to the empire
Religion
Polytheistic
Gods
Huitzilopochtli, Tlaloc, and Quetzalcoatl were important gods
Agriculture
Chinampas – floating gardens on lakes to grow crops
Engineering
Canals, pyramids, and temples
Art
Feather crown inserts, pottery, jewelry, and metalsmithing
Calendar
20-day ritual calendar
Sacrifice Purpose
To honor their gods; believed the sun would not rise without sacrifice
Sacrifice Methods
Heart extraction, decapitation, and dismemberment
Decline
Conquered by Hernán Cortés in 1521 CE; Spain had superior weapons and brought diseases such as smallpox
