Daily life in tenochtitlan

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Daily life in tenochtitlan

• Chapter 25, pgs. 279-287

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tenochtitlan

• Capital of the Aztec Empire

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MARRIAGE CUSTOMS

• Men married at around 20 women around 16.
• Arranged marriages (no love at first sight).
• Polygamy more than one husband or wife (if you
  could afford it).
• Divorce was allowed.

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food

• Maize (corn)
• Beans
• Turkeys
• Squash
• Red peppers
• Sweet potatoes

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religious practices

• Aztecs worshiped the sun god, Huitzilopochtli, as
  well as many other gods.
• Most Aztec rituals included blood sacrifice,
  since the Aztecs believed that blood helped
  nourish the sun god for his nightly battle
  against the forces of darkness.
• Priests often pierced their skin with cactus
  spikes to offer their own blood.

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family life

• Men had higher status than women in Aztec
  society, and were the masters of the house.
• Mens roles included building the house, working
  as farmers, or as crafstmen.
• Womens roles included fixing meals, tending the
  gardens, and raising children.

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markets

• At the market, people bartered for all kinds of
  goods.
• The pochteca had a special place in the market
  where they sold such goods as jade, quetzal
  feathers, and tortoise shells.
• People came to the market to meet friends,
  gossip, and hear the days news.

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recreation

• Patolli, a board game, was a favorite form of
  entertainment for the Aztecs.
• Tlachtli, played only by Aztec nobles, was a game
  in which players tried to hit a rubber ball
  through a small ring.
• Hundreds of spectators from all levels of Aztec
  society watched tlachtli games.

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