Aztec Civilization - The Aztec Economy

The early Aztec economy consisted of a type of barter system as this was a pre-capitalist society. Minor purchases were made with cacao beans imported from lowlands. In the marketplaces, a small rabbit might have been worth 30 beans, an egg cost 3 beans while larger purchases of cloth could range from 65 to 300 cacao beans. 

The highly developed empire had an elaborate leadership and society that consisted of four classes.

• Nobles (highest in power)
• Commoners (the majority of population, were mostly farmers)
• Serfs (worked land for the nobles)
• Slaves (consisted of those captured and indebted who couldn’t pay)

Governmental office positions were usually inherited

, but one could be awarded an office through exemplary service to the emperor. Slavery was quite common. 

Aztec communities were heavily dependent upon agriculture with corn being the central crop; though they also relied somewhat on hunting and gathering. Crop surpluses were stored and used during hard times. The Aztec also had sophisticated irrigation systems, allowing them to farm otherwise dry lands. They farmed shallow lakes by scooping up mud and forming islands called chinampas. These islands provided very fertile land that was profitable for growing crops.

Aztec Civilization - The Aztecs and Their Region

Most believe the Aztec civilization originated in the area of present day Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado. Historic accounts commonly begin in the late 12th century as they migrated to what is now central Mexico. Modern day Mexicans are of mixed Spanish and indigenous ancestry, descendants of the Mexicas (Aztecs) or of other indigenous peoples of the Aztec Empire and Mesoamerica. Mexico City now stands on the site of the Aztec’s most elaborate and capitol city. 

The Aztecs were an advanced and prosperous civilization who built beautiful and sophisticated cities. At their peak, the Aztec civilization had about 15 million people who lived in nearly 500 communities. The Aztecs were culturally developed in music, arts, crafts, and the sciences. Music played an important role in Aztec religious rituals for worshiping their many gods. About 300,000 people lived in Tenochtitlan, their capitol. In this famous city, the government controlled and was responsible for punishment, agriculture, and all aspects of the civilization’s economy. - 

Map of the Aztec Region

The Aztecs and Mexico City: 14th century

The Aztecs are a tribe, according to their own legends, from Aztlan somewhere in the north  of modern Mexico. From this place, which they leave in about the 12th century AD, there derives the name Aztecs by which they are known to western historians. Their own name for themselves is the Mexica, which subsequently provides the Europeans names for Mexico City and Mexico.

 After two centuries of migration and warfare, the Aztecs finally settle within the area now covered by Mexico City. They choose an uninhabited island in Lake Tetzcoco. This is either in the year 1325 or, more probably, 1345. (The difference in date depends on how the Mesoamerican 52-year calendar cycle is integrated with the chronology of the Christian era). They call their settlement Tenochtitlan.

Their prospects in this place, where they are surrounded by enemy tribes, seem as unpromising as those of the Venetians on their bleak lagoon islands a few centuries earlier. Like Venice , against all the odds, Tenochtitlan becames the centre of a widespread empire and it does so much more rapidly, stretching across central America within a century. But unlike Venice, this is not an empire of trade. It is based on the Aztecs' ferocious cult of war.

 



The Aztec Language

The Aztec language, Nahuatl, was the dominant language in central Mexico by the mid-1350s.

 

Numerous Nahuatl words borrowed by the Spanish were later absorbed into English as well,

 

including chile or chili, avocado, chocolate, coyote, peyote, guacamole, ocelot and mescal.

 

The aztec alphabet

 

Maize

Maize (also called corn ormealies) was the staple grain of the Aztec empire. Maize has been domesticated for thousands of years, and it likely first came into common use in Mexico, spreading to the rest of the world from there. Mexico is still one of the world's top maize growing countries. Corn could be ground into flour and used to make tortillas (a sort of flat bread, sometimes used to wrap a filling to make tacos), tamales and even drinks. Corn has transformed the world perhaps more than any other food. Today it's used not only in food, including candy and of course feeding the cattle that is eaten, it's even used in things like sticky tape and making boxes.

Chocolate

One of the greatest gifts to the world from Mexico is chocolate. The cocoa bean was highly treasured in the Aztec Empire. In fact, the bean was used as a currency, as well as Aztec food. Or, in this case, drink.

The cocoa beans were used to make a thick chocolate drink, but far different than the hot chocolate we know today. Since they didn't use sugar, the Mexicas added peppers, corn meal and spices. A similar hot drink is still found in Mexico today with corn, known as atole.

Though Columbus brought cocoa to Europe in the early 1500s, it was mostly ignored. Hernan Cortes was more interested, and substituted sugar and vanilla for the spices. It became a commercial success.

The word chocolate even comes from an Aztec/Mayan word chocolatl.
Chocolate actually may have played a part in the fall of the Aztec empire. The Aztecs believed that the god Quetzalcoatl brought the cocoa beans from the tree of life to give to man. Later, the god was banished. It seems that at first the Mexicas believed that Hernan Cortes, the Spanish conquerer, was their returning god.

AztecCorn

Aztecs mostly ate corn. Some foods based of corn were bread and tortillas. Aztec food also included beans and squash. These foods are included in the Mexican diet today.To add to these three, the Mexicas (people of the Aztec Empire) ate chillies, tomatoes, limes, cashews, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and of course chocolate.  The Mexicas domesticated bees for honey, and turkeys for meat and eggs, also dogs and duck.  They hunted and fished as well, and used animals such as deer, rabbits, iguana, fish and shrimp for food.  Even insects, such as grasshoppers and worms were harvested.  These various types of meat made up only a very minor part of the Aztec food that was eaten.