The Aztecs were the dominant culture in fifteenth and sixteenth century Mesoamerica before the Spanish conquistadors invaded.
What was the Aztec Empire?
The Aztec Empire was an alliance of three city-states in Mesoamerica, Mexico-Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan.
What language did they speak?
Aztecs, or Mexica (me-shee-ka), spoke Nahuatl (na-wat). Over one and a half million people in Mexico speak Nahuatl today.
How many Aztecs were there?
The capital city of the Aztec Empire, Tenochtitlan, had a population of about 200,000 and about 5 million people lived under the rule of the Aztecs.
When did they Aztecs rule?
Tenochtitlan was founded in 13th century and rapidly expanded until the empire covered much of what is now central and southern Mexico. They ruled until their defeat against the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1521.
What did Aztecs eat?
Aztec grew maize (corn), beans and squash, tomatoes, potatoes and chili peppers. Fruit harvests included guavas, papayas and apples. They also kept bees for honey and hunted for wild game. Meals included porridge and tortillas with beans. They made a chocolate drink by grinding roasted cacao pods into a powder and mixing it with hot water. Most Aztecs ate a morning meal and a main meal mid-afternoon.
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This free resource is a great introduction to the Aztecs. The reading pages cover who the Aztecs were, where they were, the time period of the Aztec Empire, population, language, what they ate and includes a map of the empire. For reading comprehension, there is a true or false activity and a differentiated cryptic Wordsearch with a fill in the blanks activity.