Aztecs

=Introduction=

The Aztecs wandered around Mexico for about 200 years before they settled down in the Valley of Mexico. Other tribes were living in the area. Rather than start a war for a place to live, the Aztecs settled down in the swampy land around Lake Texcoco.

They were clever people. They adapted to their environment. They built canoes to fish and hunt. They filled the marshes with a combination of reeds and stones and dirt to create more farmland. They built dams and dikes to free even more land. Their engineers successfully built a bustling city, with wide plazas and many shops, on a swamp.

After they had settled in, the Aztecs began conquering neighboring tribes. Soon, the entire Valley of Mexico was under their control. Other tribes had to pay tribute to them in the form of food, clothing, goods, and captives to feed the hungry Aztecs gods. The Aztecs believed in human sacrifice. That was one of the many reasons the other tribes hated and feared the Aztecs. But the Aztecs seemed unstoppable.

It was not until the 1500s, when the Spanish arrived, that the Aztecs were conquered. The Spanish brought guns, dogs, horses, and disease. It was disease that conquered the Aztecs. The Aztec Empire collapsed. The Spanish took over the entire region.

Today, in Mexico, there are about one million descendants of the ancient Aztecs, living and working. Human sacrifice is no longer part of their festivals, but beautiful Aztec art and clever Aztec games are still enjoyed today.

=Weapons=

Maquahuitl
 * Perhaps the best known ancient Aztec weapon is the //maquahuitl// (macahuitl).** This is sometimes compared to the sword, and it was a powerful, close contact weapon. Like the European sword, they came in two varieties - one handed and two handed. Made from wood (usually oak), they were about 3-4" wide and 3-4' long. The two handed versions might be slightly wider and as tall as a person. Embedded in the edges was obsidian (volcanic stone) or flint.The maquahuitls were incredibly strong, and the Spanish claimed they could chop the head off a horse with one blow. They were sharp and the Aztecs knew how to use them. They could not thrust like a sword, and so they lent themselves to a different type of warfare.The picture of a maquahuitl is from //The Book of the Sword// by Richard Burton. Most likely the maquahuitl usually had simpler grips.

Clubs The maquahuitl could be used as a club, but other types of clubs were used. The //cuauhololli// was a mace made of wood with a ball at the end. It could be used to smash and crush. Various other types of clubs were commonly used, sometimes just made of wood, other times with embedded stone as the maquahuitl.

Spears and lances
 * Another common ancient Aztec weapon was the spear.** They were extremely sharp, and sometimes over 7 feet long. They didn't have a small point as many spears you may be familiar with, but a blade a foot wide made of smaller stone blades. Theses spears were known to pierce the Spanish armour, and were sharp enough that the warriors could use them to shave. They are called //tepoztopilli//. Spears were used in Mexico long before the Aztec empire.

Atlatls
 * The //atlatl// was a spear throwing device**, for longer distance combat. [|This ancient aztec weapon is described on The World Atlatl Association website]://An atlatl is essentially a stick with a handle on one end and a hook or socket that engages a light spear or "dart" on the other. The flipping motion of the atlatl propels a light spear much faster and farther than it could be thrown by hand alone.//As you can see, the atlatl was used in other parts of the world and is still used today. The Aztec artists often drew the gods with atlatls in their hands. Darts were used made from oak, single pointed with obsidian, flint, or even copper or bone. The propelled darts tended to be more powerful than arrows.Atlatls often had a symbolic significance, and some were made with great artistry. One was given to Hernan Cortes by Motecuhzoma II.

Bows and Arrows Bows, known as //tlahuitolli//, were common as well. The bows were 5 feet long, and the arrows (//yaomime//) were pointed with flint, bone or obsidian, and kept in a quiver (//mixiquipilli//). As with all their weapons, the Aztecs were very skilled in using the bow and arrow. It is believed that the arrows could fly 450 feet or more. Slings


 * Another devastating ancient Aztec weapon, the sling was made with fibers from the maguey plant (latin //agave americana//).** The slings (//tematlatl//) were used to send stones flying toward the enemy. They were thrown so powerfully and accurately, that they could do significant damage to a soldier in full metal armour.The Aztec warrior didn't just pick up stones on the battlefield - they would be prepared ahead of time, carefully shaped. It is believed that the stones could be thrown farther than

= Aztec Armor =


 * [[image:http://s.ecrater.com/stores/197323/506de2f56925a_197323n.jpg width="300" height="345"]] || [[image:http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/images-ans/ans_90_01_2.jpg width="356" height="348"]] ||
 * [[image:ant314510-mumford/codex_tribute.jpg width="424" height="357"]] || [[image:http://www.d20.cz/data/C/4404/armor.jpg width="279" height="503"]] ||