​Aztec Art

​The Aztecs were very skilled in many different areas.

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Apart from being brilliant warriors, they were able to make ornate carvings in stone and create sculptures. 

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​Ornate (adj) having a lot of decoration; fancy.

​Aztec Art

​Most art was based on nature and religion, with the gods displayed as animals, such as ducks, monkeys, snakes, deer, dogs and jaguars.

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They would also create clothing, headdresses and jewellery using feathers and precious stones. The Aztecs also created masks, mosaics, pottery and knives.

​Writing

​The Aztecs wrote using symbols called glyphs or pictographs. They didn't have an alphabet, but used pictures to represent events, items, or sounds. Only the priests knew how to read and write.

​Moctezuma II

​Moctezuma II was the Aztec emperor in the early 1500s. In the court of Moctezuma II, no one was allowed to look the emperor in the eye.

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When he entered the room, even the nobles threw themselves face down on the ground.

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​Moctezuma II

​When he left the palace, he was carried in a fancy litter. When Moctezuma wanted to walk, nobles laid mats on the ground so he would not dirty his golden sandals.

​Bad Omens

​Moctezuma was a powerful leader. But during his reign, some disturbing things were happening.

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​reign, n. a period of time in which a king or queen rules

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​Omen (noun) a happening believed to be a sign or warning of a future event.

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​Bad Omens

• ​There was a drought.

• A comet appeared in the sky.

• Lightning struck one of the temples in Tenochtitlán.

​Bad Omens

​The Aztecs thought the bad omens meant that their world was ending.

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