The Aztec Empire Trivia Questions

The Aztec Empire founded Tenochtitlan in 1325 on a small island in Lake Texcoco. It became the capital, connected to the mainland by causeways. Modern Mexico City now occupies the site.

The Aztec Empire knew of the wheel but only used it in toys and figurines. They lacked draft animals and therefore never developed wheeled vehicles for transportation or trade.

Aztec religion included human sacrifice to honor deities like Huitzilopochtli. War captives, called 'nextlaoalli', were frequently used as offerings in rituals, a practice widely recorded in indigenous codices and early colonial accounts.

The Aztec Empire used pictographic and ideographic writing, not an alphabet. They recorded history and taxes in codices using symbols, but had no phonetic script like the Maya.

The Aztec Empire used chinampas, artificial islands built on lake beds, to grow crops like maize and beans. These highly productive gardens helped feed Tenochtitlan's large population.

The Aztec Empire was a monarchy ruled by an emperor (tlatoani), who was chosen from the royal family by a council of nobles. Elections by the general public did not exist.

The Aztec Empire had mandatory education for boys. Commoners attended telpochcalli for military training, while nobles attended calmecac for advanced study. This system was universal.

The Aztec Empire called themselves the Mexica, not Aztec. The term 'Aztec' was popularized later by historians to refer to the Triple Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan.