Food
The Aztec's land was very swampy and wet, so to grow food they had to make islands which are called chinampas. Chinampas were little islands of dirt that were used to grow plants. The Aztecs would make the chinampas out of the dirt from lake bottoms to grow their food. What they would mostly grow from the chinampas were corn, sweet potatoes, beans, squash, chilli peppers, avocados, tomatoes, and cacao beans for cocoa.
Corn was the main diet of the Aztecs' meals. They would use corn flour to make pancakes (or also known today as tortillas). They made porridge from corn as well, which was called atlli. Sometimes they would add honey or chilies to the porridge. The Aztec's also ate a lot of beans. Beans were usually flavoured with tomatoes and chilies. They also added figs and nuts to their meals.
Turkeys and dogs were the animals they kept for food. They hunted for other meats such as rabbits, deer, and wild ducks. They also fished for turtles, newts, salamanders, frogs, tadpoles, and shellfish. On special occasions the Aztecs would roast duck, turkey, rabbit, or puppy. Noble Aztecs ate this food every day. They roasted pheasants and wild pigs. When noble Aztecs had feasts, they ate roasted quail, pigeons, geese, pelicans, and cranes. They drank pulque, which was made from maguey cactus. The noble families loved to drink chocolatl, an Aztec drink made from cocoa beans.
They made their food over a comal. A comal was thin disc of clay which was heated by a fire underneath. They used their small pots for eating, and big pots for cooking, storing water, and soaking fruits or vegetables.
Homes
The Aztecs' homes were various shapes and sizes, and made from many different materials.
The poor Aztecs' homes were normally made from reeds and mud, and only had one room. The reeds were woven together and then plastered with the mud.
The richer Aztec's homes were normally made from adobe bricks (which are made from mud). They had several rooms and their doors opened into the central courtyard.
The noble Aztec's palaces were normally made from beautiful carved stone. They had more than a hundred rooms and the walls were whitewashed. Their courtyards were filled with beautiful flowers.
Inside the Aztecs' homes they did not have much furniture. Every member of the family would sleep on woven mats that were spread out on the floor during the night. During the day they would lay out large cushions filled with straw. Every Aztec home would have a special shrine for their household god.
Clothing
In the Aztec world the way you dressed showed your position in society, whether it was high or low.
The emperors would be the only one allowed to wear turquoise clothes.
Nobles would normally wear:
-Sandals
-Brightly coloured cloaks
-Clothes below their knees
Only nobles were allowed to dress like this and their clothing was normally made from cotton.
Commoners were normally allowed to wear:
-Cloaks
-Sandals
-Nothing below their knees
The commoners clothes would be made from rough fibres.
Slaves would normally wear:
-Loin cloth
-Nothing past the knees
Slaves were poor so they couldn't afford much. They could only afford loin cloth for their clothing.
Cloaks were important because they represented what you have done with the different types of embroidery on the cloak. If a soldier had captured a prisoner, they would receive a cloak with orange embroidery to show what he had done. Brave battle Aztecs received special cloaks. They also used the cloaks for tribute and trading.
The Aztec's land was very swampy and wet, so to grow food they had to make islands which are called chinampas. Chinampas were little islands of dirt that were used to grow plants. The Aztecs would make the chinampas out of the dirt from lake bottoms to grow their food. What they would mostly grow from the chinampas were corn, sweet potatoes, beans, squash, chilli peppers, avocados, tomatoes, and cacao beans for cocoa.
Corn was the main diet of the Aztecs' meals. They would use corn flour to make pancakes (or also known today as tortillas). They made porridge from corn as well, which was called atlli. Sometimes they would add honey or chilies to the porridge. The Aztec's also ate a lot of beans. Beans were usually flavoured with tomatoes and chilies. They also added figs and nuts to their meals.
Turkeys and dogs were the animals they kept for food. They hunted for other meats such as rabbits, deer, and wild ducks. They also fished for turtles, newts, salamanders, frogs, tadpoles, and shellfish. On special occasions the Aztecs would roast duck, turkey, rabbit, or puppy. Noble Aztecs ate this food every day. They roasted pheasants and wild pigs. When noble Aztecs had feasts, they ate roasted quail, pigeons, geese, pelicans, and cranes. They drank pulque, which was made from maguey cactus. The noble families loved to drink chocolatl, an Aztec drink made from cocoa beans.
They made their food over a comal. A comal was thin disc of clay which was heated by a fire underneath. They used their small pots for eating, and big pots for cooking, storing water, and soaking fruits or vegetables.
Homes
The Aztecs' homes were various shapes and sizes, and made from many different materials.
The poor Aztecs' homes were normally made from reeds and mud, and only had one room. The reeds were woven together and then plastered with the mud.
The richer Aztec's homes were normally made from adobe bricks (which are made from mud). They had several rooms and their doors opened into the central courtyard.
The noble Aztec's palaces were normally made from beautiful carved stone. They had more than a hundred rooms and the walls were whitewashed. Their courtyards were filled with beautiful flowers.
Inside the Aztecs' homes they did not have much furniture. Every member of the family would sleep on woven mats that were spread out on the floor during the night. During the day they would lay out large cushions filled with straw. Every Aztec home would have a special shrine for their household god.
Clothing
In the Aztec world the way you dressed showed your position in society, whether it was high or low.
The emperors would be the only one allowed to wear turquoise clothes.
Nobles would normally wear:
-Sandals
-Brightly coloured cloaks
-Clothes below their knees
Only nobles were allowed to dress like this and their clothing was normally made from cotton.
Commoners were normally allowed to wear:
-Cloaks
-Sandals
-Nothing below their knees
The commoners clothes would be made from rough fibres.
Slaves would normally wear:
-Loin cloth
-Nothing past the knees
Slaves were poor so they couldn't afford much. They could only afford loin cloth for their clothing.
Cloaks were important because they represented what you have done with the different types of embroidery on the cloak. If a soldier had captured a prisoner, they would receive a cloak with orange embroidery to show what he had done. Brave battle Aztecs received special cloaks. They also used the cloaks for tribute and trading.