Aztec+in+Focus

The Aztec had a highly developed and stratified social structure. There were three castes: the pipiltin, or nobles by birth; the macehualtin, or commoners, who made up the majority of the population; and the mayeque, or serfs. These castes were further divided into classes according to their occupations. Nobles, high priests, military officers, and government leaders were considered to be the upper class. The Aztec ruler, called the Great Speaker, or tlatoani, was chosen from a select group of princes. Farmers, laborers, craftspeople, servants, and vendor were members of the middle class. the lower class comprised those who worked the fields of the upper or middle classes and those who worked for wages. There were also some slaves, but their status was mostly temporary; most wwere paying off debts or serving a sentence for a crime. The type of housing, food, and clothing available to individuals was determined and dictated by his or her social status in the society. Families lived together in nuclear groups, which included the oldest or head male, his sons and brothers, and their families. The upper class lived in or near the cities. Members of the middle class and specialists clustered where there was work or the potential for income. The serfs lived on farmland surrounding the urban centers. Slaves were used for cheap labor and, at times, for sacrifice. All non-noble men of the upper and middle classes had to serve in the military for several years. All classes with property or income paid taxes.

Macehualtin Mayeque Tlatoani Noble high priest military officer government leader farmer crafts person servant laborer slave || Simple Maxtlatl (loincloth) Tilmantli (mantle) Sandals Gold sandals Embroidered underskirt Huipil (poncho-like dress) Cueitl || Short Thick set Long arms Broad feet Inclined to be pigeon-toed High foot arches || Dark Abundant Scarce body and facial hair Beardless Bangs Long Braided Decorated with eagle || Fierce Confident Happy Contented Worried Tired || Jet-black eyes Almond shaped eyes Hooked nose Dark to light brown coloring Pierced ears Broad-headed || You will write a paragraph, similar to the previous assignments, about the Aztec. Follow all of the steps listed in order, but be sure to include additional information about aspects that were affected by social status such as clothing (already in the list), food, housing, military service, or property and taxes. You are expected to be creative and descriptive when writing your paragraph. Details is the key to this assignment. Make sure you share as many details about what you have learned about the Aztec. This should include information about daily life, of course. For all steps, be sure to be descriptive. You may need to write more than one paragraph to provide an adequate amount of details. 1. Indent and write one sentence introducing your character by name and occupation. (Use your own words for this step.) 2. Write one or more sentences describing his/her position in society. 3. Write several sentences describing his/her body. 4. Write one or more sentences describing his/her clothing. This will reflect your character's social class. 5. Write one or more sentences describing his/her hair. 6. Write several sentences describing his/her facial features. 7. Write one or more sentences describing his/her expression. 8. Write a concluding sentence.
 * POSITION IN SOCIETY || CLOTHING || BODY ||
 * Pipiltin
 * HAIR || EXPRESSIONS || FACIAL FEATURES ||
 * Coarse
 * Coarse