Images of Everyday Aztec Life

Aztec judges punished rigorouslyanyone who did not tell the truth...

Aztec boys learned to carry loadson the back from the age of 5...

Keep your hair on!It’s your life force...

Much more than a board gamePatolli also served as an Aztec oracle...

The families of dead warriorsmourned in a public spectacle

Key to the chilli smoke punishment- the child’s salivation!

‘Aztec women did morethan women in Europe’

The Mexica cried much more oftenthan their European counterparts...

What species of fishdid the Aztecs eat?

In ancient times Mexico boasted the world’srichest diversity in the use of hallucinogens...

Most Mexica superstitions and dreams lead to death!

Eating the earth was an ancient greeting protocoland a sign of reverence and humility...

‘Did the Aztecs have any specificsuperstitions around eclipses?’

How to capture a monkey?Just invite it to warm itself by the fire...

Much of Aztec warfare was directed to pompand display rather than military efficiency...

Aztec man and woman -‘Lord and Lady of the necessities of life’

Though Mexica society was hierarchical,social mobility wasn’t just possible but encouraged...

Mexica green came from Maya blue(with a spot of yellow)...

‘Certain ritual precautions had to be taken[by the Aztecs] when consuming food...’

Death bundle masks protected the individualon their journey to the underworld...

We give you the low-down on the 3Aztec souls or ‘animistic entities’...

Identical twins shared just one tonalli (life force)- so they had to work twice as hard...

Animation: ‘A Day in the Lifeof an Aztec midwife...’

The Mexica spent less time later saying thanks for a good harvest and more praying earlier for abundance

Did the Mexica hugwhen greeting each other?

A good Aztec farmer studied the moonand was a good ‘reader of the day signs’

Seen a ghost? Safest way to see it offwas to scare it with its own reflection...

Don’t drink before your older siblingor you’ll stop growing...!

In Aztec times, men didn’t siton chairs - they squatted

Everyone in Tenochtitlanhad to head home at 6 pm!

If you sneezed, it meant someonewas talking about you far away!

Some differences betweenMexica nobles and commoners...

The climate had a real impacton household Aztec furniture...

For the Aztecs, a woman giving birthwas likened to a warrior in a battle

Watch a delightful animationon the Aztec life cycle...

Don your masks for ‘Trick or Treat?’- the Mexica version...

Famine drove the Mexicato sell themselves to feed their families...

A Mexica had to be brave...... to go to the loo at night!

WANTED - ALIVE: a captive warriorREWARD: a beautiful cape!

Flowers played an important rolein individual Mexica lives...

The Natural Look: Beauty TipsFor the Aztec Girl...

Mexica man, Mexica woman -physical strength, moral force

Off to work at 6...... years old

The Redcoats obtained their ‘red’ coats from Mexicancactus beetles called cochineal - in huge quantities...

Aztec pillow-fight games: the trick wasto hide the soft bag under your cape...

Aztec pipes were called ‘tubes of aromas’and held like darts thrown in battle!

Knots and matchmakers -clues to ancient Mexican weddings

For rapid transport around the citythe canoe was king

Would your cry of pain have beenear-piercing, tongue-piercing or nose-piercing?

Some Aztec hairstyles were definitely‘a cut above the rest...’

Some dyed their hair with indigo- ‘so that their hair shone...’

One-room bed-sit...... Home smoky home!

When the Aztecs danced......they ‘sang with their feet’

The wisdom of Aztec parents- even the Spanish were deeply impressed...

Educating a young person was literally‘giving wisdom to their face’!

For Aztec water-folkthe pelican mirrored their fate...

Pre-Hispanic nicknames...... were often linked to clothing

Wonderful... marvellous... superb...Mmmmmm... vanilla!

The original ‘runaway’ slave- the Aztecs gave you a sporting chance...

Beetlemania...... seriously bad news!

Plagued by ants, mice, frogs?To the Aztecs they were omens as well as pests...

Better than an alarm clockThe timeless sound of tortilla-making

The Aztecs cried their hearts out...... they made a strong case ‘for crying out loud’

Dust to dust...... for the Aztecs it was water to water

Awaiting you in the sauna -- goddess of the ‘steamy’ side of life...

In wheel life...... feet handle rough terrain far better

Getting drunk on PulqueOne of the benefits of the agave!

3 score and 10......Yippee!!!

Do not pass GoPatolli was an Aztec board game.