de Alvarado, Pedro-the man appointed by Cortez to lead the Spaniards in his absence; was cruel to the Aztecs, and thus caused them to revolt
Aztlan-a mythical plain in northern Mexico which the Aztecs believed was their place of origin
Base Family Unit-two parents and their unmarried children
Calendar Stone-a massive (4 metric tons) stone built in 1479, it contained the days and months of the Aztec calendar; it is considered the greatest achievement of Aztec science
Calpulli-a unit of organization that was made up of many extended families; each calpulli elected their own leaders, and had its own school, temple, and land (which it distributed among its members)
del Castillo, Berna Diaz—the historian that Hernan Cortez brought along on his conquest of the Aztecs
Centeotl—the god of corn
Chalchihuitlicue-the goddess of rain and water; sister of Tlaloc
Chinampas—floating gardens built on swamps or marshes
Coatlique—"Lady of the Serpent Skirt", the centerpiece the of Aztec creation myth
Codex—a pictograph recording of the day-to-day affairs of the empire
Conquistador—a general term for a Spanish conqueror, like Hernan Cortez; conquistadores were often brutal and/or cruel
Cortez, Hernan-spanish conquistador who led the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs
Cuauhtemoc-last Aztec emperor; nephew of Moctezuma II; executed by Cortez at the end of the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs
Cuitlahuac-successor to Moctezuma II; died quickly of disease during the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs; he was succeeded by Cuauhtemoc
Ehecatl—the god of wind
Empire—a centrally governed group of people that grows, throught conquest or culture, to greatness
Extended Families-several adult brothers and their families living in one household; made up of several base family units
Huey Tlatoani-the "Great Speaker", the tlatoani (ruler) of Tenochtitlan; the Aztec emperor
Huitzilopochtli-god of war and the sun; son of Coatlique
Maguey-plant closely related to the American Aloe; used to make pulque, needles, and rope
Malinche-a translator woman picked up by Cortez on his way to Tenochtitlan; sometimes called Dona Marina
Mictlantecuhle—the god of the dead
Mano-a round grinding stone used to grind corn against a metate
Metate-a flat stone against which corn was ground with a mano
Moctezuma II-the ninth emperor of the Aztecs, he was unfortunate enough to be emperor during the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs; he refused to fight Cortez until it was too late, because he believed that Cortez was the godQuetzacoatl
Noche Triste-June 30, 1520, the date of the Spanish retreat from Tenochtitlan
Pochteca-the merchant class, which was separate from the other commoners and had many special privileges
Pulque-a beer-like drink made from the maguey plant
Quetzacoatl-the god of civilization, learning, and knowledge; when Cortez came, Moctezuma thought that Cortez was Quetzacoatl, and thus refused to fight Cortez until it was too late
Telpuchcalli-a school for young men, usually administered by a calpulli
Tlaloc-the god of rain
Tlatoani-the ruler of a city, selected from the four elected leaders by the prominent leaders of the city. The tlatoani of Tenochtitlan was called Huey Tlatoani and was the supreme ruler of the empire
Tenochtitlan-the Aztec capital, located by Lake Texcoco; the tlatoani of Tenochtitlan was called Huey Tlatoani, and was the supreme emperor of the whole empire
Tortillas-flat, thin pancakes made from corn; principal food of the lower classes
Xiuhtecuhtle-the god of fire