Your assignment.
- PART A: Ten Vocabulary words. As you read the text above select 10 vocabulary words (minimum). You select the words new to you, or words used in a way new to you. List each word and then a definition that fits the usage of the word. Look up the definition in an academic dictionary (such asOxfordorMiriam Webster's New Collegiate, but not Google.) Then write the definition IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Select as many vocabulary words as needed to fill up the requirement of 10.
- PART B: Answer the following questions. Do NOT retype the question.
1. Before Caucasians arrived in the western hemisphere, who were the inhabitants of north and south America, and where did they come from?
2. Describe the market place in Motecsuma's city, its size and organization.
3. Explain why the Aztec servants placed a screen in front of Motecsuma while he ate.
4. Describe the products available in this market place.
5. Describe the weapons of the Aztec people, what they were made of, and their different uses.
6. Explain the skills and crafts of the Aztec artisans.
7. Describe the metallurgy of the Aztecs.
8. Was there any evidence of wheels, chariots, or wagons? Why not? [CLUE: Historians learn as much from things mentioned as from things not mentioned, especially in such otherwise detailed, descriptive accounts as this. Diaz's book is two massive volumes filled with almost excessive details. Archaeology confirms everything he says, but it also supports the absence of things he does not mention having seen among the Aztecs. ]
9. Was there any evidence of draught animal use, as in plough horses, oxen, mule or donkey? Why not? [See clue above.]
10. Does Diaz give any signs that the Aztecs used cavalry (mounted soldiers) or war elephants? {See clue above.]
11. What about ships (not canoes), does Diaz mention any?
12. Describe the exchange system of the Aztecs. Does Diaz describe any money being used? [Money, coins, bills all have nominal, printed values. Grains of gold dust may have value, but that is not money.]
13. How did Aztec merchants resolve disagreements? Did they have some sort of court system? Describe it.
14. Architecture is an outward expression of inward ideas for a civilization. How does Diaz feel about the architecture of the Aztecs?
15. If the Market is the single largest architectural expression of the Aztecs, describe what this means, in terms of priorities for Aztec civilization. Was business an important function in Aztec society?
16. Describe the Cue and outline its function and purpose.
17. It is normal for diverse aspects of a civilization to overlap, for example religion and business in a society. Describe how you think Aztec religion and business influenced their civilization together?
18. Speculate on why Diaz would go to such great lengths to describe these things in so much detail. [Diaz could easily have said "they had a market" and left it at that. In the sixteenth century paper, pen and ink were precious, everything was hand written, and copied by hand, expensive and time consuming.]
19. You and I (students and teachers) are outsiders, we cannot ever live the life of an Aztec, or see the world from their point of view. From an outsider's point of view, do you think Aztec society, business and religion was 'healthy'?
20. Was it successful?