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Built a large empire through conquest and had war/agriculture at the center of their culture.

Common people had to work very hard as a farmer or warrior etc. to live a stable life while the rich could have luxurious ones. They usually have basic family/household units.

Men were expected to be warriors and hunt while women are expected to be household wives.

Ate their main staples (maize, beans, and squash) with a variety of animals like insects, snakes, and dogs.

Practiced polytheistic religion with a variety of gods and deities. Important Gods include Huitzilopochtli (god of war) and Tonatiuh (god of the sun). While conquering people, they sacrificed them and the nobles feasted on their hearts. These ceremonies are believed to instill fear in their people.

Had an emperor at the top of their hierarchy while the bottom was up of serfs. Serfs were the equivalent of slaves that were sometimes sacrificed or freed.

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Gulf of Mexico was to the east while the Pacific Ocean lies west of their empire

Central America known as Mexico today

Tenochtitlan coordinates: 19.810° N, 96.916° W

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Only traded with others in their region because it relied on human movement. This meant it was hard to travel far, so long distance trade was uncommon.

Merchants would travel further for a variety of luxury items (gold, bird feathers). This led to the diversification of their markets.

Used canals and canoes to transport goods and people

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Built canoes to hunt and fish and created medicine from plants/herbs found in their area.

Tenochtitlan was built on a swamp because of the dikes they built to hold back water and free up land for new buildings.

They grew maize, beans, squash, chilies and tomatoes, which became the staple for their diets.  The maize, squash and beans assisted each other while being grown, making it easy for them to harvest.

Developed two main farming methods called the chinampas and terracing. Chinampas were man-made islands that were raised on the surface of Lake Texcoco.

With the mountains surrounding the valley, they had to build a restraining wall to form a step in the hillside so it can be used for crops.

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First appeared in Mesoamerica in the south-central region.

Wedged between high and large mountains that rimmed the valley of Mexico and is surrounded by lakes.

Valley was wide and had high elevation. They also had many hills and swamps.

Summers were very hot and dry while winters were snowy and cloudy. Had many fluctuations.