The Aztecs
Social Characteristics of Aztecs
Leadership
Conflict
Gender Roles and Family
Economic Characteristics of Aztecs
Division of Labor
Trade
Defining Characteristics of States
and Chiefdoms
States and chiefdoms are very
accessible to the archaeologist due to the great size of the population
and the fact that written records are usually present. These societies
have a strong central organization with one center town presiding over
others in a hierarchy. The central administration of the state provides
for roads, standard weights and measures, coinage of money, and an often
large military force as control of territory often depended heavily on
military strength. Most of these services were not available to segmentary
and band societies. In state societes, a great deal of social hierarchy
is seen. There are levels of social disparity between the rich and
the poor including differences in access to resources and facilities as
well as differing levels of status. Archaeologists have been able
to ascertain the structure of society by the presence of elite residences
such as palaces, concentration of wealth in certain persons, and elaborate
burials. Burials are very indicative of a person's status.
Kings were often buried with their servants or with effigies of their servants
to help in the afterlife. Another aspect of state societies is the
high degree of economic specialization. People are often engaged
in a craft full time as opposed to less complex societies where craft specialization
was part time at most. Certain areas of the city are also often dedicated
to the production of a certain craft. Intensive farming methods are
also introduced such as labor intensive methods of farming and digging
of irrigation canals. Trade was obviously aided by the centralized
road system, standardized weights and measures, and money system among
other benefits of the centralized system. Warfare is also very important
to the state society as a means of upholding the status of kings and obtaining
people for sacrifice.
Social Characteristics
Leadership
A major characteristic of a state society
is a large population. In 1519, the Valley of Mexico is estimated
to have a population of just over 1 million people at its peak. The
Aztec empire was ruled by a very centralized administration which controlled
development of roads, standardized weights and measures, and redistribution
of income among other things. The Aztec empire was controlled by
a city state system where the nobles of each city state were allied through
trade and kinship. Although only 5-10% of the population the nobles
were in control of the economy because they owned land and had the powers
of inducing labor and taxation. Nobility was strictly hereditary,
and the nobles had a tightly knit social group established by marriage
between nobility and trading. The commoner class included peasants,
merchants, and artisans. Although a commoner could gain prestige by serving
in the military or as a priest, no social movement could actually take
place between the classes regardless of any wealth accumulated (1996 Smith).
Another source completely contradicts Smith and says that there was complete
fluidity between class divisions ("Aztecs"). Regardless, the Aztecs
definitely had differentiation of social status which is very indicative
of a state society. Slavery did exist among the Aztecs but it was
not hereditary. Most slaves were in their position because of debts
or for punishment. The peasants were organized into wards of at least
ten families which were ruled by a lord who usually served a higher level
of nobility. Nuclear families lived in a small house usually alone,
but occasionally with another family of the same age (1996 Smith).
Conflict
Warfare was important in Aztec societies and
a part of every man's life. Engagement in war was not usually for
the purpose of gaining territory, but its purpose was to uphold a noble's
status throughout the region and obtain victims for sacrifice. Often
the very nobles who fought against each other in wars would celebrate together
at the various dinner parties nobles had. The marketplace had judges
(1996 Smith), so it would make sense that ordinary society had some sort
of formalized law and order. The lords and nobles may have been the
judges as in feudal England or a separate council may have fulfilled this
duty. However, I have found little information on the legal structure
of the Aztecs.
Gender Roles and Family
There were stark divisions between the daily roles
of each gender. Men worked in the fields and fought in wars or pursued
a trade passed down through fathers while women stayed at home and attended
to domestic duties like childbearing, weaving, cooking, and marketing.
Immediately upon birth, children were socialized into this division between
men and women. By the time children were five years old, they had
already begun light labor in their future professions. Boys were
carrying firewood, and girls were learning how to spin. All children
also attended school for a time in their life and learned much about the
rituals of Aztec society. Noble children however attended a different
school which prepared them for leadership. Discipline was incredible
strict for Aztec children who did not fulfill expected duties or were dishonest.
Some of the punishments bordered on extremely injurious (Smith 1996).
Trade
Trading was an important activity in Aztec life.
Market was held once a week in most areas, and that day was a flurry of
activity. Some markets were even international in scope. Everything
from finished goods, to fruits and vegetables, to prepared foods, and luxuries
could be bought at the market. Cacao beans and cloth were used as
money. Vendors sold goods in stalls in the city. Some of these
vendors were even full time. Domestic and international merchants
often gained a great deal of wealth although they never became nobility.
Aztec society was highly commercialized although it was not capitalist.
Renfrew and Bahn
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