Modules

About Me 
 * My name is Cora Mumford. I am currently working on degrees in both Anthropology and Biology. My focus in Anthropology is physical (specifically forensics). I find military practices and motives to be interesting so I chose Central Mexican warfare as my research topic.

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This website gives a brief description of the civilizations that lived in the Central Mexican/ Mesoamerican region.

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 * [[image:Huitzilopochtli.jpg width="327" height="361" caption="This is a depiction of Huitzilopochtli. He was a god of the sun and of war. http://www.class.uh.edu/courses/engl3396/jtchris2/gods.htm "]] ||
 * This is a depiction of Huitzilopochtli. He was a god of the sun and of war.

Module 6- Wiki Links

Aztec Warfare Author: Nathan Lawres http://ant3145-group006.wikispaces.com/Nathan+Lawres History Page: []

Wikipedia: Aztec Warfare [] <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">History Page: <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">[]

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Module 7- Brainstorm

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">﻿Possible Research Topics:
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">weapons types
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">"chain of command"
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">status in society
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">special/defining tactics

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">While I was completing the first couple of modules, I ran across the Aztec warrior classes. I find the breakdown of the warriors within their ranks to be fascinating. I want to find out what determined who became part of the warrior classes, if they fought differently (technique/style) and what types of weapons they used. I would also like to know how those "warrior classes" fit into the socitey as a whole (i.e. were they treated with equal status).

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Module 8- UCF Library Search

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">The floodplains along the Nile constitute an important but as yet little <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">utilized series of laboratories for the comparative study of the origins <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">and interaction of ancient civilizations.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">-“Kerma: The Rise of an African Civilization,” Bruce G. Trigger, The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 9, No. 1. (1976), pp. 1-21.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Module 9- Article Search

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Aztec Warfare: Goals and Battlefield Comportment <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Barry L. Isaac

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Ethnology] <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr., 1983), pp. 121-131 <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Published by: [|University of Pittsburgh- Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education] <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">[]

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">To read the text: <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Module 10

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Aztec Flowery War

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">During the 1400s, the Aztec emperor Tlacaelel brought the empire to a height in its power and the begining of the Aztec flowery war. This war started as agreed upon battles with neighboring cultures, such as the Tlaxcalans. The ritual battles, called xochiyaoyotl, emphasized the capturing of enemies. The captives were then taken back to be sacrificed to Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war and the sun. Over time, xochiyaoyotl became ingrained in Aztec culture and neighboring communities. Captives went willingly to the temple to be sacrificed because it was viewed as honorable.

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<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Module 11- Flowery War Revised Paragraph

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Aztec "Flowery War"

<span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">A “flowery war’s” primary purpose was not to conquer the opposing side, but was rather used as a way to provide military training and practice (Hicks). Over time, what used to be a training exercise was used as a means to provide sacrifices to the gods. Chimalpahin Quauthtlehuanitzin wrote of the flowery wars. He describes the agreed upon battles between the Mexica of Tenochtitlán and the Chalca of Chalco Atenco. During this time, the nobles of both states were returned and only some of the commoners were killed. After a time, the flowery war turned into an “angry war” where the people were being taken as captives to be sacrificed (Hicks). Over time, the ritual battles called, xochiyaoyotl, became ingrained in Aztec culture and neighboring communities (Aztec-History). The Aztecs believed that their gods were nourished on the blood of human sacrifices, so the captives were taken to be sacrificed to Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war and the sun. Captives went willingly to the temple to be sacrificed because it was viewed as honorable.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Works Sited:

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">"Flowery War" in Aztec History <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Frederick Hicks <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|American Ethnologist] <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Vol. 6, No. 1 (Feb., 1979), pp. 87-92 <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Published by: [|Blackwell Publishing] on behalf of the [|American Anthropological Association] <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">[]

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">[]

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Module 12- Google Earth


 * [[image:Central_Mexico.jpg width="800" height="473" caption="The blue line shows the borders of the Aztec Empire. The red circle shows the boundaries of the Tlaxcala influence. The Tlaxcala were frequent participants in the "Flowery Wars" with the Aztecs. The boundaries are overlayed on the current boundaries and cities of central Mexico."]] ||
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">The blue line shows the borders of the Aztec Empire. The red circle shows the boundaries of the Tlaxcala influence. The Tlaxcala were frequent participants in the "Flowery Wars" with the Aztecs. The boundaries are overlayed on the current boundaries and cities of central Mexico. ||

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Module 13- Article Summary

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Aztec Warfare, written by Ross Hassig, describes the battle strategies employed by the Aztec army. The Aztecs had a fierce military and used the superior size of the empire to their advantage. The soldiers employed the use of many different types of weapons that required different levels of skill and training. Men who used arrows and slingshots required less specialized training than those who used swords or spears because bows and slings were regularly used for hunting purposes. The Aztecs fought on foot so much of the battle was fought at close range. Part of this was due to the finite amount of ammunition (arrows and rocks) that was available. The men with arrows and sling shots would be the first to strike in battle, but would quickly give way to the experience soldiers wielding swords and spears. The novices to battle would stay toward the back of the force with some of the experienced members of the army so that they had a better chance of learning and surviving the battle. For those who wise to learn more about the tactics of Aztec warfare, this article would be helpful.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Hassig, Ross. "Aztec warfare. (Cover story)." History Today 40.2 (1990): 17. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 15 Nov. 2010 <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Module 14- Article Summary

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Aztec Warfare: Battlefield Goals and Component by Barry L. Isaac describes some of the history of Aztec warfare. Isaac starts the article by talking about the warfare that led to the rise of the Aztec Empire. He mentions the “Flowery Wars” but makes a clear distinction between those and the regular imperial wars that were often perpetrated by the Aztecs. The imperial wars were carried out in the same manner and for the reason that are often found in other examples of imperial expansion. The conquered were not destroyed, but were rather absorbed into the empire as tributaries and much was taken from them to benefit the empire. There was also a definite ritual element to warfare.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Isaac, Barry L. Aztec Warfare: Goals and Battlefield Component. [|Ethnology]Vol. 22, No. 2. April 1983. < []