Aztec and Inca Empire

* Mexica people began what became known as the Aztec Empire and began in the 1400’s
  * The capital city was Tenochititlan(later known as Mexico City) and was the center of the government and military conquest
  * The Aztecs believed and worshiped the sun god or Huitzilopochtli and would practice sacrifices of blood to   keep nature in balance
  * The people worried that every 52 years the world would end and religious ceremonies were believed to stop this disaster and keep the sun strong
Aztec temples were called, by the Mexica people of the empire, Teocalli - God houses.  The priests of the Aztec religion went to these temples to worship and pray, and make offerings to the gods to keep them strong and in balance.
  * The Aztecs believed that they owed a blood debt to the gods
  * As a result to avoid disaster they would sacrifice animals and humans
The Aztecs had 18 months in one cycle, and for each of the 18 months there was ritual sacrifice.  The victim would be painted as a part of the ritual, they would be placed on a slab where their heart would be removed and held up to the sun.  The body would be thrown down the stairs of the temple/pyramid.
  * Thousands of people were sacrificed every year usually those who had been captured in battle
  * Ullamaliztli, the famous Aztec ball game, was played on a tlachtli ball court
  * The ball court was one of the first things built when the Aztecs settled a new area, making it the most important of the ancient Aztec games
  * The teams would face each other on the court. The object of the game was to get the nine pound rubber ball through the hoop 30 feet off of the ground
  * The game would be played before going into battle as a ceremony for the sun god
  * The game could be played for days with no winner
  * It is believed that the losing team or some believe the winning team was sacrificed to the sun god at the end of the contest
  * Soldiers/explorers who came to the Americas in...