Powerpoint from Alex Teich on Aztec trading culture

1. Sell! Sell! Sell! Aztec Trading Culture and the Marketplace

2. What were they like? Resembled modern-day flea markets or malls Marketplaces were created because it established both a governmental and class structural system along with creating an economy Tenochtitlan’s market place was the biggest and it lied in the western lake of Texcoco Markets were open 5-days per week which is the equivalent of an Aztec week

3. Pochteca and the Buyer Pochtechas were the merchants that bardered and haggled for items and prices from all the different kinds of people that came through the marketplace Not only did they sell within the marketplace but they ventured outward to other cities in Mesoamerica to trade in order to bring back goods to his own city They were able to buy exotic items from far away places which the nobles bought in order to show signs of wealth (amber, jade, feathers, art) Also worked as spies and messengers to go onto enemy lands and bring back information to the King or to declare war on an opposing country Were not nobles but not considered commoners and they threw parties in order to trade wealth for rank Commoners could become pochtechas but it was very hard to gain rank in the Aztec community

4. Caption: Taken from the codex Laud Taken from Codex Laud

6. Two Types of Currency Aztecs lived in a trading culture which means that the people of Mesoamerica trading precious stones, crops, and jewlery If there was nothing to trade the Aztec people used: 1. Cacao Beans (main ingredient for chocolate) 2. Quachtli (used for large purchases – cotton capes which the people used in order to weave cloth) 3 standard grades: 1. 65 cacao beans 2. 85 cacao beans 3. 100 cacao beans

7. What’s on your list? Here are some of the items that would be on a shopping list: Skins (jaguar) Feathers Crops (from farmers): avocados, tomatos, cactus fruit, tamales, chile peppers Cacao beans (which were also used as currency. These bean are the main ingredient for chocolate and were very desirable) Amber Jade Salt (preservation and taste) Lip piercings Rabbits Turkey eggs Turkey hen Fish wrapped in maize husks Chopped firewood

8. What is it worth? Turkey Hen – 100 cacao beans Rabbit – 100 Small rabbit – 30 Turkey egg – 3 Avocado – 3 Large tomato – 1 Tamale – 1 Cactus fruit – 1 Fish wrapped in maize husks – 3 Chopped firewood – 1 5 chiles – 1 Lip plugs (earrings) – 25 quachtli Jade beads – 600 quachtli *quachtli also used for tools and clothes and feathers

9. Now What? Now, it is your turn! 7 of you will be the pochtecha and 7 of you will have Aztec “grocery lists” Go around and shop for your items. BUT REMEMBER! Each item that you are shopping for is worth a certain amount of cacao beans or quachtli so pay attention to the price! HAVE FUN AND GET SHOPPING!!!!

10. Sources http://books.google.com/books?id=qZNdwX8O9DUC&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=aztecs+cacao+bean+worth&source=bl&ots=ZWPy-2Yhou&sig=8uvKN4qJTRdJUBizeFpvzqsxWRw&hl=en&ei=g_rASs-vFdDX8AbmtNCtAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#v=onepage&q=&f=false http://library.thinkquest.org/16325/y-eco.html