The ancient Aztecs invented a game called Volador,
the flying bird game. Wearing costumes designed with beaks and
feathers, Aztec athletes would complete to see who could complete
the round trip with the most style and speed.
The game went something like this - First, all the
players climbed a 60-90 foot pole. After they reached the top, they
each tied a rope to the top of the pole. Hanging on tightly with
their legs, they spread their arms wide, kicked off, and sailed
around the pole like eagles until they reached the ground again.
Many spectators gathered to watch the flying birds. It was a very
dangerous sport.
Today,
well-trained Mexican acrobats perform this wonderful spectacle. If you
ever get a chance to see a performance, don’t miss it. It’s
absolutely fabulous.
Other
Aztec achievements and inventions include:
-
Chinampas
- Floating Gardens
-
Causeways
and Bridges that linked the islands of their great capital city of
Tenochtitlan together.
-
Structures
– Statues, Pyramids, Temples
-
Stelas
– Memorial pillars commemorating their gods and major events
-
Codices
(sacred texts) The Aztecs had a written language of hieroglyphics,
similar to but not the same as the Maya writings.
-
Judges,
written laws and rules of society
- correct
behavior
-
Woven
fabrics
-
Basket
weaving
-
Aztec
ball game
-
Popcorn
-
Chocolate
-
Mandatory
Schools
Take
a look at some Aztec Artifacts (made by students)
Aztec
Calendar
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