Appearance of Aztec men was that of a soldier-farmer. Just like the Romans, the Aztecs played both roles.
Aztecs were short,ranging in height between 5' 1" and 5' 5" on average. Typically they were thick chested, strong, jet black hair with no facial hair. Because of the heat of Mexico and the Caribbean, they wore only a loin cloth.
Women were similar, but not as masculine. They ranged between 4' 8" and shorter. They were also strong and followed men into battle. They would wear a one cut dress, and sandals.
Marriage
The term tying the knot, or getting hitched were not just terms to describe a wedding. Aztecs literally had the bride and groom tied together.
Men usually married at 20 and women at 16. Men were not penalized for not being married like the Inca, rather it was just impossible to live alone without a wife preparing meals and keeping a house.
Marriages were only permitted between clans. In a clan, regardless of actually being related by blood, an Aztec was related.
A man had to get permission from a council to marry a woman, not the girl's father.
To the Aztecs, marriage was a social tie, not just an attraction between the two people. Old women of the clan were the marriage brokers and they would help set up a courtship. This was also done in China. That actual marriage would start a night, when the bride would be carried on the back of the old woman to the site of the man's clan. There the two would be dressed in a loose fitting white cloth and would sit on the floor while members of each family gathered to listen to passages. At a point in the service, the two would have their white linens tied together by the old woman.
A celebration would then ensue. Unlike in many other cultures, when the husband and wife would consummate the marriage that night, the wife would be "helped out" by her uncles, brothers, and fathers. This was not considered incest since they believed that their were mysterious powers occurring that could disrupt life.
Women's Rights
Women had rights that did not reach as far as males, but they were quite liberated
A woman could:
Women could be divorced for:
Concubines did occur in Aztec society, however, this was given only to nobles and kings.
A married couple would build a house after they were married. There were no bachelor pads, people lived with their parents until they were married.
An Aztec day started at 4:00 am. Yes, there is a 4:00 am everyday. Priests would beat drums and blow trumpets to celebrate the rising of the sun. The men of the house would have a steam bath before they went to the fields. All Aztecs regardless of society had steam baths in their houses.
Aztecs were very clean people since they were always around water unlike the Europeans. The ancient Romans were the other clean society of the ancient world.
If you were able to own a slave, work was simple. If you were poor, newly married, or married at a later age, obtaining a slave was more difficult. The most taxing job for the women was making meals twice a day. The main source of food was the tortilla. They also ate: Beans, meat, chili pepper, fish, maize (corn), and tamales.
Aztecs did not have: Pigs, cattle, horses, or goats. This means no cheese or milk. Some of the meats available were: turkey, duck, and deer.
Aztec justice was quick and final. There were many minor crimes, or rather social restrictions, but there were a few felonies:
Stealing, adultery, blasphemy, killing, and drunkenness
Killing out of war and sacrifice was bad because it was between clans.
Stealing was bad because everything was community property. Taking more than what you needed eventually hurt someone in the tribe.
Women that were pregnant were considered very special. Once pregnant, they were placed under the protection of a god. Once the child was born, the priest looked at the day and the astrology of the day to determine if this was a good or bad day to be born and named.
The Aztecs had an 18 month calendar with 20 days in each month. Every month had a specific festival and celebrations
