Series on Aztecs nominated for a Children’s TV BAFTA award
In February and March 2004 the BBC broadcast an impressive new series of programmes on the Aztecs, recently filmed on location in Mexico. They have been re-broadcast several times since and are still available for purchase as a Teaching Pack... (Written/compiled by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore)
If the amazing longevity of the forerunner of this series (‘Landmarks’) is anything to go by (produced in 1992 it’s still being used in primary schools throughout the country ...), this refreshingly new series (which we’ve previewed) will enjoy a deservedly long shelf life.
Key Stage 2 - Primary History - The Aztecs
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BBC Aztecs Primary History DVD Plus pack |
(1) In search of the Aztecs Presenter Jayne Constantinis visits present-day Mexico City to find evidence of the great Aztec Empire that flourished in that part of Central America less than 500 years ago. The remains of Aztec temples under the centre of Mexico City, and some of the amazing objects found there, are the starting point for an enquiry into Aztec beliefs, ritual, and everyday life. The programme covers:-
• Archaeological evidence of the Aztecs
• Where the Aztecs came from
• How people lived in Aztec times
• Aztec warriors
• Aztecs priests, gods and rituals.
(2) The end of the Aztec Empire Jayne Constantinis tells the story of the Spanish Conquistador, Hernán Cortés, who sailed from Europe to what is now Mexico, and, in 1521, overturned the great Aztec Empire. It also looks at what happened afterwards, explaining why present day Mexico is now a Spanish-speaking, Catholic country. The programme covers:-
• The arrival of the Spanish
• The Spanish enter the Aztec capital
• The Spanish retreat in disarray
• The Spanish return and defeat the Aztecs
• What happened to the Aztecs after the conquest.
Here's what others have said:
5 At 1.46pm on Thursday November 18 2010, Sra. Smith wrote:
My 5A class was wondering why the monkey is always pictured wearing an earring? Also 5H wanted to know your opinion on who was sacrificed after the ball game--the winners or the losers?
Mexicolore replies: We’ve answered 5A’s excellent question in our ‘Ask Us’ section (‘The monkey’s earring’). 5H’s question is also a good one, but it’s a very difficult one to answer: the key to this is to remember that the ritual ballgame is over 3,500 years old and was played all over ancient Mesoamerica; this means that the rules changed constantly from region to region, people to people, and era to era. Some sources suggest winners were sacrificed, some point to losers being sacrificed, and some indicate that no-one was sacrificed. Where sacrifice was involved it was often a team captain rather than the entire team. Generally, human sacrifice WAS associated with the ballgame, because it was believed to be a great honour to be sacrificed to the gods (who had first played the ballgame, according to ancient myth).
4 At 3.15pm on Wednesday November 10 2010, Sra. Smith wrote:
Another question, this time from Matt G. and Cody C.: Would the Aztecs use (in religious ceremonies) the heart and blood of people who died of natural causes? I think the boys want to make sure that dead bodies didn’t go to waste! P.S. We LOVE your site and thank you for the quick feedback.
Mexicolore replies: No. The gods deserved ‘the best’, and thus were only offered the hearts of (generally strong, young, vigorous) warriors, normally those captured in battles with neighbouring tribes. Warriors who died in human sacrifice or in battle went to join the Sun God in one of the highest ‘heavens’. Those who died natural deaths generally went ‘down’ to the final resting place in the underworld called Mictlan.
3 At 1.36pm on Wednesday November 10 2010, Sra. Smith wrote:
Madison D. in my 5th grade World Languages class was wondering if children were ever sacrificed? And, Holly P. wanted to know if the priests were ever sacrificed? Thanks from Perry Elementary 5H, Shoemakersville, PA, USA.
Mexicolore replies: Thanks for your questions! Put simply, priests were not sacrificed (as far as we know) but children were - however this was only once a year (still unacceptable in our eyes!) and only if a child had been born on one of the last 5 days in the solar/farming year. The Aztecs believed that there were 360 ‘normal’ days in each year, leaving 5 that simply didn’t ‘fit in’ (a bit like the ancient Egyptians’ beliefs). These last 5 ‘useless’ days, called ‘nemontemi’ in the Aztec language, were disastrous days to be born on, and any child born on one of these days would be sacrificed to Tlaloc (the rain god) by being drowned in Lake Texcoco. VERY sad...
2 At 7.05am on Saturday May 8 2010, karen coutts wrote:
Can you buy or download the series online?
Mexicolore replies: That we don’t know, sadly. There’s nothing on their website to suggest that it is, I’m afraid...
1 At 9.53am on Saturday October 25 2008, Peter Sten Andersen wrote:
Is it possible to buy this dvd. I have tried, but i could not find it any where on the internet. Can you help?.
Mexicolore replies: The BBC Aztecs DVD Plus Pack is available still from the BBC Shop - follow the link shown and just type in ‘Aztecs’ into the Search facility...