Costa

I am 14 i like photography, film cameras, and art. I love summer.
My Bayeux Tapestry Report



//In my report I really wanted to underline that King Harold had died, I wanted every one to know that he died with a sword right through him. I can't stress enough how hard I tried to state that. It amazed me how smart King William the Conquer would not stand down and let King Harold rule england. He had many smart tactics on winning a battle. I enjoyed this report a lot. I never knew about the Bayeux Tapestry or the Battle of Hastings, this history really amazes me! In this past week or two I have learnt so much about history in the 10th century and hoping to learn more!//

//Hope you like my report.//

//Costa//

**__ The Aztecs __**

The Aztecs moved from their homeland in northern Mexico southward in about 1100AD. They moved to other lands and worked as soldiers and slaves for them, but grew strong and fought against their allies. From then on they began establishing their own cities in the C13. Their empire expanded from this point. `
 * By Costa Virtanen 8A **
 * The existence if the Aztec Civilization **
 * Map of Mexico – Orange parts of the maps shows Aztec Empire. ||

The Aztec empire stretched between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in the area now known as Mexico.
 * CAD1200 Aztecs arrive in central Mexico. Work as solider and slaves but become strong and fight against their masters ||
 * Timeline: **
 * AD1100 Aztecs leave their homeland travel southwards for a new place to live ||


 * AD1372-1381 The first-known Aztec ruler, Acamapichtli, reigns. ||

__ Mesoamerica: __
 * AD900 Maya Empire begins to collapse ||
 * 476 Roman Empire fell. ||


 * 1066 Normans invaded ||


 * 1347 The Black Death breaks out in Europe ||


 * 1400’s Renaissance begins ||


 * 1564 the birth of Shakespeare ||

__ Europe: __ The Aztec society was a male dominate culture. Almost all rulers where men, these men in power would either be army commanders, law makers or priests. However there was no one higher than the Aztec Leader. Many leaders claimed to be descended from their god. Each city-state had its own royal family. Originally an Aztec leader was elected from army Aztec commanders. This however changed over the years and soon the ruler became dynastic. Priests observed the stars, looking for signs of the future, they held many religious ceremonies. However rulers, nobles and priests only made up a little part of their society. A large percentage of the Aztecs where peasants. At the young age of four boys would help carry water and firewood until the age of six when they were taught how to fish and take goods to markets. Girls were involved in home duties. Men were farmers, fishermen and craft workers and women looked after their families. Apart from peasants there were thousands of slaves who were criminals, enemy captives or poor people who had given up on their life and freedom, in return for doing bad sins and losing their food or shelter. LEFT: A painting of Montezuma, the last great Aztec leader. ||
 * The Social and Political Structure of the Aztec Society **
 * ABOVE: Female Aztec peasant blowing on maize before putting into the cooking pot. A typical daily routine of cooking for an Aztec.**Aztec ** woman blowing on maize before putting it into the cooking pot **Aztec** woman blowing on maize before putting it into the cooking pot **Aztec** woman blowing on maize before putting it into the cooking pot

Tenochtitlan was built on an island in the middle of Lake Texococo in the central valley. Founded around 1325 AD it soon grew to be one of the largest cities in the world of its time. By 1500AD 200,000 people lived there. What brought this city alive were traders, ambassadors, scribes and porters streaming with tribute from all over Mesoamerica. Thousands of enemies where captured and brought here to be sacrificed to the gods. This city was divided into four districts, Flowery Palace, Mosquito Fen, Herons’ Home and at the centre, the Sacred Precent. All four districts where connected with each other. All of them led to the main land which gave them all different recourses such as water. People in Mesoamerica used local materials for building. Having no wheeled transport it was hard building materials that would have been transported from long distances. Stone was the most expensive and longest-lasting material for building. It was mainly used for religious buildings palaces for rulers and tombs. However a peasant home was more ordinary and people built them more quickly and easily. They used materials such as sun-dried mud bricks called adobe. To make strong walls they would smear mud all over a framework of wooden poles. Homes in Mesoamerican homes had no chairs or tables, curtains or carpets. This never changed wether rulers or slaves it all stayed the same. However everybody worshipped gods no matter how high or low their status was. The religion in the Aztecs consisted of sacrifices. They believed and worshipped gods who controlled their land. Mesoamerican people believed that if they made offerings of blood and human lives to the gods, the sun would die and the world would come to an end. Maya rulers drew spiked cords through their tongue or pricked themselves with cactus thorns for blood. They pulled out captives fingernails so the blood flowed or threw them into the holy water. Aztecs pricked their ear lobes each morning and collected two drops of blood to give to the gods. Apart from drawing blood as a ritual, Aztecs sacrificed thousands of individuals for the gods; however they had to be killed in a certain way. This was done by penetrating the chest cavity and scoping out their heart. It was reported roughly around20,000 victims were sacrificed to celebrate the completion of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan in 1478; it took four days to kill all of them. Outsiders saw the Aztecs to be strange and mad. However this wasn’t the case, this was just their religion.
 * The great City of Tenochtitlan ****Aztec ** woman blowing on maize before putting it into the cooking pot**Aztec** woman blowing on maize before putting it into the cooking pot
 * A painting of the great city Tenochtitlan. This is during a ceremony of sacrifice to celebrate the completion of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan in 1478 ||
 * Religion of the Aztecs **
 * A painting of a sacrifice. From this artwork you can see a priest who sacrifices this human. He penetrates his chest and scoops out his heart and captives with a tool. ||

War was essential in Aztec life. Aztecs were not an ancient civilization. They had won their homeland by fighting against the people who were already there. From that onwards they relied on war to continue gaining land. During the 1400s, the Aztec empire grew rapidly, until the Aztecs ruled most of Mexico. This determination to conquer new territory was run by rulers Itzcoatl (1426-1440), Moctezuma Ilhuicamina (1440-1468) and Axayacatl (1468-1481). Conquered cities were often controlled by Aztec soldiers and linked to the government in Tenochtitlan by a big number of officials, such as tax collectors and scribes. If the Aztecs never succeed from winning these wars for more land, their Empire would have collapsed. By the late 1400s the Aztec empire grew rapidly, until the Aztecs ruled most of the empire. However this soon changed with the invasion of Hernan Cortes and the Spanish soldiers. Before 1519 Europeans knew almost nothing about the continent of America. In 1519 a small band of Spanish adventures landed in Mexico led by a nobleman called Hernan. To their amazement they found a great civilization, the Aztecs. For two years the Aztecs battled Cortes and his world from invading and taking over their land. For a while the Aztecs had some success, they drove out the Spaniards out of Tenochtitlan in May 1520. Cortes yet again attacked the city in 1521. With the fall of Tenochtitlan, basically all Aztecs resistance ended. Cortes became Governor of New Spain, the land which the Aztecs used to own. He soon got replaced and died in 1547, unhappy and bitter. Spanish priests were sent to Mexico many Catholic churches were built. Many buildings from Tenochtitlan where torn down, the Aztec religion was banned. The Spanish brought in political, religious, economical system and many diseases which killed out the Aztecs. This was the fall of the Aztec Empire. Macdonald, F., (1998) __Step into the Aztec World,__ New York. Wood, T. (1992), __The Aztecs__, Hamlin, London. Detrates, J, (1992), __What Do We Know About The Aztecs,__ Simon and Schuster, London. European Timeline: [] Images: [] [] [] [] [] [] Many thanks too Ms Billet!
 * Expansion of the Aztec Empire **
 * A painting of Aztecs with their armour at war. ||
 * The fall of the Aztecs **
 * This Aztec picture shows the surrender of Cuauthemoc (the last Aztec king) to Cortes. ||
 * Bibliography **

This is my Aztec Report

What significant differences were there between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Period? The Medieval Ages where a dark period. In that era it almost seemed like time stood still. There was barely any progress in culture, arts and education. Being a peasant, you had to give 10% of your earnings to the church and 10% to the king. The feudal system controlled your social status, some people where lucky enough to be nobles or priests but a vast majority where peasants. The Medieval ages began after the Roman Empire fell roughly around 500 CE and the time it finished in 1300 CE. The living conditions were a true reflection of the Medieval Times. You can understand the emotion from the unembellished buildings and the dull architecture. The Medieval ages gives you a strong sense of how dark and uninspiring this time was from the way the people lived to the type of buildings they lived in.

With the Renaissance came a new era, of culture and enlightenment which was a complete contrast with the Medieval time. It was a time between the Medieval period and the modern world. This rebirth started in Rome and Florence Italy around 1350’s. Florence became the most magnificent renaissance city mainly due to the very wealthy Mercidicis Family, who supported famous artists such as Michelangelo. This new class of wealthy business people where responsible for the creation of many beautiful buildings, paintings and sculptures during this time. Art, trade and travelling was a huge characteristic of the Renaissance. Due to high trade soon middle class people could educate their children. Soon came about explores who searched the outside world and brought back the culture of ancient Greece, Rome and the Middle East which was very influential upon the people hence doing this it made individuals wanting to learn understand and travel. They believed what they could do was limitless.

Exploration and travel was a huge importance of this era, it brought many back many things to this era such as education. Marco Polo was a great example of important explorers. He travelled the world and “discovered” new cultures, eg China. Marco Polo wrote a book about these amazing humanities and this impact made people wanting to travel and see what was outside their town or village. This contact with ancient and cultures led to the study of literature, arts, science, and philosophy and much more. This type of education became important for many middle class professions. Due to high trade they could afford to put their children through school. Soon to this education it was possible for a middle class person, with this education became a renaissance man. A renaissance man had to be noble at everything such as literature, arts, science, and philosophy and many more. Art was given a new meaning in the birth of the Renaissance. Famous artists that people know of today came from this era this includes, Leonardo da Vinci, Michael Angelo & Donatello. But what really made this art so spectacular and different from anything from its time before was how detailed every single painting and sculpture was. People more so cared about everyone’s individual features. This was a huge step forward compared to Medieval art. Life was dull in that type of art, people payed little attention to detail in the paintings. New art techniques in the Renaissance where invented. One very important technique that is used today is Vanishing Point. This technique was used to make backgrounds and horizons have a depth of field, this technique is a great importance to art and it brought paintings to life. Apart from art, education was a huge importance. However in the Medieval times there was no real education, unless you were extremely wealthy or you were becoming a priest for the church. However this all changed in the Renaissance, because of high trade more and more people could educate middle class. With all this new exploration people where interested in advancing themselves and learning about history and gaining knowledge in their English skills. They also studied many other subjects which really advanced this era. A good example of how advancing people where such as Leonardo Da Vinci he made many inventions such as a helicopter, however he didn’t have the equipment and it was to advance for his time. But people today have based the helicopter around his designs. Once people began to understand that they could educate anybody this led to the rise of humanism. People soon realised that it wasn’t right that some people where more superior than others. This soon broke down the bar of the social ladder and soon all people became equal. However the church still wasn’t right at the church. Many people didn’t like the thought of one person being more superior to god than another. This was the start of the reformation of the church.

The church was corrupt in the Medieval era. There was this thing called indulgences. It was when you could pay a priest to pray and forgive you if perhaps you were going to kill or brutally hurt someone. People in the Renaissance soon realised that this wasn’t the right thing, surely god wouldn’t want you to hurt or kill another person. People so began to protest the church. People soon wanted to read the bible as well, it was only written and read in Latin. People wanted to know and understand what they were listening too and understand what was going on. Soon a man Martin Luther who was a Protestant he as well was protesting against the church and translated the bible to German. However he did not hand write this he used a new invention called the printing press. This invention was made by Jones Gutenburg. This helped out Martin Luther a lot. Before this Printing Press all books where hand written and that is why books took a long time and little amount of books where made. Soon people could understand and read the bible, this and the protesting soon took over and there was a reformation of the church. There was no corruption and there was new life in the church. However with all this new inventions such as the printing press everything started to take a change and this took over hand labour. This was the new beginning of the Industrial Revolution. What was next? The modern world which was led by the industrial revolution, machines started to take over manual labour. A new era is born

By Costa Virtanen

=**Tomorrow When the War Began**=
 * Task 1**
 * 1.**Homer puts three choices to the group; try to rescue their families (even though it is very dangerous and unlikely to succeed) inflict damage on the ‘enemy’ or sit tight and stay alive. In your opinion what should the group have done?

I believe that if you sit tight and don’t try to fight for your family or the freedom of you and your country, what’s the point of being out there, why not surrender and be safer with your family. Even though they believe that their parents want to them be safe and not get killed isn’t it better to sand up and fight for your land, there is a war going on. Maybe they shouldn’t go head first and go out with small guns they should do small disruptive things bit by bit. The war may go on for years and years and who knows when it ends. They do however have to lie low and not put themselves in complete danger but do put input into conflict

The group of teenagers need to inflict some rebellion to the intruders, and not “sit tight” however

2. Why would ‘other countries’ be ‘less likely’ to become involved in a ‘clean war’?

Forty people died in one area in this ‘clean war.’ Is there such a thing as a ‘clean war’? There is no such thing as a clean war. In history there has never been a event that has been recorded as ‘clean’ war. However there is such thing as a war that may be ‘cleaner’ than others. I can see how other countries may be reluctant to help a country with a ‘clean’ war due to them being safe and having the resources without masses of people dyeing but without helping the invasion will get bigger and bigger and soon overtaking more than another country can handle to help. Another reason the country’s reluctant to help is that they may invade with weapons to help and this would make matters worse and the war will soon turn into a violent one. 3. Ellie is relieved that she ‘probably’ has not killed anyone in the bridge explosion. However, she understands that her intention was ‘to do whatever was necessary’ and therefore it was only luck that resulted in no lives being lost. Is murder wrong in war?

Circumstances of life and death are very different within’ a war, the same rules don’t apply. Even though it is said it is a ‘clean’ war it was reported that the invaders killed 70 people within’ that region. Ellie does have the right to save her and her friends life in sacrifice of another. This may cause more conflict however the invaders are willing to capture her for the show ground but they will kill her in order for them to be successful in invading. Most of the kids within’ the group showed different aspects of leadership. Robyn’s showed strong leadership within’ her morals. Robyn always had care and the thought of others; this epically shows as they were ‘flying in the BMW, away from the invader’ Robyn asks if Lee is ‘OK’. Homer and Ellie are having relief that they are safe and Robyn shows how she is still thinking ahead and always worrying about Lee’s safeness. It shows her strong moral courage on how she is always thinking ahead. Homer shows strong physical leadership he makes tough and smart decisions. The group listens to him it shows especially when he tells people to ‘rack off’ when Ellie needs to concentrate, they don’t argue with his comments. His decision making is smart and cunning and gives good benefits of the doubt. One point of the book he gives them three options; they can either sit tight, try to get their families or do something for the ‘good guys’. These suggestions show Homer’s strong and smart leadership. Ellie leadership changed throughout the novel. As having violence throughout around her she had to think like a ‘solder’. Ellie is moreover seen as a strong leader throughout the book due to being the person who was telling the story. At the beginning, before the invaders knew that the teenagers were after them, Ellie was a leader that never thought about her morals without realising it. This however changed as the story went on Ellie soon had the ability to look at someone’s face and commit murder, these suggestions show Ellie’s powerful leadership. **Ellie is concerned by Chris’ morality; she’s concerned that if the romantic relationship break up there will be tension in the group. What tests of their friendship do you see lie ahead for the group?** Ellie worries about Chris and his morality. Ellie stresses about this situation because it wasn’t ‘essential’ to be ‘picking up grog and cigarettes whenever and wherever [Chris] felt like it’. Ellie does not know how ‘far’ Chris and the group can take these ‘souvenirs’. Even though Chris had only ‘took’ a ‘packet of cigarettes and grog’ who knows what he may take next. Chris soon might start to take personal belongings that have a sentimental value. These ‘souvenirs’ will only make situations worse within’ the group and Chris’s morality. There shall definitely will be tension within’ the group. The teenagers in the group have put themselves in the situation of being in a relationship. Someone may split up with someone they cannot exactly escape or avoid them due to being the group so close together. There has been moments within’ the novel that have showed the awkwardness of Ellie avoiding Lee, it showed after they kissed. Lee asked Ellie ‘why [Ellie] hasn’t looked at [Lee] since [they kissed]. And since then Ellie ‘hardly spoke to him’. That already shows the tension between Lee and Ellie even before they have been dating. That was the before stage and there has been tension and awkwardness what lies after could be much worse, for everyone. Though there will be tension and trauma and awkwardness, for what may lie ahead but eventually they will pass through that and move on. **Why do you think Marsden included the story of Christie in the novel?** Marsden included Christie in the novel to represent that the group had done the same thing as him, ‘excluded’ themselves from society. Christie excluded him from society for his ‘freedom’, he wouldn’t be excepted no more under his circumstances as for what the group did as well. John Marsden wrote this in a way for the teenagers to find they are isolated from their society for their freedom. As Lee and Ellie are within’ the hut after reading through the documents “Lee… put the tin down… at that moment there was too much to absorb, too much to think about’. Ellie states that in a way of realising her life and the group’s life was like Christie’s, excluded from society. Throughout the novel everybody showed courage at some point; however Robyn’s was by far the most remarkable. During the novel Robyn always showed her strong caring morality. This shows when Lee was shot in the Newsagency, Robyn ‘heaved Lee onto her back across her shoulders, and carried him through the shattered door… carrying Lee, [Robyn] staggered along five buildings to get to the restaurant”. Robyn at any point could of left Lee and ran for her own safety however Robyn was ‘brave that night’, she risked her own life for Lee’s. Throughout the book none could deny that Robyn had remarkable courage. Ellie at one point during the book tells that Robyn ‘should get a metal’, without a doubt Robyn should. These suggestions show Robyn’s strong courage and morality. Part 1 Marsden includes the __Famous Five__ series in the book to show how kids can make their own moral choices. Ellie says “So that was the Famous Five. I guess Corrie and I made it the secret seven.” Edith Blythe wrote the Famous Five novels to portray to kids having a happy and exciting adventure and at the end of the day everything is “OK”. Everything seems to be “safe”. However Marsden interprets in this in a different way. __Tomorrow When the War Began__ may follow the parallel line of the kids being morally independent however the world doesn’t end happily. This shows as Ellie explains that “Those books don’t have a lot of bearing on what’s happened to us. I can’t think of any books I’ve read… that relates much to us”. Marsden refers to the Famous Five series for a different perspective. Part 2 “But I really felt for a moment like I could have killed Chris.” During this quote Ellie explains she found Chris asleep on “duty”. Ellie was “furious” and “outraged” that Chris was asleep. This was a turning point for Ellie during the novel, as for “what Chris did was unforgiveable”. Marsden writing that she could of “killed” Chris has turned Ellie into a real life monster. However this was a wakeup call for Ellie and the group as they are actually in a war, this was the reality of their new lives. The circumstances had changed and Ellie was now valid to “kill” Chris as it was the “penalty for sleeping” on guard. It may have seem as an overreaction for the reader however Marsden wrote this to show the reader the seriousness of the war. John Marsden wrote this how a war can change and effect people forever.
 * Task 2**
 * Who is the leader of the group?**
 * Who, in the group, shows remarkable courage?**
 * Task 3**
 * Task 4**
 * Task 5**
 * Task 6**
 * Task 7**

It was a shock arriving back at my house. It wasn’t easy getting there. When I arrived like Ellie’s and Homer’s house… dead. There was a stench that came from the fridge; I avoided that area. As I kept on walking throughout my empty house I couldn’t take my mind off Lee. Poor boy, he had been through an awful lot this evening and leaving him could only make matters worse. Yet I could not leave for whoever was coming to my house, what happens if someone else got hurt? Or even worse… killed. I waited silently in the house as the night got darker; it had almost been half an hour. Suddenly I heard subtle noises from the gate, my heart sank. Who was that? It was hard to tell whether it was an invader on someone from the group, oh I shouldn’t have left Lee I thought know rethinking things. I heard footsteps, but to my surprise they fainted away. ‘Wooh’, I breathed out heavily with a huge relief. As I wiped my forehead, cold sweat came running off my hand. Perhaps that was the soldiers patrolling through the neighbourhood. Maybe they noticed me; I should have been more silent. I listened carefully where the faint footsteps were heading but they died out. I waited in the living room contently gazing at stars. There where sudden noises shuffling down the hill around the back. I prepared myself for the worse. Whoever it was moved so quickly they within’ a second they were just outside the back door. A sudden noise broke the night’s silence it was a painful screech of the back door opening. I froze in shock and horror. This was it. Silently I sprinted into the office with adrenalin, the back door was now rasping all the way open. I went into fathers draws I rummaged through papers and suddenly felt a cool metal object lying down at the bottom of the draw, it was his shot gun. I always knew that he had one hidden for protection though it never seemed necessary. I withdrew the gun holding it in my hands. There was a sudden bump from the back room; I know heard the heavy breathing they were moving in… this was it. I kept reassuring myself that would never kill anyone god gave us this freedom for a reason, this was just my protection. I took one last look at the cross hanging on the wall and left office shaking silently. I don’t know what pushed me forward but I couldn’t risk leaving Lee all alone. I entered the living room I heard bodies shuffling on the hay carpet like an old dog trying to get comfy. Whoever this was I possibly couldn’t be anyone from the group. I don’t know what forced me but I drew back the bolt into the breech, then slid forward the cock rifle… this was it, there was no return. Suddenly a familiar voice screamed “Robyn!” “Ellie” I whispered in a subtle faint voice as I collapsed.
 * Task 8**
 * Task 9**
 * Task 10**