Mayans, Incas, Aztecs
For the last few sections of this year we learned about the Aztecs, Incas, and the Mayas. These civilizations were all founded and grew to take control of what is now South America and Mexico. The Mayans were an ancient civilization that lasted 3,500 years, from about 2000 B.C.E. to 1500 C.E. At its peak, the Mayan culture spread over a great deal of South America including parts of present-day southern Mexico, Belize, most of Guatemala, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador. This civilization had lived in many different types of regions. For example in the south, pine forests covered the mountain highlands. In the northern and central regions were rainforests, grasslands, and swamps. These regions are known as the lowlands. Thick jungle covered the southern part of the lowlands. Because of this the Mayas had to find different strategies for growing food, hunting, and communicating. The Mayans built their civilization on ideas they inherited from a people called the Olmecs. The Olmecs lived in the jungle areas on the east coast of Mexico. The Mayans learned how to farm crops such as corn and maize, they developed large religious and ceremonial centers, and They were also the first to use a solar calendar, or a calendar based on the cycles of the sun. We still use some of these inventions today. The Aztecs were also an ancient civilization that ruled most of what is now South America and Mexico. This civilization lasted 3,500 years, from about 2000 B.C.E. to 1500 C.E. They arrived in the Valley of Mexico in the mid 1200s C.E. For a long time, they served as mercenaries for more powerful groups, such as the Teotihuacáns, Toltecs, and Tepanecs. In 1325, the Aztecs began building their great capital, Tenochtitlán, in Lake Texcoco. They chose the location based on a sign from the gods an eagle perched on a cactus, with a snake in its beak. At its height, the impressive city boasted huge stone temples, canals, and a population greater than any European city of the time. The Aztec Empire began in 1428, when the Aztecs and their allies won a victory against the Tepanecs. The Aztecs went on to conquer most of the Valley of Mexico. Over the next nearly 100 years, the Aztecs expanded their empire through warfare and alliances. Eventually the empire included hundreds of cities and millions of people, who supported the Aztecs through vast amounts of tribute goods. The Incas were a well known civilization that had many accomplishments. They ruled from 1400s C.E. It lasted until 1532, when the Incas were conquered by Spanish explorers. In the 1400s, the Incas began rapidly expanding their power from their capital city, Cuzco. Eventually, they created a huge empire that extended almost the length of the Andes. An impressive system of roads and messengers helped the emperor manage his vast territory. The Incan class structure had three main levels: the emperor and his family, the nobility, and the commoners. All Incas belonged to ayllus, which provided the empire with crops, goods, and labor. Like other early peoples in the Americas, the Incas engaged in many religious practices to maintain proper relationships with their gods, especially their chief god, Inti, god of the sun. The Incas used a variety of means to bring others under their control. Conquered peoples had to build a sun temple, study Incan laws, and learn Quechua. The Incas also took a sacred object as a hostage. Rebellious tribes were forced to relocate.
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