ancient cultures of central and south america

7/30/2019 Ancient Cultures of Central and South America

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Ancient Cultures of Central and

South America:The Maya, Aztec, and Inca


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Mayan Map


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The Mayans

The culture's beginnings have been traced

back to 1500 BC.

The Height of Mayan civilizationwas

between 600 and 900 AD.


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Mayan Writing

devised a complex

style of hieroglyphic

writing that has yet to

be fully deciphered. Maya words are

formed from various

combinations of

nearly 800 signs.


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Maya Technology

The Maya, for example,were so advanced inmathematics andastronomy that their

calendar was the world'smost accurate until thiscentury. They could alsopredict solar and lunareclipses.

The Maya calendar wasadopted by the otherMesoamerican nations,such as the Aztecs and

the Toltec.

The pyramid was used as a calendar:

four stairways, each with 91 steps and a

platform at the top, making a total of 365,

equivalent to the number of days in acalendar year.


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Agriculture

The basis of the culture was farming,

which included not only the cultivation of

maize, beans, squash, and chili peppers,

but also "cash crops" of cotton and cacao.


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Religion

The most revered deities (Gods) were

Itzamna and Ix Chel, father and mother of

all other gods, and the rain god Chac.

Kukulcan was the Mayan name for thefeathered serpent, god of the ruling caste.


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Downfall

Insufficient food supply, earthquakes,

pestilence, invasion by outsiders, internal

rebellion or a combination of these factors

have all been suggested as possiblecauses for the fall of the Mayan eminence.

What appears certain is that by 900 AD

the Maya's numerous ceremonial centershad been abandoned.


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Aztec map


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Aztec

Prior to the 15th century, the Aztecs were

a marginal tribe living on the edge of Lake

Texcoco, the site of present day Mexico

City

Leading a highly codified government was

an all-powerful emperor who exacted

taxes from the conquered and distributedland to his people, especially the warriors.


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Tenochtitlan

By 1473, after subjugating neighboring

tribes, they ruled the largest empire

Mexico had ever seen. Their capital of

Tenochtitlan, set in the lake, was apicturesque city of pyramids, mile-long

floating roads, aqueducts, animated

marketplaces, and one hundred thousandresidents.


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Tenochtitlan


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Government

Leading a highly codified government was

an all-powerful emperor who exacted

taxes from the conquered and distributed

land to his people, especially the warriors.


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Aztec Calendar

-The Aztecs used a Calendar similar toThe Mayans. It had a 365 day a yearCalendar.

-In the mythology of the Aztecs, thefirst age of mankind ended with the

animals devouring humans. Thesecond age was finished by wind, thethird by fire, and the fourth by water.The present fifth epoch is calledNahui-Olin (Sun of Earthquake), whichbegan in 3113 BC and will end on

December 24, 2011. It will be the lastdestruction of human existence on Earth.


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Aztec Writing

The Aztec Language

was based on

symbols representing

writing. They would combine

symbols to create

sentences.


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Mythology

According to an Aztec

myth, the white-faced

Quetzacuatl - their

most important god. He is the god of

intelligence and the

god of creation.


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Inca Map


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Inca

Between 1200 and 1535 AD, the Inca

population lived in the part of South

America extending from the Equator to the

Pacific coast of Chile.


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Incan Government

The Inca society was arranged by a strict hierarchicalstructure.

The Highest Level the Sapa, high priest or ruler, and thearmy commander at the top.

The temple priests, architects and regional armycommanders were next.

The two lowest classes consisted of artisans, armycaptains, farmers, and herders.

Farmers provided most of the food for the rest of thepopulation. They had to pay tax in the form of gold,which were distributed to the higher classes.


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Inca Agriculture

The Inca developed drainage systems and

canals to expand their crop resources. Potatoes,

tomatoes, cotton, peanuts and coca were among

the many crops grown by the Inca. Llama were used for meat and transportation.

There was more than enough resources

available for everyone. Increased subsistence

levels led to a growth in the Inca population.


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Inca Technology

The Incas had an incredible system of roads.One road ran almost the entire length of theSouth American Pacific coast.

Since the Incas lived in the Andes Mountains,the roads took great engineering andarchitectural skill to build.

On the coast, the roads were not surfaced.

The Incas paved their highland roads with flatstones and built stone walls to prevent travelersfrom falling off cliffs.

ancient cultures of central and south america

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