Early Mayan Civilizations

Laura Chatham
Professor Hannah Jackson
24 November 2015
HIS1163 Fall 2015
A few of the indigenous tribes of present day Central and South America were really unique and made great advancements in fields such as: agriculture, architecture, and astronomy. Many things were learned and can be learned from these early civilizations. There are some common themes found throughout some of the major civilizations such as the use of agriculture and the defeat by the Spanish. Although we have learned much of these civilizations, some things have been left to speculation, but there is no denying the fact that if these civilizations never existed, the world would not be the same today.
The Maya were one of the largest of the indigenous tribes of Mesoamerica

which started the Preclassic period in which the Mayans prospered in agriculture and city building. During the Classic Period, which began in
250 A.D., the Maya Empire flourished. The Classic Period brought about nearly forty cities and possibly even close to two million people. Through excavations we have found the remains of temples, plazas, palaces, pyramids, and even courts which held ball games that were significant to the Maya both ritually and politically. The Maya were also devoutly religious and worshiped many gods especially ones related to nature including the sun, rain, moon, and corn gods. The kings of the Maya performed many rituals because they were recognized as mediators between the gods and people. The Maya made very important contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy during this period and even developed a 365 day calendar and the use of the number zero. The decline of the Maya has become a real mystery and a topic of speculation.
Some unknown occurrence caused the Maya to abandon their cities and by 900 A.D., the Maya
Empire was gone. (“Maya” History.com)
Another well-known people of Mesoamerica would be the Aztec (also called Mexica

The Inca prospered through the military strength of their emperor, and it was not until their fourth emperor that the Inca started expanding their landholdings. Yet they did not become an expansive power until the 15th century under the rule of their eighth emperor. This same emperor, Viracocha Inca, started the idea of keeping a military leader stationed in conquered lands to maintain the peace. His son, Yupanqui Inca, helped successfully defend Cusco during an attack from the Chancas which made him one of the most influential rulers in Inca history. Yupanqui used military campaigns and reforms to enlarge and strengthen the Inca Empire. Although this empire covered a vast area of land and a variety of different ethnic groups, the empire ran smoothly by a well-developed social structure which included a primary dialect, a systematic way of tracking historic and accounting records, and an advanced system of roads which stretched 15,000 miles throughout the kingdom. The empire flourished thanks to the individuals who paid taxes and were self sufficient (usually farmers).
The Inca Empire fell due to many diseases brought about by the Spanish including the