The Ancient Civilizations of Central and South America
Central and South America was once home to some of the ancient world's
most magnificent and glorious civilizations. The Incas, Aztecs, and
Mayas were just three of these civilizations. These civilizations
ruled the area for many years, and flourished greatly in their own
different ways. They were the cause for much advancement in arts,
architecture, politics, religion, and society in the world. These
civilizations created pyramids, temples, and monuments in honor of
their gods and rulers. Their people proved to be intellectually
advanced, and they were able to successfully create calendars,
alphabets, and predict solar eclipses. They all developed differently
from each other but shared one thing in common, the fact that they
were all highly successful. It took a great many years to finally
bring an end to these civilizations. Many attacks and assaults from
the Spanish conquistadors, European diseases, and selfish kings to
finally bring an end to their influence on the world.
The Aztecs were the first major civilization to rule the area of
Central and South America. They are also sometimes known as the
Mexicas, but we refer to them the Aztecs. They might not have been a
huge empire when they began, and never really had the land area that
many empires of their time could boast, but nevertheless had a great
influence on Europe and Spain in particular. The Aztec Empire also
ranges to the Aztec Triple Alliance. The Aztec Triple Alliance was a
group of three tribes that were brought together for military
purposes. The Mexicas, Acolhuas, and Tepanecas made up this particular
allian...
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...on the region. Their cultures and civilizations are remembered by many
people even until now. These civilizations will always remain in my
mind as the greatest ever. I learned a lot from doing this research
report and I hope you learn just as much from reading it.
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[1] Ancient Kingdoms of the Sun pgs 59-63
[2] Encarta Encyclopedia Article (Aztecs)
[3] Collier's Encyclopedia Volume 3 pgs. 412-416 (Article: Aztecs)
[4] Collier's Encyclopedia Volume 12 pgs. 550-553(Article: Incas)
[5] Encarta Encyclopedia (Article: Inca Empire)
[6] Encarta Encyclopedia (Article: Machu Pichu)
[7] Encarta Encyclopedia (Article: Maya Civilization)
[8] Collier's Encyclopedia Volume 15 pgs. 577-584 (Article: Mayas)
[9] Website: Chichen Itza, Mexico
The Spaniards didn’t destroy the Aztec civilization all by their self another factor which helped the Spanish were the disease that they brought over to the Americas from Europe and Africa. The introduction of diseases like syphilis, measles, smallpox, malaria, mumps and yellow fever are just some sickness that plagued the Budhu 2 Aztecs. Also the introduction of different species of animals and plants caused a ecological imbalance (Plagues and Peoples 176-199). All these are some reasons to why the Aztec civilization was destroyed. With the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico rumors started to reach
While the existence of conclusive data on how and when Mesoamerica was first populated is still wanting in substance, it is generally accepted that the first people to arrive in the New World did so around 18,000 years ago. Occasionally data will surface that suggests that pre-modern humans may have come to the Americas prior to 16,000 BCE, but these conclusions are largely speculative, or based on data that cannot be corroborated. It is unknown if the migration played out as a single event, or if it happened in a succession of waves. Regardless, there are a few prominent theories on how genetically modern humans were able to make the last great migration from the Old World into the Americas. In any case, despite our murky understanding of how humans arrived in Mesoamerica, it is clear that once there, human civilization and culture was not only able to subsist, but thrive under a set of conditions that were unique to the region.
The Aztec Empire was ruled by an emperor known as the Huey Tlatcani, guest speaker, and had absolute power. The Huey Tlatcani was believed to have been
The Olmec, Mayan, and the Aztec Indians were very advanced civilizations for the 14th, 15th, and 16th century. They would used different kinds of resources found around them to create the technology they used to survive. For example the Olmec and the Mayans used cotton to create all kinds of garments, the Mayans also created a number system and their weapons and armor to go to war, the Aztecs adopted an education on how to hunt, how to fight, jewel cutting, metal polishing, song composition, science of the heavens, planing trees and flowers, cooking, cleaning, and many other things. Many cultures were influenced by these three civilizations as they had spread across the world and still use many of their techniques in our everyday lives.
The Aztec Empire was the largest civilization of the Americas in the early 16th century until Spanish conquistadors arrived in the New World. A motley crew of men from Spain, they were led by Hernan Cortes who intended to expand lands for the Spanish monarch and through many factors he was able to do just that. The three main factors that contributed to the fall of Tenochtitlan by the hands of Spanish conquistadors were significance of native allies, difference in battle tactics among the natives and conquistadors, and widespread disease. Another chapter in the Spanish colonization of the Americas, this one stands out in particular due to its unorthodox sequence of events that led a small group of men to defeating an entire empire in a few short years.
middle of paper ... ... The Aztecs were defeated, partially because they had been weakened by smallpox, but also because the Spanish fought together as a single force, while Aztecs fought as individuals (Schweikart 6-7). These three civilizations were focused on their religions, causing some similarities. They all built cities as religious centers.
These three complex societies of Northern America have made quite the influence on other parts of the world. They were no great empires but they left ruins as spectacular as those of Ancient Mexico or Peru. These complex societies were able to establish empires of trade, tradition, and government as quickly as they declined. Nevertheless, they are an important part of our world history today.
Fagan, Brian M. (2001) "Mesoamerican Civilizations." The Seventy Great Mysteries of the Ancient World: Unlocking the Secrets of past Civilizations. New York: Thames & Hudson, 491-509.
In Northern Mexico, a group of people known as the Aztecs arrived and became the dominant
The four civilizations, the Olmec, the Maya, the Aztecs, and the Inca were around many years ago. Life in Latin America prior to the European contact indicated a contradiction because each of these four civilizations were civilized and educated, yet they were violent at the same time.
This paper explores information gather from several articles that report on the Mayan Civilization throughout the years of their rise, their conquering, and their fall, as well as their interactions with other civilizations, specifically the Spanish. The Mayan civilization dates back before the 16th century, before they were conquered by the Spanish Conquistadors and the civilization diminished. During their reign, the Maya civilization thrived in what is now parts of Southern Mexico and Central America. However, their supremacy was struck down when the Spanish and their beliefs
Early American civilizations were composed of four different groups of people. These four groups were composed of the Mayas, Aztecs, Incas, and the North Americans. These groups were the same in many ways, but had some differences that would distinguish their group from the others. These civilizations ruled the Americas for long period of time. These civilizations were the same in almost every way, but they had their differences to show that they were a totally different group of people.
The Maya civilization is one of the most original and rich ancient populaces in the world. It is a group of varied ethnicities, common in some traits, but diverse in languages, customs and in history.1 By using the word "Maya " We can give two meanings. The first, of a civilization that flourished from the 4th century B.C. and it had its decline in the 7th century A.D. in what is known as the classical period resurgent in the post-classical period. And the second meaning refers to a people and culture that continues to exist to this day representing a tradition of more than 2000 years.
The Aztecs landed in Mesoamerica around the start of the thirteenth century. The Aztecs, who were then called the Mexica, were a poor, nomadic people from the harsh deserts of northern Mexico (McDougal 453; ch. 16). The Aztecs assembled extraordinary urban communities and created a complex social, political, and religious structure. The force of the Mexica individuals got to be more merged and they started to structure partnerships. Their military force developed also, and they started to vanquish individuals in the encompassing regions. A large number of the locale's city-states were under their control by the fifteenth century. Aztec public opinion was exceedingly organized, in view of agribusin...
The Maya civilization is a very important culture that has left a great impact on our world today. They are known for their written language, art, mathematical system and astronomical system. The Maya territory includes Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico. In these areas the Maya thrived in their religious practices, politics, and their use of the territory.