The Ancient Civilizations of Central and South America Essay

The Ancient Civilizations of Central and South America Central and South America was once home to some of the ancient worlds 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†¦show more content†¦They began as a tribe of nomads and hunter-gatherers. They were not used to settling and living in one area for many years, and so it was after a few years that they began to form permanent settlements. At this time the Aztecs were not even near being a major empire, as their arrival in the region had absolutely no imp act on the other tribes that were already settled there. It took many hundreds of years for the Aztecs to make a strong-hold in Central America. As this process took place they started to grow as a tribe and made more enemies. Many battles were fought with their neighboring tribes, and the Aztecs had to flee to the islet located on Lake Texcoco. It was there, as an island-city, that Tenochititlan was first built by the Aztec tribe and made their capital city. Overtime it matured into their largest city as well.[1] The city of Tenochititlan went through many hardships, and many wars. But, in the end the Aztec people prevailed and finally began to show their true colors with the makings of a unique civilization and culture that would dominate the Americas for many years. This showed great resilience on their part, and proved to people that they would fight for their survival against anyone. ¹ Tenochititlan was situated perfectly for farming and agriculture. The city was surrounded by about five rivers, and every year these rivers would flood and the soil wasShow MoreRelatedGold and World History: Glittering Motivation for Exploration, Invasion and Development737 Words   |  3 Pagesmost valuable materials all around the world. This jewel has its own glittering appearance and shiny color which induce people to desire to possess it. That’s probably why Europeans in the middle age have explored new continents and invaded other civilizations to find this glittering material. Americans also had given much endeavor to mine that valuable jewel in the time of gold rush. Investigating these events, gold has immensely affected the world history; the Age of Exploration, invasions of SpaniardsRead MoreMayans, Incas, And Aztecs Essay1586 Words   |  7 Pagesto an end, there is one civilization that we can put the blame on, the Mayans. There were many myths and legends th at come from the 3 major civilizations that we’ve all learned about; Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs. The Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs built great and legendary civilizations in Mexico, Central America, and South America and with understanding these three we get a better understanding of the early life in these places. The first of these three is the Maya civilization. Tracing back to the MayansRead MoreEconomy in Early American Civilizations: Maya, Aztecs and Inca865 Words   |  4 Pagesin southern Mexico and northern Central America from the 3rd to the 10th century CE, and they relied on the trade of goods such as obsidian and crops such as cacao beans. Another American civilization was the Aztec civilization. They were located in the Valley of Mexico around the 13th to 16th century CE, and they used slash-and-burn farming to plant crops to trade. The Inca Empire existed from the 13th to the 16th century CE along the Pacific coast of South America near the Andes Mountains. The IncaRead MoreAztec, Inca And Aztec Civilizations1134 Words   |  5 PagesBefore the legendary empires of the Romans and the Greeks, there were other prospering civilizations thriving in parts of Central America and parts of Mexico. The Mayan, Incan and Aztec civilizations were a few of the greatest ancient civilizations in history, but they each had distinct characteri stics that helped them prosper into the great empires that they became. Each had their own fascinating ways of food production, governing system and culture. The Mayans were established first out of theRead MoreSlavery And Its Effects On Society1440 Words   |  6 Pagesspans to nearly every culture, nationality, and religion and from ancient times to the present day. Slavery was a legal institution in which humans were legally considered property of another. Slaves were brought to the American colonies, and were utilized in building the economic foundations of the new world. In the 18th century, new ideas of human rights and freedom emerged out of the European Enlightenment stretching across the Americas and Europe. By the era of the American Revolution, the beliefRead MoreThe Republic Of The Inca Empire1648 Words   |  7 Pagesthe third largest country in South America and is about 3 times the size of California. (New World Encyclopedia) Peru has many different ethnic groups an d was also the center of the Incan Empire. There are still ruins and landmarks that still stand from this ancient civilization. There are also various types of climate regions which truly makes Peru a one of a kind country. History Peru has a long history of people and groups that could possibly pre date the ancient superior compared to the othersRead MoreThe City Of The Aztec Empire953 Words   |  4 PagesWhen thinking of ancient, urban centers many think of ancient capitals such as Rome, Athens, or Cairo. However, across the Atlantic Ocean in Central and South America, there were a number of growing urban centers being built by the Aztec, Mayan, and Incan civilizations. An example of a Central American urban center is Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was the capital of the ancient Aztec capital which is located in present-day Mexico-City, Mexico. The development of this ancient city was dependent on threeRead MoreThe Aztecs Werelocated In Mexico, Built On A Series Of1180 Words   |  5 Pagesruler the Huey Tlatoani. The Huey Tlatoani was the ultimate power in the land. They felt that he was appointed by the gods and had the divine right to rule.The Aztecs had no iron or bronze with which to make their tools and weapons. Therefore, the ancient Aztec people had to develop a means for creating effective tools and weapons without the benefit of these metals. For this reason, many Aztec tools were made with obsidian and chert.Invaders led by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes overthrewRead MoreStearns Book Chapter 1 Notes894 Words   |  4 PagesNotes from Stearns’ text book World Civilization 1:1 The Neolithic Revolution (10-13) †¢ Farming initially developed in the Middle East, the Fertile Crescent. Grains such as barley and wild wheat were abundant. Also, not heavily forested, and animals were in short supply, presenting a challenge to hunters. 10,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE. Notice: it took thousands of years for this â€Å"revolution† so not fast but profound for history. Agriculture was hard for many hunting and gathering peoples toRead MoreA Brief Note On The Civilization And The Indus Valley Civilization860 Words   |  4 Pagessigns of urban life. 2. Indus Valley civilization: The Indus Valley civilization is located in present day Pakistan. This civilization had evidence to provide little indications of no political hierarchy or centralized. 3. Central Asian/ Oxus civilization: A civilization that was economically based on irrigation agriculture and stock raising. This civilization was a focal point of a Eurasian-wide system of intellectual and commercial exchange. This civilization started to fade away by 1700 B.C.E