Maya
The
Maya civilization occupied what is now Guatemala, Belize, parts of
Honduras and El Salvador, the Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas, and
the entire Yucatan Peninsula. The earliest records of the Maya
civilization show that they were already growing crops around 1,800 BC.
Pyramid cities in the rain forest, elaborate ball courts in their
ceremonial centers where captives played for their lives, and enormous
carved stone stelae reveal some of their secrets. The "golden era" of
the Maya civilization occurred between 250 and 900 AD, with more than 40
cities, some of which had populations of more than 50,000. Mayan women
were involved in every level of leadership, including the ritual
bloodletting that appeased their gods. Advanced Mayan mathematics and
astronomy used the concept of zero, a complex 365-day calendar and
precise architectural-astronomical alignment. Mayans had a written
language and made books from paper. They were not defeated by the
Spanish; they mysteriously abandoned their cities..
Aztec
The
Aztecs lived in central Mexico from 1325 to 1523 AD. It is not known
where they came from, as they did not have a written language, but it is
said that they came from an island known as Astlan. When they arrived
they were a poor and ragged group, but they grew to a great,
sun-worshiping civilization. Their capital city, Tenochtitlan, was
located in what they called the "Valley of Mexica" in swampy ground, and
their buildings were often known to sink. The Aztecs were strong
militarily, sacrificed the hearts of living captives to their gods, and
developed floating agricultural gardens. When the Spanish arrived in the
16th century they set out to completely wipe out the Aztecs, and few
survived.
Incas
The Inca civilization existed at the same
time as the Aztecs. Their empire in South America covered a vast
territory, mainly in the Andes mountains but also including lowlands and
deserts, stretching from what is now Quito, Ecuador to the Maule River
in Chile. Named after a ruler, Tupac Inca, they built more than 14,000
miles of roads and bridges, traversable by foot or horseback. They are
famed for their masonry skills, but it is not known how they cut the
massive stones and fitted them so precisely or how they transported them
to places like the famous city Machu Picchu, built high on a jungle
mountainside. The Incas developed brain surgery but not writing,
worshiped the sun and, apparently, ritually sacrificed "perfect"
children to their gods, abandoning them in freezing mountaintop caves.
They were not a militaristic people and were wiped out by the Spaniards
in the 16th century.
hoped it helped!
