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1. Lori Waddington
Mr. Smith
AP Human Geography
Period 2
20th November, 2014
Test #6 DBQ:
Cultural Achievements in the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilisations
From 1519 to 1565, the Maya, Inca, and Aztecs made important cultural
achievements in monumental building, agriculture, and trade. The Mayans built
magnificent architecture for their time, such as the pyramid temple in Tikal; the Incas built
complex irrigation systems; and the Aztec cities had multiples squares where markets were
held and trading was carried out.
As evident in documents 1 and 6, the Maya, Inca, and Aztecs excelled in
monumental building. The Mayan pyramid temple in Tikal was the tallest structure in the
Americas until the twentieth century (1). No one knows how they managed to create such
structures without innovations that came years after their time. The Inca also created
superior building designs, an example being the ruins of Machu Picchu (6).
As evident in documents 3, 4, and 6, the Maya, Inca, and Aztecs also made
agricultural achievements. The Aztecs in Tenochtitlán produced and sold food products in
markets in the squares (3). Garciasco de la Vega, a son of an Incan princess and a Spanish
Explorer described farming in the Incan empire in 1539. He said that as soon as the Incan
ruler had conquered a kingdom and established his rule, he ordered the farmland used to
grow corn be extended (4). Additional irrigation channels were ordered to be constructed
and the engineers showed expertise and skill in supplying crops with water. The elaborate
network of irrigation systems increased the fertility of the land. The ruins of Machu Picchu
still provide evidence of these superior farming techniques (6).
As evident in documents 3 and 5, the Maya, Inca, and Aztecs made cultural
achievements in trade as well. When Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés arrived in the Aztec
capitol of Tenochtitlán in 1519, he claimed the city-state to be magnificent (3). The city had

2. many squares where markets were held and trading commenced. There were all kinds of
merchandise produced there, including food, jewels made of gold and silver, lead, brass,
copper, zinc, bones, shells, and feathers. The Incan empire in 1565 had a complex network
of roads that were useful for trade, connected to major cities (5).
The Maya, Inca, and Aztec made many cultural achievements that were elaborate
and superior. The Mayans even created the 365 day calendar, going as far as to make a
prediction for the end of the world (2). They were wrong in their predictions, but such
innovations are evidence of a complex and educated civilisation.