Maya And Aztec Civilizations Compared

The Maya And Aztec Civilizations
The Maya and Aztec civilizations were both indigenous people that flourished in Mesoamerica.
Maya 's classic period dates from 250 to 900 AD, which was considered to be the peak of their
civilization. They covered much of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and were centered in what is
now known as Guatemala. The Aztecs dominated in the post classic period from 1325 to 1521 AD,
in what is now modern day Mexico. Although, the Aztec and Maya 's were from different time
periods they shared cultural similarities in social structure, military and religious rituals. Aztecs
were ruled by an emperor known as the Huey Tlatcani, the great speaker, which had absolute power.
The Huey Tlatcani was believed to have been a representative of the gods, and was worshiped as a
god. The Aztec empire was made up of many city–states that were ruled by a supreme ruler and a
supreme judge. City–states were politically independent, yet had to worship the emperor and pay
tributes. They were a structured society with a strict caste system divided into two social classes. At
the top were the hereditary nobles, priests and high ranking warriors. At the bottom were the
commoners, the serfs, indentured servants and slaves. Within these classes they also had social
rankings. (History.com). Similarly, Maya civilizations were also made up of many city–states that
were each ruled by a king or high priest known as Ahau. Maya 's caste system however was divided
into three social classes with kings, priests
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What Is Ancient Aztec Civilization
Sophia Keshishian
Origins in Ancient Civilizations
Bailey, 5–550
12/5/16
The Most Interesting
The Aztec civilization was the most interesting thing that I learned about in this class. The Aztecs
"evolved from a poor semi nomadic group to the rulers of the most powerful empire ever developed
in ancient Mesoamerica" (pg 322). I have always thought how advanced and functional their society
was is incredible. Societies today can learn from their civilizations structure. The capital city,
Tenochtitlan, was founded in the year AD 1325 and had a population that reached up to 300,000
people. The city was build on a grid pattern with a network of canals and bridges. The city was
broke up into four districts each with its own ceremonial center and market. Within the districts
there were around twenty calpulli and each had its own plaza, temple, and market. The sacred
precinct was at ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The first class consisted of the nobles, the leading priests, and the emperor. The second class
consisted of the ordinary citizens who lived in the calpulli. The third class was made up of the serfs
and the fourth made up of the slaves. Back then there was a division of power and job specialization.
This structure resembles a structure similar to todays. People are elected to be in top positions that
are in charge of people in lower positions. For example back then the emperor was elected to the
position, and now days we elect people into positions like congressman and city council. Then
below that that are business owners, employees, house workers, etc. The ordinary citizens were
required to attend school for agriculture and warfare. I think this is important to note because back
then they were being required to learn what they had to know in order to help society function at the
level it was at. Today students are required to learn up to a standard that is thought to be enough to
function and help contribute to

Comparison Of Maya Aztec, And Inca Civilizations
After reading about Maya,Aztec,and Inca civilizations;I found that they were important to our past
and present life.And in some ways have developed our culture and how we view things. From
creating accurate calendars to making complex heiroglyphic. One of the first 'empires' was the Maya
and is their empire it was divided by class and profession;With the king at the top,beneath him
nobles,then priests and commoners,and at the lowest level were slaves.In their empire they created a
type of heiroglyphics used to record historical and religious events.Like any area they also traded
goods.However while it was a successful empire many left due to famine leaving their empire site
abandoned.Aztecs came soon after and they were a group from Central

Native American Civilization : The Aztec, Or Mexicas Essay
One of the first societies to ever mandate education was the Aztec, or Mexicas, which allowed
children of any social stature to be educated, ^ possible input in of a dash rather than a comma
including slave children. It is hard to imagine that this grand empire is highly associated with their
practices in human sacrifice. When the Spanish invaded and took over, many believed that the
Aztecs will killed ^were killed by this ^the Spanish conquest, but ^;but, the truth is that illnesses
brought by the Spanish is what truly killed them off. Their fall marked the end of the last great
Native American civilization. Along with other Central American civilizations, they were the first to
introduce chocolate to europeans just as europeans were the first to introduce crops and livestock to
the natives of the Americas. Ancient Aztecs were a highly intriguing society that is even studied
today as archaeologists are always trying to learn more about this once great empire. A
Mesoamerican civilization that was rich with cultural heritage where their capital, Tenochtitlan,
rivaled the beauty and size of the greatest cities of Europe. This civilization was grand in history
from its beginning to its end as the diversity of different elements presented the richness of what this
empire must have been. They were a well–known Mesoamerican civilization that had one of the
largest empires known to the Americas. Religion was a central part of their life as their everyday
activities revolved around

Taking a Closer Look at the Aztec Civilization Essays
The Aztecs were a very warlike people, but were very influential to our civilization. They lived in
present day Mexico about 800 years ago. At first, they were a mostly nomadic civilization and that
lasted about 100 years. Then they developed the first, and capital, city, Tenochtitlán. They developed
many new types of government, religion, culture, technology, economy, and geography, as well as
the calendar and new mathematical techniques. The Aztecs were skilled writers, builders, artists, and
craftsmen. They wrote in pictures, built towering temples for worship, and made beautiful jewelry
and pottery. Government was set up in a similar way to ours. Their was an emperor, like our
president, a city council, like our Supreme ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Yet the rich wore clothes made of cotton and long robes. The rich had shoes, while the ordinary
people didn't. The rich also wore beautiful and costly jewelry. The emperors wore beautiful
headdresses and had turquoise jewelry, a true luxury then. The food the Aztecs ate was not very
much. They had sweet corn tortillas, vegetables, occasionally meat, and most of their food was
spicy. If you could afford it, you drank hot chocolate, but most drank water and cactus beer. Cactus
beer was called pulqué. Entertainment consisted of many games like our. They played one game
called Tlachtli, like basketball. The object was to hit a rubber ball through a stone ring, but you
could only use your hips, elbows, and knees. Another game was called Patolli, like backgammon,
they used dried beans as dice and colored stones as counters. Art was themed in the Aztec Empire.
Most art depicted insects, birds, animals, and fish. It was very lifelike and showed age and
expression. It was almost always about death, either reflecting the passion to avoid it or the desire to
conquer it. The Aztecs had many advances in technology, like weaponry, shelter, structures, and
transportation. They had many weapons. One was called the Maquahitl, and it was like a sword.
There were 2 varieties and they were very strong. They also used clubs, 7+ foot long spears! lances,
bows and arrows, and slings. Another weapon was the Atlatl, and it was a spear thrower. Their

The European Invasion of the Aztec Civilization Essay
The European Invasion of the Aztec Civilization
Thunder on their Ships
They are landing with rulers, squares, compasses
Sextants
White skin fair eyes, naked word
Thunder on their ships.
Leopold Sedar Senghor, "Ethiopiques" (Adas)
"Thunder on their ships" can be used to describe Herman Cortes when he landed at what is now
Veracruz, Mexico in 1519 A.D. The light skinned and bearded Spaniard led his men into territory
occupied by the Aztec civilization. Little did Cortes know, but that happened to be the same year in
the Aztec culture when a white and bearded deity was expected to arrive. Montezuma, the Aztec's
ruler, greeted Cortes with honors fit for a God and opened up his empire for Spanish invasion.
Cortes and his followers, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Aztec empire began when groups of nomads and wanderers in the wilderness of what is now
South America joined together. They arrived in the Mexican Valley between 1200 and 1267 A.D. At
the time, the Mexican Valley was a rich environment, full of deep plentiful soils with shallow
swamps and lakes full of fish, turtles, insects, and blue–green algae. The Aztecs resided there and
began to expand and invade other territories for a variety of reasons: in order to obtain goods and
land to support a growing population, a more abundant supply of sacrificial victims, and to maintain
their religious beliefs that the lands of Mexico were theirs by "divine right". The expansion and
movement of the Aztecs had a distinct effect on the Mexican Valley and surrounding areas. Their
capital, Tenochtitlon, was constructed in the middle of Lake Lexcoco and eventually a new lake–
based agricultural system was established. As the Aztec population flourished, central Mexico was
transformed into a "social landscape" with plentiful resources (Teresi, 342–4).
When Cortes witnessed the native lifestyle and traditions in "breadbasket of the Valley of Mexico,"
he took the opportunities given to him, mainly through chance, and overthrew Montezuma,
beginning the Spanish reign in this new part of the world. Europe, at the time, was going through

Similarities And Differences Of The Maya And Aztec...
The Maya and Aztec civilizations are two vastly different civilizations, as is to expected, however,
despite these differences, they do share a number of similarities.
To put the obvious aside, one way the Maya and Aztec civilizations are different lies in the political
environment of both civilizations; the civilization of the Maya consisted of city–states ruled by an
individual leader who was usually male, while the Aztec civilization were city–states and conquered
territories ruled by one leader. However, it is within this difference that a similarity between the two
lies. While the political environments of both civilizations are indeed different, there is a similar
element contained within the two. Both the Maya and the Aztec were influenced by the Olmec
civilization through trade–this includes not only artistically and religiously, but also politically; in
the pyramid temples of the Olmec, special ball courts for a game involving a rubber ball and great
skill were used for religious and political reasons, these ball courts, or at least ones similar to that of
the Olmec, were also found in the pyramid temples of the Maya and the Aztec and are believed to
have been used for similar purposes.
Another difference between the two lies in the economic climate of the two civilizations; the Aztec
were conquers that took prisoners of war and collected tribute from the peoples they conquered,
which gave them access to more resources and presumably wealth than trade alone; the

Mayans, Aztecs And Mayan Civilizations
Did you know that the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas had very advanced civilizations? They all built
great cities and developed extremely advanced civilizations. Each developed a mathematical system,
built intricate buildings, and had some form of religion. They all were very prosperous before they
came to their conclusions. These civilizations were very advanced for their times. The Mayan
Society and Their Decline The Mayans had a very intricate and prosperous civilization. Suzanne
Hopkins writes "They studied the stars and developed sophisticated and accurate calendars;
practiced elaborate... religious rituals... developed complex hieroglyphic writing... [and had] a
mathematical system based on the unit 20" ("Mayan Civilization" 56). The Mayan society was
strictly hierarchical, divided up into social classes. First there was the king, then the nobles. Below
the nobles was the middle class made up of priests and commoners; slaves made up the lowest level.
The society was prosperous until around AD 800. The Mayans decline is thought to have been
caused be the large growth in population. There was not enough farmers or land to provide enough
food for the communities. In the reading "Mayan Civilization" by Suzanne Hopkins it says, "Food
production plummeted, and famine forced people to leave the urban centers" (57). By AD 950, the
cities were mostly abandoned, swallowed up by the jungle. However, the Mayan people were still
around, dispersed across Central America; they are still

Aztec Religion: the Foundation of a Civilization
The religion of the Aztec, including their beliefs, customs and religions, acted as a tremendous
influence on their government, economy, and culture. Religion was the foundation for the infamous
culture of the Aztec Civilization. Through ceremonies of sacrifice, and the infusion of cosmology
into their religion, the Aztecs sculpted a culture unlike that of any other civilization, and left behind
a legacy to be studied and admired for generations to come. Religion ultimately shaped the unique
civilization of the Aztecs, through cultivating the general outlook and values of the Aztecs,
expanding the empire, and influencing the architecture and layout of their city.
Sacrificial rituals acted as an important factor to the economy of their ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The first being political political: the subjugation of enemy city states in order expand the empire
and demonstrate power and superiority. The second objective was religious and socioeconomic: the
taking of captives to be sacrificed in religious ceremonies. According to Friar Diego Durán's
accounts of the Aztec civilization, Tlacaelel – a king of the Aztec Empire – arranged with leaders of
other Pre–Columbian city states to engage in ritual battles that would provide all parties with
enough sacrificial victims to appease the gods. Tlacaelel reigned over a period of great famine in the
empire in year 1450. The Aztec Religion believed that Gods required sacrifices to keep all running
smoothly. There were several gods that the Aztecs worshiped to for agricultural purposes, for
example: Tláloc, who sends rain and nourishes maize7, Centeotl, the god of maize in general,
Teteoinnan, the god of agriculture as well as sexual fertility, and Xipe Totec, god of rituals and
sacrifice8. The Aztecs believed that through worshipping certain gods, and generously providing
them with a steady supply of sacrifices and blood, the gods would in return keep things balanced.
When there was not enough victims, Tlacaelel resorted to these battles to collect more humans to be
sacrificed. War was a dominant aspect of the Aztec civilization, and they aspired to exponentially
expand their empire through military conquest, while also collecting tribute from the

Ancient Aztecs Complex And Advanced Civilization
Jeffrey Hirneisen
Period 5
World History A Honors
Hilp
March 3, 2015
The Ancient Aztecs ' Complex and Advanced Civilization. The Aztecs were a civilization that
emerged in Mesoamerica around the start of the thirteenth century and existed until 1521 CE. The
Aztecs had their own system of government, a very complex religion, and sports and games were
very important to the civilization. The Aztecs were a civilization that was complex as well as very
advanced in many different areas of their civilization such as their government, religion, and sports.
An area of the Aztecs ' civilization that was very complex and advanced was their government. The
Aztec government was similar to a monarchy where an Emperor or King was the primary ruler
showing that their government was very advanced as it was similar to a form of government that is
still used today ("Aztec Empire for Kids: Government and Empire"). The empire was made up of
city–states known as altepetl with a large city in the center of each one that ruled the area where the
majority of Aztec nobles and other government leaders lived as city leaders led the empires which is
similar to some civilizations that were not as old as the Aztecs, showing agian how advance their
government was("Aztec Empire for Kids: Government and Empire"). Now each altepetl was ruled
by a supreme leader known as a tlatoani, a supreme judge, and administrator which is similar to the
United States justice system("Aztec and Maya Laws– political

The Maya Civilization Of The Aztec And The Inca
Around 2000 B.C, small farming villages started to appear across Central America ("Maya
Civilization"). This was the start of the Maya civilization. There were other civilizations in the area,
like the Aztec, who were in Mexico, and the Inca, who were in the Peru area of South America. The
Maya were a greater civilization than the Aztec or the Inca because their achievements in astronomy,
math, language, architecture, and engineering. These achievements in those areas set them apart
from the Aztec and the Inca.
Many people have heard that the end of the world was supposed to happen on the 21st of December
in 2012 C.E. That was based off of the Maya calendar. The Maya calendar uses 3 different dating
systems. The divine calendar, or ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
to 300 C.E. The Maya had used a system of pictograms and ideograms, along with a large set of
phonetic signs ("Maya"). The Aztec had a system like the Maya had, a system that used pictograms
("Aztec System of Writing: Pictograms"). However, the Inca did not have a writing system. The Inca
had Quipu, a specific way of knotting ropes to keep records (Hirst, K. Kris).
The Maya were also great mathematicians. They are credited with having a more sophisticated
number system than anyone else in the world at the time. They understood and used the value of
zero at a time as early as 36 B.C.E. This is remarkable because not very many civilizations
understood the concept of zero. They also had a number system with place values. It was a base–20
system. There is evidence of the Maya working with sums that go up to the millions (Mastin, Luke).
As stated before, they also calculated the length of the year more accurately than the calculations
used in the Gregorian calendar. These achievements are incredible, especially since they were
isolated from the rest of the world until a while later.
The next innovation of the Maya is their ingenuity in architecture. One of their most famous
structures is the Pyramid of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza. It is 24 meters tall, around 7 stories. There are
stair steps on all four sides. During the equinox, the pyramid creates the figure of a snake that
connects with a statue of a feathered serpent on the

Ancient Civilization And The Aztec Civilization Essay
One of the greatest ancient Mesoamerican civilizations lies right below modern day Mexico City.
(Yellow,16) Legends have been told about the history of Mexico City, but not until recently was the
great city of Tenochtitlan uncovered while construction workers were digging in Mexico City. There
are very few physical remains of the ancient city today, but the history of this great civilization is
still with us. This civilization was created by the Aztecs, who built their empire in 1325 AD.
(Yellow,15). The capital of the Aztecs, Tenochtitlan, flourished rapidly as their life revolved around
their religion, which greatly helped them expand their empire. Religion played a key role in the
ancient Aztec society and consisted of numerous gods, ceremonies, and temples. According to Aztec
legend, the Aztec civilization came about when the god Huitzilopochtli told his people to find a new
home for their civilization. The people traveled and eventually ended up at Lake Texcoco. This is
where they see an eagle perched on a cactus eating a snake, which was the gods sign that this will be
their permanent home. So, the Aztecs settled on an island inside of Lake Texcoco, called
Tenochtitlan. By listening to their god, they began one of the greatest civilizations in Mesoamerica,
which would continue to flourish until 1521 AD (yellow 16) The Aztec people had a polytheistic
religion. This means that the Aztecs worshiped hundreds of gods,, and they all had a certain role in
the

How Did Civilization Build The Aztecs?
The Aztecs lived on North America in Mexico. They lived on islands and their capital was called
Techoctilian which meant "Place of the Prickly Pear". Their capital stood where Mexico City
currently is. Their empire stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and from modern
day Guatemala to the Basin. As of today the spot where they built their capital is no longer an
island. The land was very swampy so it was bad for farming and it wasn't fertile. It was also
surrounded by mountains and they didn't get materials like stone and wood to build their houses and
such. At first they worked as paid warriors for the local rulers but eventually they grew to a huge
size and started conquering places and making alliances with other people. Whenever they
conquered a city–state they turned it into a tribute–state who had to pay tribute and give them slaves.
They started having a monarchy in 1325. One great(ish) ruler they had was Montezuma II who
became emperor in 1502 after fighting his brother for the crown. He was a very harsh ruler and ...
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Chinampas were big rafts nailed to the bottom of the lake and filled with mud, sand, and fertile land.
Besides crops they put in trees as well to stabilize the dirt and they didn't have to water the crops
because water from the lake would flow in over the chinampa. They hunted and fished in the lake
and turned the swampland to farmland. Women mainly stayed home and sewed or took care of the
house well men did all the other work. They had to trade for some materials like stone and wood
from other places. Some advances to technology they made was that they made two types of
calendars. One was made to record the times that the farmers should plant and harvest the crops and
the other one was used for religious purposes and told the priests when to do a ceremony and who to

The Rise and Fall of the Aztec Civilization Essay
The Rise and Fall of the Aztec Civilization
The Rise and fall of the Aztec Empire is possibly the most important area of study in the modern
world. Of all of the nomadic tribes who migrated into Mexico, the Aztecs were one of the last. At
first driven away by established tribes, the Aztecs slowly began to develop an empire of immense
wealth and power by the late fifteenth century. Due in large part to the accomplishments of their
ruler Itzcoatl, the empire expanded to include millions of people from a number of different tribes,
including the Cempoala, who would later aid the Spanish in defeating the Aztecs. Because of the
"melting pot" within the empire, the Aztecs had a very diverse culture. However, this immense
Aztec Empire ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Fearful of the Spanish, and hateful of the wealth and power of the Aztecs, some of the native tribes,
particularly the Cempoala and others from the cities of Tlaxcala and Tezcoca, joined forces with
Cortes. After the Spaniards annihilated the Cholultecas, the terrified people of the Aztec empire did
their best to please them, as the Europeans made their way inland.
By the time Cortes reached Tenochititlan, he had accumulated a large number of allies. Believing
that Cortes was indeed Quetzalcoatl, Montezuma greeted the Spanish as if they were gods. Cortes
responded, "We have come to your house in Mexico as friends. There is nothing to fear."
Nevertheless, Cortes kept Montezuma under guard. Instead of resisting, Montezuma did everything
he could to please the Spanish, ordering his servants to supply everything that Cortes requested.
Montezuma's weakness to the Spanish angered many of his followers, who began to lose respect for
their king.
Cortes and his men were amazed by the splendor of the Aztec capital. The Spaniards greed would
then lead them to carry out unprovoked attacks on Aztec temples and military leaders. Cortes then
had Montezuma instruct his angry people not to retaliate, declaring that the Spanish were too
powerful and could not be resisted. However, this angered the Aztecs even more, both at the Spanish
and Montezuma. As advanced as the Aztecs were, they were no match for the Spanish forces. The
Spanish

Aztec Culture And The Aztec Civilization
Aztec culture flourished in the highlands of central Mexico between the twelfth and sixteenth
centuries, AD. As the last in a series of complex urban civilizations in Mesoamerica, the Aztecs
adopted many traits and institutions from their predecessors such as the Maya and Teotihuacan. The
Aztecs also devised many innovations, particularly in the realms of economics and politics. Aztec
civilization was destroyed at its height by the invasion of Spanish conquerors under Hernando
Cortés in 1519. The Aztecs, like many other Mesoamerican cultures, used a limited form of writing
that consisted of pictorial representations painted on bark paper and animal hides. (Diego 8). The
Aztecs were a very religious group, many of their traditions and recorded history has been related to
the religion of the Aztec civilization. Even after the Aztec culture was dominated by the Spaniards,
religion was still a big part of Mesoamerican culture. Regardless of what happened to the Aztecs,
religion never strayed from them even if their beliefs changed. The Aztec empire stretched
throughout large portions of what is now Mexico and was powerful native empires that was created
during its time period, the Aztecs though were immigrants of this area. According to their pictorial
histories the Aztec peoples claimed to have migrated to central Mexico from a place in the north
called Aztlan (Diego 10). The Aztec immigrants arrived in central Mexico during a time of low
population and abundant land so it

Aztec Civilization Timeline
Timeline and Overview:
The Aztec civilization was a thriving and powerful empire located in what is now modern–day
Mexico. With a complex religion with a huge pantheon of gods requiring human sacrifice, and one
of the most powerful military forces in mesoamerica, the Aztecs were in power for approximately
200 years before the arrival of Hernando Cortes and the Spaniards, signifying the destruction of the
empire.
c. 1110 CE: The Mexica (Later known as the Aztec) leave their homeland of Aztlan, which was said
to be in the northern region of modern day Mexico.
c. 1299 CE: The Culhuacan allow the Mexica to settle in Tizapan.
c. 1325 CE: Tenochtitlán is settled by the Mexica.
1376–1395 CE: Acamapichtli become the first ruler/king of

Hernan Cortes Impact On The Aztec Civilization
Accomplished navigator Hernan Cortes had many significant expeditions including the conquer that
impacted the Aztec Civilisation all due to his motives, causes and changes. Spanish conquistador
and explorer Hernando Cortez growing up with military running in the blood as his father was an
officer of the Spanish Army had an extremely pressured life. Both parents wanting his to become a
lawyer, he attended an university at age of 14. By the age of 19 he was pursuing his dream and
began his first voyage, becoming one of the most significant figures in history. Born in 1485,
Medellin, Spain conquistador Cortes was best known for his many expeditions and his well–known
expedition to the now known Mexico, where he conquered the Aztec society.
In 1516, Cortes started his own expedition, Velaquez tried to cancel it but he dis–obeyed his orders.
He set off with 500 men, 11 ships. Cortes had heard rumours that the expedition could contain great
wealth. Although he might have been wanting just to spread the Spanish society or bring the Cristian
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This is when Spain claimed Mexico and other indigenous states around. The Spaniards began
building churches and buildings on sacred grounds why trying to destroy the Aztec culture. This is
very significant because there was no more culture for the remaining Aztecs to live off and was
definitely a change. The Spanish language was also brought in during this period of time and they
only taught Spanish and English language from the moment the empire was taken over. Several
years after Cortes's conquest of Mexico he was governor for a while but got taken from power once
he returned from another conquest. Years after the defeat of the empire Spaniards began building
Mexico city on the ruins, later after many Spaniards and Europeans began living there. There was a
series of epidemics 50–60 years later but nothing major

Aztec, Inca And Aztec Civilizations
Before 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
characteristics 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 the three and settled in modern–day Mexico. Then came the Aztecs and they also settled
in modern–day Mexico and the Incas were the last of the three and they settled in the Andes
Mountains and what is now Peru. All three had very successful and long–lasting civilizations until
they were taken out by a natural cause or foreign invaders. Even though the Mayan, Aztecs and
Incan empires had their distinct characteristics of what made them great, only the Incan empire
would be able to succeed in today's world because of their unique governing system and their
advancements in military and infrastructure. All three of these great civilizations would have a
chance to succeed in the modern world but the Incan empire would be the most fit out of these three
pre–colonial civilizations. At the apex of their reign, the Incas ruled over the largest civilization of
the three. Their empire spanned from modern–day Ecuador all the way to chile and included about
sixteen million inhabitants. Although they

Compare And Contrast Inca And Aztec Civilization
The Incan and Aztec civilization were powerful and wealthy tribes. They survived and thrived in
various regions in South America. Resources were abundant and several crucial aspects that helped
sustain both indigenous tribes were religion, government and social systems, economics, and their
geography. Nevertheless, these vital aspects were also significant in their catastrophic downfall
during their encounters with Cortés and Pizarro. Once ruthless conquistadors and explorers like
Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro arrived, the Native American tribes could not stand a chance.
After all, both Spanish explorers were better equipped with weapons and defense. For example, they
had supplies like powerful cannons, muskets, heavy–duty armor, as well as brawny horses. On the
other hand, the savage Incas and Aztecs, though strong and mighty in warfare, only had spears,
arrowheads (usually dipped in poison), natural resources used in the creation weaponry ... Show
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In an unsuccessful and desperate attempt by Moctezuma to make Cortés and his army leave, he tried
to bribe the determined Spanish explorer with gold. Instead of complying, Cortés captured
Moctezuma and claimed Mexico for Spain. Years later after being forced out by the Aztecs, Cortés
returned, demolished Tenochtitlán, and built Mexico City. In efforts to acquire more land, become
wealthy by retrieving gold, and forcefully converting others to Catholicism, Francisco Pizarro
imitated Cortés's technique to vanquish and dominate the Incas, which resided in Peru in 1531. He
captured Atahualpa, (the ruler at that time) in 1532, and made the Incas pay an extremely expensive
ransom a year later. Nevertheless, Atahualpa was executed. Pizarro was then able to successfully
defeat the Incas in 1533.He then took Cuzco, the capital

Aztec 's And The Aztec Civilization
The Aztec's are the only one to blame with the fall of their beloved empire. The Aztec's were
hunting and capturing everyone who was not a part of their tribe and using them as a religious ritual
for human sacrifice. The Aztec's got wiped out because they turned everyone against them, and war
was bound to happen with the way they treated other tribes. The human slaughter and barbaric
killings they were doing was creating hatred towards the Aztec's. It was no surprise that they made
plenty of enemies and their enemies made allies with the Spanish to help Hernan Cortes take out the
Aztec. The Aztec's human sacrifice was a brutal bloodshed. (Pennock 277) The Aztec civilization
was a solid and powerful foundation. The Aztec's dominated northern Mexico during the 16th
century, during that time was also the Spanish conquest with Hernan Cortes. The Aztec's were
bodacious warriors. The Aztec's had a well organized agricultural economy even the Spaniards were
impressed and could not wait to take over Mexico. The Spanish knew this could not happen right
away with the Aztec being a great civilization and fearless in the battle field. ("The Aztec/Mexicas")
The Spaniards referred to Tenochtitlan, "The greatest city in Mexico." At the time the city had
200,000 people. The empire during this time Montezuma was a powerful ruler and he was not to
touch the earth and no one could come near him and touch him. Montezuma welcomes the
Spaniards with open arms, and gave Cortes gifts. (Carrasco

Compare and contrast the Aztec civilization and the Mayan...
The Aztecs civilization and the Mayan civilization where the most important civilizations from the
new world that amazed many of the Europeans that came to conquer this wonderful rich land. The
Europeans where amazed with the Aztec and Mayan culture, their ways of life, their geographical
surroundings and their technology. The Europeans and historians today find that the Aztecs and the
Mayans where similar in some ways of life like their culture, their technology, their religious events
and at the same time they had their differences in their cultures.
The Aztec civilization dominated the valley of Mexico during the fifteen and the sixteen centuries.
Their culture was seen as unethical to the Europeans that were in Aztec territory and ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
At the very top of Aztec society was the Tlacatecuhtli or "chief men" that dominated all religious
ceremonies and was the military leader of the Aztecs. Below him were religious offices that served
as military generals.
The religion of the Aztecs was made up of mainly three gods: Huitzilopochtli, Tezcatlipoca and
Quetzalcoatl. Below these three main gods were four creating gods. Below these four gods were
many other gods, however the most important were Tlaloc, the rain god, Chalchihuitlicue, the god of
growth and Xipe, the god of spring. The main thing that captures the attention of Aztec religion is
their human sacrifice made to the different gods. Although human sacrifice was practiced around
Mesoamerica, the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice in a large scale never seen before to date. The
idea of human sacrifice was that Gods gave things to humans like food, rain, wealth, and other
goods only if they were given human beings in return. The Aztecs believed that the goods liked best
the living hearths of sacrificed captives. If the captive was a well skilled soldier and very brave then
the Gods would return better goods to his people. This idea lead to wars were the Aztecs fought with
other indians and capture their bravest men for sacrifice. As we can imagine,

Essay On Aztec Civilization
The world consists of many civilizations that made a mark in history. The actions of the civilization
live on today. They all different because of the way geography affected them and the way they
impact the society today. A specific civilization that drew my attention was the Aztecs. Their
wonderful creations and ways of life would Astound the world. The assets of Mesoamerican people
from the 14th to 16th century. they went by the name Mexica or Tenochca. Their civilization
included many cities and towns especially inside the valley of Mexico. the largest city which is on a
separate Island was Tenochtitlan. This civilization of 15 million people and merge two dominant in
central Mexico which developed social religious political and Commercial organization. Sadly they
were known for using brutal force against neighboring tribes and cities they would kidnap some of
the people to be the sacrifice to their gods. On the other hand, they're beautiful temples and
pyramids to draw the attention of many. Although they had Fierce Warriors in 1521 the Aztec
civilization fell because of Hernan Cortes. He had gotten allied army with American Indians that ...
One thing that really drew my attention was that they had education for everyone. During this time
girls or people of a low social class did not receive an education. I would love to be part of the first
civilization to have education for all. The Aztec temples and pyramids were magnificent, I would
like to be part of the civilization who made them. Many tribes and civilizations went through
periods of starvation, the Aztecs, on the other hand, did not because they had lots of agricultural
goods. An abundant amount of Mexican culture was derived from the Aztecs, so even though
civilization fell the culture still lives on. The details expressed shows why I want to be a part of this
civilization instead of

Aztec Civilization: The Legend Of The Fifth Sun
The ancient Aztec civilization had myths that are remarkably different from the perspectives of
many modern cultures. It was largely shaped by their religion, which was ingrained almost every
aspect of their lives. The most specific group of people the term Aztec can refer to those who
founded the city of Tenochtitlan in 1325 and subsequently developed the Aztec empire in today's
Mexico. One of the most profound practices they did was human sacrifice, which was required due
to their mythological beliefs. The creation myth according to the Aztecs is a continuous story of
creations and destructions. The myth which tells the story of the creation is called the "Legend of the
Fifth Sun". At the beginning of the world there was only darkness, void. Creation began when the ...
The cycle of creations an destructions were called suns. During the first sun the element is earth.
Tezcatlipoca was chosen to be sacrificed to create an energy source for the planet, though he only
managed to become a half sun. During this age, a fight transpired between Quetzalcoatl and
Tezcatlipoca. Quetzalcoatl was the victor, but Tezcatlipoca takes revenge by sending jaguars on
Earth to destroy the giants – thus came an end to the first sun. During the second sun the element is
earth. Quetzalcoatl is in control in this era. Humans were created according to our current likeness
but became corrupt. As a result, Tezcatlipoca transformed them into monkeys, and Quetzalcoatl sent
hurricanes to wipe the monkeys out. There were survivors who, according to legend, are current day
monkeys. The element of the Third Sun is fire and the god responsible for this era is Tlaloc, the god
of rain and water. A fight arose between Tezcatlipoca and Tlaloc when Tezcatlipoca stole Tlaloc's
wife. Out of revenge, Tlaloc transformed all of humanity into turkeys, dogs and butterflies.
Quetzalcoatl rained fire and ash down on them, causing the destruction of

The Aztec Civilization
Mesoamerica was once a place filled with growing, ruthless empires and civilizations. Although not
one was like the Aztecs and their empire. Although they started off with a humble beginning, they
quickly grew into a great civilization that dominated present day Central Mexico. They conquered
and expanded into an empire stronger than the other neighboring empires. And, the heart of the
Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan was a grand capital filled with people and temples. The Aztecs were also
ahead of its time with fully–functional irrigation systems and government. The Aztec civilization
truly was one of Mesoamerica's most influential empires because of their history, unique culture,
and beautiful architecture.
The Aztec history is the story of a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They built various temples for many of their gods, but only the two most honored had a temple at
the top of the Templo Mayor, meaning temple major, which was located at the center of
Tenochtitlan. The astounding pyramid was built in 1325 to honor the sun god Huitzilopochtli and
the rain god Tlaloc (Ancient 1). The Templo Mayor is believed to have been around 300 ft. high
with two temples at it's peak for their gods (McDowell 768). The Aztecs built many other pyramids
with a temple at the top, but the factor that determined an important pyramid was if the pyramid had
a roof made of wooden beams forming a point (Morgan 15). The average Aztec temple was
approximately 200 ft. that "rose in terraces with a broad stairway leading to the top" (Morgan 15).
Art for the Aztecs was a way to honor their gods, and for their own aesthetic pleasure. The artisans
would organize themselves into guilds based on what they were skilled in. Through metalwork, the
Aztecs would make metal objects by beating thin pieces of gold, silver, or copper, or they would
make ornaments and jewelry by pouring molten gold into basic molds. Their lapidaries carved and
polished bright–colored gems, such as jade, turquoise, and quartz, to create mosaics and jewelry, or
to decorate objects such as clothing and weapons. The last form of art the Aztecs practiced was
pottery, which was not made with a wheel but with simple tools. Women would use

The Male's Role In The Aztec Civilization
The Aztec Civilization started out as a nomadic tribe. This means that they moved places a lot. They
were also polytheistic. This means that they believed in many gods, not just one. They also had a
very complicated belief system. Everything was focused on the gods. They believed that if they
make human sacrifices to the sun god, the sun will always rise and the world will stay. If they didn't,
the sun will never rise and the world will end. This belief included taking their human sacrifice
away from their tribe and then stabbing them, taking their heart out of their chest, rising it into the
sun and skinning them.The male and females had different roles. The male's role was to participate
in war, take some captives to increase ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Their family would come and give a speech about the hardships of life. The midwives would be
present during the child's birth. Their role was to supervise and assist the woman's pregnancy,
delivery, and they also perform the ceremonial ritual's associated with the child's birth. They are
very much respected woman. Before the child is born, the midwife offers emotional support to the
woman carrying the baby about how to protect the unborn child. They also protected the unborn
child and the woman in a way. They would have to warn the woman to not look at red objects
because it would cause the child to be born in the wrong position. The women's role in the Aztec
civilization was to get married and become a housewife. They would get married around the age of
15. Sometimes they would get married as young as 10 or 12. "They were entitled and chosen for
marriage unless they chose to devote their lives to temple service." They could be priestess. When
the girl is an infant, they can be dedicated to the priesthood. When the woman is a priestess, they
had to sweep the temple and the court everyday, water the garden, and make food for the idols and
priests. They would also have to be involved in some rituals to the gods in which they would assist
the priest in sacrifices in idol worship. If they didn't want to do that, when they get older, they could
either stay or leave the priesthood and start a family.

The Role Of The Gods In The Aztec Civilization
Most ancient civilizations, including the Aztecs were polytheistic yet most modern religions are
monotheistic, so what caused the change from hundreds of Gods to just one. I believe that the reason
for this phenomenon can be seen in the Aztec civilization dating back to the sixth century in Mexico.
In the beginning, they worshipped dozens of Gods, but as the Spanish Conquest drew closer and the
Aztec empire began to fall, fewer and fewer Gods were worshipped. A prime example of this is two
of their Gods of agriculture, Xipe Totec and Tlaloc. While both were major Gods throughout Aztec
history, as time went on the two slowly became indistinguishable from each other until only Tlaloc
was left, and then as modern day approached, not even him
If ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Overall, a simple, tragic piece of history that tells us a bit about what happened to the overall Aztec
belief system. Some Gods, such as their sun Gods Tonatiuh and Huitzilopochtli were worshipped in
the form of Jesus. Some survived with the Nahuas, the modern–day descendants of the Aztecs. Most
were simply forgotten, the obvious reason for which being that there was no room for them in the
monotheistic Catholic religion. As to why Xipe Totec was worshipped in the years proceeding this
event, I have a theory; as all cultures spread, I believe that the version of Aztec mythology that
worshipped Xipe Totec spread to the city of Tenochtitlan, one of, if not the most studied cities by
modern historians. This in turn may have created a few decades where Tlaloc and Xipe Totec
coexisted as two important Gods. However, I feel this may have created an inaccuracy, as some
historians might assume that what happened in Tenochtitlan happened in the rest of the empire (the
worship of Xipe Totec for example); this is what I consider to be the main reason Xipe Tote is
considered to be important to the Aztecs today while he wasn't important back

The Aztec Civilization: The Most Advanced In The Americas
The Aztec civilisation was one of the greatest, largest and most advanced in the Americas during
14th to the 16th century. The Aztec people arrived in what is now Mexico in the late 1100's. It was
found by a wandering tribe of hunters and gatherers on islands in Lake Texcoco, near the present
site of Mexico City. The Aztecs had started building their new city Tenochtitlan in 1325. In only one
century, this civilization grew into the Aztec empire, largely because of its progressive and advanced
system of agriculture. (History.com Staff, 2010). Twenty years after Columbus had landed in
Hispaniola, the conquistadors in 1519 had penetrated to the heart of the most densely inhabited and
wealthiest civilisation in the Americas (The Economist , 1999). ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The Aztecs used eagle feathers skins as armours which provided no protection from a steel sword
and the armour was of very little use in combat with conquistadors (Minster, 2018) . The Aztec had
no iron or bronze materials for their weapons or tools, so many of the Aztec had to develop many of
their tools and weapons without these kinds of benefits (Lo, 2014). Soldiers carried heavy clubs or
maces with stone or bronze heads. They had rudimentary stone axes or clubs with spikes coming out
of the end. These weapons could batter and bruise Spanish conquistadors, however they rarely did
any serious damage through the heavy armour (Minster, 2018). Therefore, the Aztec armour and
weapons were tremendously underprivileged equated to the Spanish military

The Effect Of Aztec Diseases On Civilization
The first source is a website created by Khan Academy. The main idea of this source is that disease
can overcome the mightiest of civilizations. This main idea is supported by the quote "At the
beginning of the sixteenth century, it was one of the largest cities in the world." This quote shows
just how big and powerful the city was at this time, and the quote "as well as the Spaniards' superior
weaponry, their unfamiliar battle tactics and the devastation of the Mexica population by European
disease. Mexico remained under Spanish rule until gaining independence in 1821 C.E." it shows
how many diseases really affected the civilization. My second source is a website created by
Websters. The main idea of this source is that Aztec innovations affected

Hernan Cortes: The Aztec Civilization
The Aztecs were a civilization located in Mexico with a ruler by the name of Montezuma II. They
were not peaceful people, but rather known as warriors. They were especially not peaceful when the
Spanish came to Mexico. A Spaniard by the name of Hernan Cortes sailed out of Cuba in 1518 and
encountered a civilization named the Aztec. It was horrible for just one man's greed to end a whole
civilization.
To begin with, how did Cortes get close to the Aztecs. When Cortes sailed out of Cuba, he landed in
the Yucatan peninsula. When he was there, he encountered a small tribe. The natives gave small
offerings of gold to Cortes. Until the people said, "We have no more gold, we wish neither war nor
trade. Leave, or you will be killed." But Cortes did not listen to the natives. He and his men
slaughtered 400 Indian warriors. Shortly after, Cortes met a lady named Malinche, who spoke the
Mayan language and Nahuatl, the Aztec language. Malinche led Cortes and his men to the Aztecs;
this is why people think of Malinche as a trader. They sailed along the coast of the Yucatan
peninsula and the coast of Mexico, there he found the Aztec civilization.
Next, when Cortes arrived in Mexico the Aztec people introduced Cortes to Montezuma, ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Montezuma then took Cortes inside the pyramid and showed him the gods. Cortes thought of them
as the Devil's work and asked if he could put a cross and a picture of the Holy Mary. Montezuma
felt offended about what Cortes said. Following this incident, one of Montezuma's messengers
notified him that Cortes had been destroying his own ships. This was Cortes excuse to stay in
Mexico, due to his lust for gold, guns, and horses. Then Montezuma was afraid that war was going
to break out, and that there was a possibility that Cotes wasn't Quetzalcoatl, the feather

Aztec Civilization
Aztecs, also called Mexica, is a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished around 1350. Tenochtitlan
is the capital of the Aztec empire built on the shores of Lake Texcoco. Aztecs were believed to be
nomads who came from the Toltec tribe. They wandered into the valley of Mexico around 1325 and
started to form villages. They dug canals, drained lakes and converted them into fertile fields. They
also built the beautiful city of Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs were known for human sacrifice, which was
associated to religious rituals. They believed that their gods sacrificed their own lives to sustain the
earth. In return, human blood must be sacrificed to the sun, moon, earth, and vegetation gods to
provide them nourishment to keep the nature and cosmos in balance (Benton & DiYanni, pg. 325–
326). The Aztecs arose as the leading force in central Mexico taking the region's city–states under
their power by the 15th century. They developed a sophisticated political, social, commercial and
religious organization. However, the Spaniards, led by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes
defeated and conquered the Aztecs in 1521.
The Aztecs highly regarded songs and poetry. During their festivals, they held poetry contests and
presentations that included musicians, acrobats, and players. Music and dance were also important
parts of their rituals and ceremonies. Nezahualcoyotl was one of their famous poets. His poetry
depicted the culture and values of the Aztecs. One example was his poem called

DBQ: The Aztec Civilization
The Aztecs were a remarkable civilization. Th is civilization were distrusted and disliked because
they tended to push others out of their way. They ruled an empire in Tenochtitlan in the time of 1350
to 1519. They also were known for their agriculture and human sacrifices. Agriculture was a very
important part of their h istory because without their farming method the Aztec couldn't have created
such great civilization. According to Document A of the Aztec DBQ, states that the Aztec empire
grew more than 200 miles west to east, and north to south. Th is means that with the growth of the
empire the population also grew and more effective agriculture techniques were needed to feed the
people. They created the method of ch inampas because they

Aztec Civilization DBQ
For centuries we have been taught about different ancient civilizations. Civilizations that
individually give us genuine reasons and facts which we remember them by. Whether it'd be for
their customs or agriculture each civilization has contributed to our technology in the way we grow
our food and the way we build. Today I would like to remember the Aztecs. They have been famous
for their agriculture, their cultivation of land and creating artificial islands in the lakes. They've built
famous temples and pyramids and developed a form of hieroglyphic writing, a complex calendar
system. This civilization is considered to be one of the most advanced civilizations, who have
contributed to our society. Out of all the reasons we have to remember ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Where the Aztecs more like us or unlike us? When we actually stop and think about Aztec family
life and our family life today we see many differences as well as similarities. Document 12 Shows
us a photograph of a Zapotec ball court. It states that "playing courts have been found at the ruins of
many Mesoamerican cultures including the Aztec and the Maya." The Aztec ball game was a very
important Aztec game. This game was played with a large rubber ball. It was considered a very
difficult game. The game was not just important for entertainment, but also politics and religion.
Another game was Patolli. This was a game of chance which was played on a board. In this game
the players would bet metals, stones, plants, and at times even themselves. Like the Aztecs, today
we also enjoy many different types of board games and playing courts. We are able to see some of
the world's greatest athletes competing. It is easy to think that the Aztecs had great athletes in their
era as well. Documents 13 states that " Home life for the Aztec family was both well disciplined and
warm. Parents had a close relationship with children and brought them up according to a strict
regime." Like today, as the children grew up parents would give the child certain household tasks.
As the child got older he was taught and given a bigger responsibility. "Parents were expected to
counsel and guide them into honorable careers."

Aztec Civilization Essay
The Aztec Indians created a great civilization in Central Mexico, reaching its peak in the
1500&#8217;s. Being late arrivals to the area, and because of their strong neighboring nations,
they were forced to live in the swampy western areas of the Lake Texcoco. Because of the swampy
surroundings, the Aztecs used mud to create miniature islands in the swamps. These islands are
called chinampas, or &#8220;floating gardens,'; and were used as farming lands. On these
fertile islands they grew corn, squash, vegetables, and flowers.
Being an agriculturally dependant empire, the Aztec&#8217;s religion was based highly on the
forces of nature and worshipped them as gods. The god of war, Huitzilopochtli, was the most
important deity. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
On the stone is a picture of what the Aztecs thought the universe was like. The sun god is in the
middle, with the heavens surrounding it, and pictures of people made out of precious stones. The
Aztec form of writing was in pictographs, or small pictures symbolizing objects or sounds. The
Aztec numbering system used pictographs also, and was based on the number 20. For example, a
flag represented 20, a fir tree represented 20 times 20, or 400, and a pouch represented 400 times 20,
or 8000. The capitol of the Aztec Empire was Tenochtitlan, which was built where modern–day
Mexico City is. It was given the nickname &#8220;Venice of the New World,'; because it had
many canals. During the acme of the Aztec civilization, the population of this great city numbered
more than 200,000. This made it one of the most populated cities in the ancient world. The city was
connected to the mainland by 3 causeways, which, when flooded, served as protective dikes. In the
city aqueducts, which was probably the first type of indoor plumbing, brought fresh water into
homes. Many people used canoes to travel through the city. Most of the houses were made up of
mud and twisted twigs, but the nobility and priests had plastered brick or stone houses.
In 1519, Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes and more than 500 other Spaniards landed on the shores
of Mexico in search of gold. The Aztecs welcomed the Spaniards and gave them gifts, because they
thought they were gods. Cortes became greedy when he

Rise And Fall Of The Aztec Civilization
Aztec civilization was at its peak when it was conquered and destroyed by Spaniards, this essay will
seek out reasons as to why the Aztec civilization got destroyed. Aztec history lays out as a
civilization of rising innovation, religion, culture, and eventual downfall. The term Aztec refers to
the civilization that was advanced, the people referred to themselves as Mexica. The Aztecs came to
rise by conquering rival tribes which allowed them to create an empire that stretched between the
Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Their empire of the Aztecs consisted of about 489 city–states
under the rule of Montezuma II from the capital Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs were an agricultural
society that relied on the system of tributes from their city–states ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The gods in the Aztec culture are considered demanding and only pleased through bloody human
sacrifices that came from the lower class or prisoners (Easton, 398). Some of the gods the Aztecs
that were made offerings to were in charge of the sun, warfare, crops, rain fire, and the dead. Each
direction around the capital had religious significance with its own rituals and colors. The temples
these offerings were made at were decorated with colorful sculptures of feathered serpents such as
Quetzalcoatl (Easton, 399). To be sacrificed was an honor because those who were sacrificed were
guaranteed a place in heaven. The priests would go lengths of flying skin and wearing the victims'
skin as part of a ceremony or using obsidian tools to open the chest and take out the victim's heart
(Easton, 400). In some cases, there were mass sacrifices such as the people of Huastecs who tried
revolting against the Aztec and therefore all sacrificed (Smith, 6). The religious sacrifices were
meant to be a type of payment or appeasement in order for the gods to bestow gifts to the people of
Tenochtitlan. However, the sacrifices were also used as a tool of fear to control the lower class of
Aztecs or instill fear in its enemies (Smith, 6). The Aztecs used all types of tactics to make their
enemies fear them and to control the lower classes, this was part

The Aztecs And The Aztec Civilization
The Aztecs had one of the most successful and advanced empires of all time. They had a dwelling
culture The Aztec civilization was located directly in the middle of two mountain ranges in the
central valley of Mexico ( Platt 10). Although the Aztec empire eventually came to an end they were
able to do well as an empire. Contributing factors that led to the rise of the empire was their political
structure, social components, and religious traditions which they preformed earnestly.
The Aztecs were one of the last tribes to arrive in Mexico, in 1195 CE, when they arrived in the
Valley of Mexico other tribes had taken the best land so the Aztecs were left with the swampy
shores. They soon adapted and began to conquer their neighboring tribes. They continued to expand
until they had their very own empire. The empire continued to thrive, until the Spanish arrived and
had a fixed mind set on wanting the empires region of land. Although Social classes made a
significant contribution to the culture, by organizing and controlling the people, there were ways for
movement between classes. "Aztecs had three main social classes which included the nobility,
commoner, and slaves. Children were born into their classes, however on rare occasion children who
had some high level of skill could rise above their parent 's social status" ("Society." Great Empires
of the Past Online. Infobase Publishing."). Only children had the opportunity to move up in their
social class ranking, an adult

Compare And Contrast Aztec And American Civilizations
In the past, many different civilizations have made amazing achievements. Three of the many
civilizations have made quite interesting fulfillments. In the past, people were astonished at what
humans in the America's had accomplished! The Aztec, Mayan, and Incan civilizations each had
something that impressed people that came from different cultures. The Aztec's had a very
impressive capital, the Mayan's had stunning pyramids, and the Incan's made a advanced way on
how to farm.
The Aztec's back then had a very stunning capital. Hernàn Cortès, the Spanish conquer, was very
awed by the Aztec's capital. He said "there is one square....where their are more than 60,000 souls,
buying, and selling". Tenochtitlàn was pretty advanced for its time

Aztec And Mayan Civilizations
Jared Diamond (2005) defined the collapse of a society as a "drastic decrease in human population
numbers and/or in political, economic, or social complexity, over a considerable area, for an
extended period of time" (p.3). Civilizations have risen and fallen throughout history, however, few
collapses were as spectacular as the those of the three pre–Colombian civilizations of Mesoamerica:
the Inca, the Aztec and the Maya. History has been persistent in blaming the Spanish Conquest for
the loss of the Mesoamerican civilizations. And while the arrival of the Spanish did cease the
development of these cultures in a dramatic and definitive way, in hindsight, each of these
civilizations were lost as a result of endemic warfare that occurred ... Show more content on
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At its core the Triple Alliance was a military confederacy that offered 'protection' to neighbours in
return for tribute (Austin & Scott 2001, Brumfiel 1983: 273), fostering a dependence on the Triple
Alliance and augmenting their wealth, enabling large–scale public works and expansionary
conquests beyond the Valley (Brumfiel 1983: 273). By 1502, the Aztec had established a weak
dominion from sea to sea; receiving tribute, and allowing freedom of movement for trade and
military forces (Austin & Scott 2001, Fagan 2009:

How Did The Aztecs Impact Mesoamerican Civilization
Another system the Aztecs created were dike, which was a technique to separate the salt water from
Lake Texcoco from mixing with the fresh water. The dike also served as another purpose; it created
a barrier around Tenochtitlan (Outer walls in figure 2) to keep intruders out and also had gates that
could be open to help even the water levels out after flooding. Another hydraulic engineering
accomplishment was the canals that were created while forming Tenochtitlan (figure 2). These
canals were used to get in and out of the city. The Aztecs created causeways that allowed them to get
in and out of the city to retrieve food and allowed merchants to enter the city. These techniques that
the Aztecs used in order to manipulate the water, overcome frequent flooding that can cause
disasters, and build their empire is a testament to their intelligence. This was not the only area of
intelligence that the Aztecs had achieved; they were avid astrologers and believed in this subject
religiously. Astrology?: Like the Aztecs predecessors, the practice of astrology was significantly
important in their civilization. There were four calendars that impacted Mesoamerican society: the
solar calendar, sacred round, calendar round, and the long count calendar, these four calendars
contributed to the way the society operated based on science and ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Mexico/ the New World has never been in contact with this disease before leaving the people that
lived in these new places to have no immunity to the disease. This is commonly referred to as a
virgin soil epidemic and is defined by Crosby as, "those in which the populations at risk have had no
previous contact with the diseases that strikes them and are therefore immunologically almost
defenseless." This new disease brought over from Europe left Natives defenseless and was not well
documented. Historians still do not have an accurate estimation of how many Natives died due to

The Differences Of Aztecs And Mayan Civilizations
Aztecs and Mayans were the biggest civilizations in Mesoamerica. They are known for having mass
amounts of knowledge in subjects like astronomy, mathematics, agriculture and architecture. These
two civilizations have their own creation myth: Mayas have "Popol Vuh," while Aztecs have "Mito
de los Cinco Soles." Both works have given an insight on their culture's values, ways of living and
beliefs. However, when the Spanish came to America most of the books containing essential
information of these civilizations were destroyed. Some of the written works that were rescued
pertained to both: Mesoamerican and Spanish authors. The Mayan and Aztec works "Chilam
Balam" and "Presagios según los informantes de Sahagún" describe Spanish brutality and abuses,
defining them as violent. In contrast Spanish works "Segunda Carta de Relación de Hernán Cortes"
and "Carta de Pedro de Alvarado" justify Spanish actions against Mesoamerica's civilizations by
portraying their own leaders as saviors. Spanish and Mesoamerican civilizations texts show
contradictory points of view towards the conquest, creating skepticism on what really happened
during that time.
"Popol Vuh" and "Mito de los Cinco Soles" are relevant texts because they emphasize the
importance of sacrifice in their culture. The Mayan book, "Popol Vuh," is a broad text that contains
the myths of earth, humanity, and life creation; as well as it emphasizes the influence deities had in
their life. The "Hero Twins" myth found in the book

Maya And Aztec Civilizations Compared

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