Pre-Columbian Civilizations: Maya, Aztec, and Inca Empires
Pre-Columbian Civilizations
Maya Civilization
The Maya civilization thrived in the Yucatan Peninsula, a tropical region characterized by rainforests and underground rivers due to its limestone soil. The lack of surface rivers and difficult communication led to the formation of independent city-states. Their primary economic activity was agriculture, supplemented by trade. They practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, which resulted in deforestation and droughts. The Maya were polytheistic, with deities associated with natural forces. They constructed tall, stepped pyramids with temples on top, used for religious purposes and astronomical observations. Their advanced astronomical knowledge enabled them to create calendars crucial for their farming culture. They developed the most sophisticated writing system in the Americas, based on pictograms and hieroglyphs.
Aztec Empire
The Aztecs originated in the Valley of Mexico, initially as a coalition of three cities on the shores of Lake Tenochtitlan. Their strong army, formed through conscription, allowed them to control the lake region and expand into central and northern Mexico. The Aztec culture evolved into an empire with an emperor holding absolute political and religious power. Their hierarchical society was divided into warriors, priests, merchants, craftsmen, peasants, and slaves. Agriculture was their main economic activity, and they developed advanced methods, including the creation of artificial islands called milpas, where they cultivated corn, beans, pumpkin, and chillies. They built cities, palaces, and stepped pyramids, with Tenochtitlan as their capital. They also had astronomical knowledge, an advanced calendar, and a writing system derived from the Maya. The Aztecs were polytheistic and practiced human sacrifice, which fueled their expansion to acquire more prisoners for these rituals.
Inca Empire
The Inca civilization was located in the high plateaus of the Andes, encompassing present-day Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and parts of Argentina and Chile. They established the most extensive civilization in America at the time, possibly the largest worldwide. Their territory, with high mountains meeting a tropical coast, facilitated trade through an extensive road network. These roads, designed for people rather than wheeled vehicles, included hanging bridges made of ropes. The mita system required people to work for the empire, building and maintaining roads and bridges. The emperor, believed to be the son of the Sun, resided in the capital, Cusco. Inca society was organized into nobles, peasants, craftsmen, and slaves. They were polytheistic and practiced human sacrifices, often as offerings to the mountains. They built temples, palaces, and fortresses like Machu Picchu. Although they lacked a writing system, they used khipus, a system of knotted ropes, to record information.