Teotihuacan – also written Teotihuacán, with a Spanish orthographic accent on the last syllable – is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas. Apart from the pyramidal structures, Teotihuacan is also known for its large residential complexes, the Avenue of the Dead, and numerous colorful, well-preserved murals. Additionally, Teotihuacan produced a thin orange pottery style that spread through Mesoamerica.[1]…
The plaza at the center of the city cover the site of an ancient Aztec temple…
Pueblo Indians are a mixture of several Native American tribes. They are descended from the Anasazi people. The best known of the mixture are Acoma, Taos, Hopi, and Zuni tribes. The Pueblo Indians settle in areas of the Southwest. In areas of the Mesa Verde Region, which is located the Four Corners. It is said that the Pueblo Indians acquired their name from the Spanish explorers that came across the tribe and used the Spanish term “pueblo” meaning “town” to describe their adobe homes and town.…
The unexpected attack surprised the Incas, where the Incas didn’t know they have superior numbers than the Spanish. And there were also other psychological factors, such an Inca god called Viracoxa was a white man, and the Incas thought these men might be the incarnation of Viracoxa.…
In the 1500s 80,000 Inca were defeated by only 168 Spaniards, but how? The long term effect on the Inca defeat was the Spanish technology compared to the Inca technology. The Spanish conquistadores had developed guns, they also made steel swords where the Inca had only bronze weapons, the Spanish also had developed a written language while the Inca people had never even seen a book. Spain and all the rest of Europe had developed the plow and other farming techniques such as attaching the plow to animals. This use of animals also gave the Spanish an advantage because they soon became immune to livestock born diseases which they brought upon the Inca. All of these advantages gave the Spanish the upper hand in the fight with the Incas.…
Isolation, limited technology, disease, beliefs/religion, and allies were all contributing factors which led to Aztec destruction.…
The Aztec Civilization was very intricate and advanced. Their economy was made up of trading various items such as tools, pottery, baskets, cloth, jewelry, and figurines. They made these and traded them in the lowlands by the Gulf Coast. In return for their items they would receive valued items like jaguar skins, tropical-bird feathers, rubber, cotton, chocolate and cacao beans. Since the Aztecs did not have animals or wheeled vehicles, they transported good using canoes. However, if they needed to go through a dangerous terrain, goods would be carried on the backs of porters in long caravans.…
The Inca civilization started around the XII century on Andean mountains region in South America. The Empire grew up so fast that one century later its territory extended through Peru, Ecuador and the north of Chile and its population was more than 20 million. The Inca emperor was considered the son of the sun and almost a god. He had power about all structures of civilization and was wealthy. Like every civilization of this period, the Inca had a blind faith in their gods so mythology was extremely important to them. Gods were the core of their civilization functioning, the Inca acted always according to their beliefs and their gods were present in everyday life like agriculture, war and so on. They were also,…
During the Pre - Columbian period in Ecuador, over one hundred different crops were grown, many continue to be the dominant crops today. Some of the foods that we currently eat including, potatoes, sweet corn, and avocado originated in Ecuador, hundreds to thousands of years ago. The topics of various crops and plants grown in Ecuador, storage and food preparation methods in the Andes, and the domestication of animals by the Incas will be explored here. Each culture within Ecuador made enormous contributions to society.…
Within fifty years of Christopher Columbus discovering the New World, the Spanish empire had gained almost complete control of Central America and the majority of South America. Furthermore, the Spanish controlled large portions of southern Europe, including much of Italy, Austria, and the Netherlands. The success of the Spanish empire began its gradual decline in the seventeenth century. Many factors contributed to the ultimate demise of the Spanish empire, but the main cause of the fall of the empire was Spain’s poor economic decisions. The Spanish government delegitimized their currency, overextended their empire, and created an army that they could not financially maintain all within the seventeenth century. Additionally, they continued to get involved in…
On 13 August 1521 the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, had fallen to the Spanish conquistadors. Cortes and his followers had only landed in Mexico in April 1519. By the time of Cortes’ last departure form Spain in 1540; Mexico City had become a powerful colonial metropolis, the capital of a Spanish territory extending south into Central America and North to or beyond the Gulf of California. The campaign waged by Cortes was so successful that all ensuing campaigns were modelled upon the Aztec conquest. The question posed is how was the conquest of Mexico achieved in such a small space of time? It would seem unfeasible that a small army of soldiers could overcome thousands of Native Americans on their own soil; Tenochtitlan was a perfect location…
The Spanish due to their inferior weapons, the bold war tactics of the Spanish and the eventual capture of both empires’ emperors defeated the Incas and Aztecs. However, in both societies the single greatest factor that led to their ultimate demise was the smallpox epidemic. This epidemic swept through Latin America and took a hold of both of these empires and affected them with catastrophic results.…
The Inca governed an empire with subjects who spoke over 20 different languages. Below the Sapa Inca was the viceroy. He was a close relative of the Sapa Inca and worked as his closest advisor. The high priest was also a very powerful man. He was probably second in power to the Sapa Inca due to the sacredness of religion in the Inca Empire.…
The Americas are places where beautiful empires from ancient populations settled, spreading their culture, architecture, knowledge, and art, among other qualities. Two important empires that were raised during 600-1550 CE in the Americas are the Aztec Empire in Mesoamerica, and the Inca Empire in the Andes. “The Inca Empire and its contemporary Aztec Empire grew out of political, economic, and cultural pattern that began to form around 600 CE” (Von Sivers et al. 433). The Inca and Aztec Empires are an important and valuable piece of history that represent the innovations and rapid growth from the past cultures. There are several comparisons and contrasts with the Inca and the Aztec Empires that include: societies, architecture, culture, and…
Inca education was divided into two halves: education for the upper classes and education for the general population. The upper classes were formally educated by the Amawtakuna (philosopher- scholars who were a special class of wise men). These people learned about the culture, history, customs, and traditions throughout the kingdom. The lower classes did not go to formal schools and their education was based on the knowledge passed on by their elders. The general population was responsible for building the Inca road system. Education during this time was socially discriminatory. Depending on how you grew up and what your father was, determined how you got educated. There were three classes of the social status in the Inca Empire: the emperor,…