Mesoamerican Civilizations
There were many various civilizations in Mesoamerica approximately 3000 to 500 years ago. Though they were different civilizations, they had some similarities. One may think that ancient civilizations could not have been as advanced as we are today. Yet, who knows? They might have even been more advanced than we are in modern times in many various fields such as Inventing, Astronomy, Mathematics, Technology, Art, and maybe even more.
Religion portrayed an important role in early Mesoamerican civilizations. These civilizations were all polytheistic. Mayan cities featured giant pyramids, temples, palaces, and elaborate stone carvings dedicated to the gods and to important rulers (O.I). In the Aztec society of Tenochtitlan there were hundreds of temples and religious structures dedicated to the gods. The Aztecs had a warrior culture; therefore they believed that they were protected by a war god. Religion helped reinforce the power of the Incan state (O.I). They worshipped in temples to praise their head god, the sun-god. The Olmec grew and harvested rubber, which they used to make balls for a religious ballgame that they played. The Mayas, Aztecs, and Incans used performed human sacrifice as an offering to the gods.
Government and social class weren’t really important to the Olmec. The Maya were ruled by aristocratic nobility. This means that Mayans had to be born into an upper class, while the lowest class in the Mayan society was made up of slaves. At the bottom of the Aztec society were the slaves. They had no rights, but they got a chance to go to school. In fact, all children had to attend school, so that there would be enough skilled workers to run the Aztec empire. The Incans were divided into classes where kings ruled, and farmers and slaves were at the bottom.
If nothing else, these civilizations all had brilliant and advanced inventions. The Aztec didn’t really have any physical inventions, but they were one of the first civilizations to have mandatory
Religion portrayed an important role in early Mesoamerican civilizations. These civilizations were all polytheistic. Mayan cities featured giant pyramids, temples, palaces, and elaborate stone carvings dedicated to the gods and to important rulers (O.I). In the Aztec society of Tenochtitlan there were hundreds of temples and religious structures dedicated to the gods. The Aztecs had a warrior culture; therefore they believed that they were protected by a war god. Religion helped reinforce the power of the Incan state (O.I). They worshipped in temples to praise their head god, the sun-god. The Olmec grew and harvested rubber, which they used to make balls for a religious ballgame that they played. The Mayas, Aztecs, and Incans used performed human sacrifice as an offering to the gods.
Government and social class weren’t really important to the Olmec. The Maya were ruled by aristocratic nobility. This means that Mayans had to be born into an upper class, while the lowest class in the Mayan society was made up of slaves. At the bottom of the Aztec society were the slaves. They had no rights, but they got a chance to go to school. In fact, all children had to attend school, so that there would be enough skilled workers to run the Aztec empire. The Incans were divided into classes where kings ruled, and farmers and slaves were at the bottom.
If nothing else, these civilizations all had brilliant and advanced inventions. The Aztec didn’t really have any physical inventions, but they were one of the first civilizations to have mandatory