1. Introduction
Imagine living in a world where everything is ruled by how the night sky looked. As the sun starts to set, the sky starts to get illuminated not by one, but by millions and millions of other stars! This is what the Aztecs and the Mayas saw every night. Both the Aztec and the Maya were a powerful and advanced civilization that were created separately from the Western European civilizations and did an amazing job doing so. Just like many other Ancient Civilizations the night sky plays a significant role in their society. Astronomy, Religion, culture and architecture are all aligned the stars.
Both the Aztecs and the Maya originated in what is now the southern part of Mexico and other parts of Central America. The Maya are the predecessors of the Aztecs and much of their customs are seen the Aztec culture. But the Maya were not the first; there were the Olmec’s, Toltec’s, and the Chichimec’s before the Maya and Aztec. Progressively you see that each successive civilization impacted the next in aspects of the religion and the astronomy.
The astronomy that the Aztecs and the Maya developed was phenomenal. They were both great at predicting eclipses, as well as being the civilizations with the most accurate synodic periods of the Moon, Earth, Venus, and Mars at that time period. Clearly these people knew what they were doing and what they were looking at. Astronomy was such and important piece to their culture that you can see in both of the
In history we the people have found to realize that the Maya, Aztec, and Inca culture was one of the most incredible findings of their accomplishments. The Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations were really smart in topics of engineering, writing, agriculture and astronomy. Also all three had their beliefs, and good with agriculture. All three cultures used great technologies in their agriculture like slash and burn, terrace farming. They all hunted for religion, they had a huge belief with the people spread throughout each region. They all had a lot of interest in the use of chocolate in the region, and cultivation. They all were pretty much the same just different beliefs.
A few things you might have to know: The Mayan were natives who lived in Mexico and central Asia. The rise of the Mayan empire was from around 1800 B.C. to 250 A.D.. “first major complex civilization to develop in the America’s” (study.com). “They had a complex understanding of astronomy” (history.com). They thrived due to their intelligences.
Mayan Empire, led to development of pyramids, palaces, bridges, as well as a written language, art, and a calendar; This was due to advances in mathematics
The Aztec and Inca Empires arose 1000 to 1500 century C.E. in Mesoamerica and South America. The Aztecs arrived in central Mexico approximately the fifteenth century. The Incas settled in the region around Lake Titicaca about mid-thirteenth century and by the late fifteenth century, the Incas had built an enormous empire stretching more the 4,000 kilometers. Both empires were enormous, the Incan Empire ended up being the largest state in South America. Neither empire had developed a written language, but they did come up with a way to remember things and keep records.
According to researchers at the University of Texas, the dates of construction can be deciphered by counting tree rings from lumber used in building. There was also speculation around the arrangements of pueblos and other buildings in regards to the cosmos around us. As we can see in Cliff Palace and Sun Temple, they both have a clear line of vison with no other buildings interrupting its path. Because of their placement there is reason to believe that the Puebloan people incorporated astronomy into their architecture.
The aztecs and the mongols originated on opposite sides of the globe, so it is no surprise that the two cultures came about in vastly different ways. even though each had wildly different settings, they grew in strength very similarly after a powerful leader came to the table. The beginnings of the Aztec people are unknown, but they are believed to have begun as a tribe in the north of hunter-gatherers whose name came from their homeland, Aztlan (or “White Land”). The Aztecs were also called the Tenochca, or the Mexica. The Aztecs appeared in Mesoamerica in the early 13th century. Their arrival came just after, or perhaps helped bring about, the fall of the previously
The breathtaking splendor of ornate cites, the beautifully constructed grand temples, and the ingeniously developed and advanced caledretics, mathematics, and astronomy easily mark one of the most interesting and prosperous periods in Latin American history. Over period spanning approximately six centuries, the Maya of Central America reached artistic and intellectual heights that no other group in the New World had seen
The Mayan, Aztec, and the Inca have a lot of differences and similarities. For instance, they might have some similarities in religion and some differences in their religion. They might have some similarities in economy and they might have some differences. They might have some similarities with their capital and some differences. They might have some similarities with their time periods as well as some differences. The Mayan might have a one thing that the Aztec or Inca don’t have. The Aztec might have something that the Mayan or the Inca don’t have. The Inca might have something that the Mayan or the Aztec don’t have. The Mayan and the Aztec might have something that the Inca don’t have. Or, the Aztec and the Inca might have something that
When the Spaniards arrived at the New World, they were just a small group on a new frontier. Their minds were set on a goal to conquer and become wealthy. Their only obstacle was the Aztecs and Incas. Despite the factor or numbers being a disadvantage, other factors allowed them to win a seemingly impossible battle. The first factor is when a man named Hernán Cortés established communication with the nearby communities. The Aztec Emperor, Moctezuma, believed Cortés to be the god Quetzalcoatl which was supposed to return to them after being driven away. This enabled the Spaniards to have the element of surprise when they attacked. Before they attacked, Cortés was smart to forge an alliance with enemies of the Aztecs to aid the Spaniard assault.
The events that occurred between the Aztecs and Spanish Conquistadors have many sides and opportunities for debate. One of the most debated topics being; Who was more savage and who was more Civil? Both the Aztecs and Spanish had powerful and thriving empires. These empires displayed their dominance through their advanced technology and flourishing military. Though it may seem that the Spanish were more advanced than the Aztecs, the Aztecs and Spanish were actually quite close to being equal in technological advancements.
·The Aztec’s origins are not certain, but we know they settled in the lands of now Mexico where an eagle landed on a cactus.
The Maya were known for their agriculture, trade, science and religion. They had a complex writing system and developed a calendar from observing the earths movements around the sun. One can’t say that just one
The Maya were a people from Middle America, which includes modern Guatemala, Southern Mexico, and Northern Belize (Editors). The Maya civilization was considered to be “one of the most dominant indigenous societies of Mesoamerica,” (Maya). “The Maya excelled at agriculture, pottery, hieroglyph writing, calendar-making, and mathematics, and left behind an astonishing amount of impressive architecture and symbolic artwork,” (Maya). They also gave mankind the modern calendar (Jarus, Maya). The Mayans were a very advanced people, but one of the most important things in the Mayan culture was their religion/god worshipping rituals.
Throughout time, there are many instances of early civilizations accomplishing breathtaking feats that we find awe worthy even today. These cultures helped shape humanity as a whole, and paved the way for people everywhere. Of these early cultures, one of the most remarkable was undoubtedly the Mayans. The Mayans lived in Mesoamerica, around Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. They were an isolated group of people that thrived on farming and raised crops such as Maize, Beans, and Chili Peppers. They also Fished often and hunted Deer and other woodland creatures.
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.