Ivilizations of the Americas: Mayan, Aztec, and Incan Civilizations
“The engineers showed great cleverness and skill in supplying water for the crops, since only scattered sections of the land could grow corn. For this reason, they endeavored to increase its fertility as much as possible.” This was a quote from Garciasco de la Vega, a son of a Spanish explorer and an Incan princess, which described a method of farming in the Incan empire in 1539. The three most advanced civilizations were the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Incas. All three civilizations made major accomplishments, all being added upon and used by other civilizations. For example, the Mayans had created a calendar with three hundred sixty-five and a quarter days. The Incas had created terrace farming to create better and a larger amount of crops. All of these civilizations have impacted the world today.
Mayans developed a complex calendar with hieroglyphics as depicted in Document Two. These glyphs were based on their writing system. Glyphs were symbols that showed events from the Mayan period. These glyphs often represented religious figures and historical events from the Mayan period (O.I). The Mayan’s calendar was the most accurate calendar of the known time because of the knowledge, and skill the Mayans possessed in astronomy (O.I). By using astronomy, the Mayans could calculate that there are three- hundred sixty-five and a quarter days in a year (O.I). Since the glyphs were on the most accurate calendar of the time the glyphs are known to be accurate. In 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived in the Aztec civilization and described the magnificence of the Aztec’s capital, Tenochtitlán. Document Three contains an excerpt in which Cortés described how the markets were filled with as many as 60,000 people. The markets had all kinds of merchandise produced in the country including jewels of gold and silver, lead, brass, and food products. Tenochtitlán was the heart of the Aztecs and home to over 150,000 people (O.I). Tenochtitlán was considered the largest city of the known
Mayans developed a complex calendar with hieroglyphics as depicted in Document Two. These glyphs were based on their writing system. Glyphs were symbols that showed events from the Mayan period. These glyphs often represented religious figures and historical events from the Mayan period (O.I). The Mayan’s calendar was the most accurate calendar of the known time because of the knowledge, and skill the Mayans possessed in astronomy (O.I). By using astronomy, the Mayans could calculate that there are three- hundred sixty-five and a quarter days in a year (O.I). Since the glyphs were on the most accurate calendar of the time the glyphs are known to be accurate. In 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived in the Aztec civilization and described the magnificence of the Aztec’s capital, Tenochtitlán. Document Three contains an excerpt in which Cortés described how the markets were filled with as many as 60,000 people. The markets had all kinds of merchandise produced in the country including jewels of gold and silver, lead, brass, and food products. Tenochtitlán was the heart of the Aztecs and home to over 150,000 people (O.I). Tenochtitlán was considered the largest city of the known