Compare and Contrast the Lifestyles of Two Ancient American Civilizations Essay Example

Ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica may seem entirely equal at times, but the truth about these civilizations is that the differences may be nearly secret or completely obvious. What comes to mind as two nearly identical cultures from Mesoamerica, the Aztecs and the Mayans have many other differences and similarities that help distinguish one from the other. Factors such as social classes show why a fusion of both cultures may occur in this region. Religion and agriculture are also two other factors that may give a sense of similarity, but also show the difference among them.
Sometimes when thinking about the Aztecs and the Mayans there isn’t consideration for the things that make them different because of the impartiality of their location. Ideas such as Social classes may lead to believe in this as well. When looking at the social classes of Mayans, the only two classes are the Nobles and the Commoners, the Nobles clearly being at the top. Very similar are the Aztec social classes. The highest of rank being the Nobles, followed by the Commoners, and then slaves ending up at the bottom of the pack. The two are clearly identical in having a noble power at the top and some kind of commoner. The difference being the slaves that the Aztecs had, but the reason for these slaves brings forth another difference among these two cultures. The slaves of the Aztecs had quite a bit to do with their culture and strong religious beliefs. The religion of the Aztecs includes numerous sacrifices to their gods. The Mayans also sacrificed to their gods and they also did it frequently, however not as often as the Aztecs. When it came to the Aztecs they would sacrifice anyone, but they sacrificed their slaves and captives the most. Other religious comparisons include the way they both were Polytheistic. They both had a major belief in their main god, the sun god; however the Aztecs named their god Huitzilopochtli. It was believed in both cultures that the sun god brought warmth