EQ) What was Unique about the Civilizations of the first americans?
1) Who were the Olmec people?
They were the first group of people who lived in Central america. They left behind artifacts, such as giant busts. They were the base for future empires.
2) What was unique about the Mayan, Aztec, and Inca people/civilizations?
The civilization after the Olmec are the Maya. The maya civilization started as far back as 2000 BC. They has a strong influence in Mesoamerica for over 3000 years, or until the spanish arrived in 1519 AD. The Mayans were an organized. powerful, city-states located in central america. This region today is made up of southern mexico, the yućatain, Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize and northern El Salvador. They built hundreds of cities made of stone, as well as pyramids for their gods. Some evidence shows that they created a written language also advance mathematics, art, architecture, and astronomy. They had reached their golden age, also called the classic period, lasting from 250 to 900 AD. NOW TIME FOR LITTLE FACTS THAT ARE OFF TOPIC. An estimated 2 million mayans still live on the yucatan peninsula. Parents tie a board to baby's head to shape into flat skulls, and people at that time thought it was "Cool." Also people dangle objects in front of them to become crossed eyed. Children are named based on the day there were borned. Human hair was used to sew up wounds. Elite women sharpen their teeth to the point. NOW THAT WAS RANDOM. Mayans also sacrificed people to please the gods, and they used to sacrifice humans but now they kill chickens. They made a "Ball Game" that was a combination of Basketball, soccer, and football. At the end someone gets to sacrifice. No one knows if one of the winners or losers die because it was a honor. And on some occasion they use severed heads. This game is stilled played under the name "Ulama" where everyone lives.
The civilization after the Mayan are the Aztecs. There are located in central Mexico and reigned from 1400s to 1519, that was when the spanish came. They were very religious, building pyramids to the gods, and going to war to just get more human sacrifices. Their capital was tenochtitlan. Founded in 1325 in the middle of a lake Texcoco. Housing about 200000 people on a island in a middle of a lake. In the center of the city, there was a large complex pyramid and a palace for the king. The city itself was unique having a grid like fashion layout and divided up in districts. They flourished under montezuma the first having aqueducts bring fresh water to the people. NOW TIME FOR RANDOM FACTS. The aztecs were made up of europeans calling them self mexica. Their dead were buried under there own houses. They sell there own children into slavery to pay of debts. Garbage men in tenochtitlan were very clean. At the time Tenochtitlan was bigger than European cities. The aztecs had their own "Ballgame," but was more violent. Skulls of former players are surrounded the playing field. Chocolate was introduced by the aztecs and was used as currency. THAT WAS RANDOM.
A new empire appeared and in more than 300 years the Incas was a large empire. The Inca empire stretches from present day colombia through Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. In the 15th century the incas ruled over 250 kinds of people and about 9 million people (9,000,000!). Something more shocking is that they constructed more than 9,000 miles and majestic buildings without animals or the wheel. Similar to the mayans, the inca believed that deformed, flat skulls were beautiful. STORY TIME: The Inca's king travels in a chair throughout the empire. When speaking to his audience he would speak only behind a barrier and the audience must be barefoot. The king would never wear the same clothes twice and would burn the used garment. NOW RANDOM FACTS. Llamas, alpacas, ducks, and guinea pigs were kept as pets and were eaten too. The cooking and eating of guinea pigs still occur today called Cuy. NOW ON TOPIC, In south america forging of iron weapons are still unknown and death was still caused by clubs or slingshots, but caused severe head trauma. Because of head trauma, incas were remarkable at skull treatment and most patients survive. They studied skeletons and found a unique bone called the Inca bone that not everyone have. In order to retain order between tribes and them they did something similar to the romans. They let children of conquered chief leader study in elite boarding schools in the capital, Cusco. A practice of turning fallen chiefs skulls into drinking cups was uncommon then. The best known story was when Atahualpa's skulls was turned into a drinking jar by his brother Huascar in 1532. ( Some Incas stretched their ears to their shoulders and the spanish name for this practice means "Big Ears".) People of the incan empire are polytheists and very religious. The most important god was Inti, the sun god, and his wife the moon goddess, that takeover his duties at night. Also the Incas created a sophisticated postal system. They use a chain of runners that run in pairs, one sleep while the other waits. Since the incas had no writing they had the runners memorize the news. The incas had no money nor taxes to pay with. So they made a system to distribute resources with a value. The incas built elaborate suspension bridges and kept women away from construction because it was rumored that women bring bad luck. .
The civilization after the Mayan are the Aztecs. There are located in central Mexico and reigned from 1400s to 1519, that was when the spanish came. They were very religious, building pyramids to the gods, and going to war to just get more human sacrifices. Their capital was tenochtitlan. Founded in 1325 in the middle of a lake Texcoco. Housing about 200000 people on a island in a middle of a lake. In the center of the city, there was a large complex pyramid and a palace for the king. The city itself was unique having a grid like fashion layout and divided up in districts. They flourished under montezuma the first having aqueducts bring fresh water to the people. NOW TIME FOR RANDOM FACTS. The aztecs were made up of europeans calling them self mexica. Their dead were buried under there own houses. They sell there own children into slavery to pay of debts. Garbage men in tenochtitlan were very clean. At the time Tenochtitlan was bigger than European cities. The aztecs had their own "Ballgame," but was more violent. Skulls of former players are surrounded the playing field. Chocolate was introduced by the aztecs and was used as currency. THAT WAS RANDOM.
A new empire appeared and in more than 300 years the Incas was a large empire. The Inca empire stretches from present day colombia through Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. In the 15th century the incas ruled over 250 kinds of people and about 9 million people (9,000,000!). Something more shocking is that they constructed more than 9,000 miles and majestic buildings without animals or the wheel. Similar to the mayans, the inca believed that deformed, flat skulls were beautiful. STORY TIME: The Inca's king travels in a chair throughout the empire. When speaking to his audience he would speak only behind a barrier and the audience must be barefoot. The king would never wear the same clothes twice and would burn the used garment. NOW RANDOM FACTS. Llamas, alpacas, ducks, and guinea pigs were kept as pets and were eaten too. The cooking and eating of guinea pigs still occur today called Cuy. NOW ON TOPIC, In south america forging of iron weapons are still unknown and death was still caused by clubs or slingshots, but caused severe head trauma. Because of head trauma, incas were remarkable at skull treatment and most patients survive. They studied skeletons and found a unique bone called the Inca bone that not everyone have. In order to retain order between tribes and them they did something similar to the romans. They let children of conquered chief leader study in elite boarding schools in the capital, Cusco. A practice of turning fallen chiefs skulls into drinking cups was uncommon then. The best known story was when Atahualpa's skulls was turned into a drinking jar by his brother Huascar in 1532. ( Some Incas stretched their ears to their shoulders and the spanish name for this practice means "Big Ears".) People of the incan empire are polytheists and very religious. The most important god was Inti, the sun god, and his wife the moon goddess, that takeover his duties at night. Also the Incas created a sophisticated postal system. They use a chain of runners that run in pairs, one sleep while the other waits. Since the incas had no writing they had the runners memorize the news. The incas had no money nor taxes to pay with. So they made a system to distribute resources with a value. The incas built elaborate suspension bridges and kept women away from construction because it was rumored that women bring bad luck. .
3) What happened to the Mayan, Aztec, and inca people/civilizations?
The mayans still live today, but no knows how the empire declined. Most theories point to famine, disease brought by spanish, server through, or overpopulation. Most evidence point to Severe drought because most evidence points to it.
Around 1517 aztec's priest began to sense an impending doom, there were right. In 1519 Spanish conquistador Hernando cortes arrived in mexico conquering the aztecs. He tore down tenochtitlan and built mexico city. At the battle of tenochtitlan, it was believed that 250000 people die . Also disease killed more than cortes men did because the aztecs didn't have a immunity to european disease.
The inca empire started to decline when they were conquered by the spanish. In between 1532 and 1572, spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and army, conquered the incas. The incas couldn't fight back because they were weakened by the disease, smallpox, brought by the spanish and civil war. Almost 90% of incas died due to no immunity to smallpox and were ultimately defeated by the spanish.
Around 1517 aztec's priest began to sense an impending doom, there were right. In 1519 Spanish conquistador Hernando cortes arrived in mexico conquering the aztecs. He tore down tenochtitlan and built mexico city. At the battle of tenochtitlan, it was believed that 250000 people die . Also disease killed more than cortes men did because the aztecs didn't have a immunity to european disease.
The inca empire started to decline when they were conquered by the spanish. In between 1532 and 1572, spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and army, conquered the incas. The incas couldn't fight back because they were weakened by the disease, smallpox, brought by the spanish and civil war. Almost 90% of incas died due to no immunity to smallpox and were ultimately defeated by the spanish.