It is hard to overlook the fact that they had remarkable similarities, but also some differences. Most important for our knowledge of these peoples, they created the only known written language in the Western Hemisphere; researchers have made much progress in interpreting the inscriptions on their temples and pyramids. Mississippian culture also had extensive trade routes, as goods from all over North America are found within the burial mounds. The monarchy was abolished and the republic was restored on 21 September 1979. Their most famous legacy is the mystery of the Olmec heads: 3-meter (9 ft) tall heads resembling African warriors made from stone found over 130 kilometers (80 mi) away. The Mali Empire and the Aztec Empire rose in different locations thus they had different ways of approaching different aspects of their culture but both empires still shared some key aspects also., Two of the most influential and powerful postclassical Mesoamerican empires belonged to the Inca and Aztec people. Their settlements, unlike those of the southwest, were small hamlets. Smallpox broke out in 1520-21 and played a vital in the fall of the city, with between 10% to 50% of the population succumbing to the disease. Direct link to dcervante0051's post what were the spanish ast, Posted 5 years ago. Surrounded by farms relying on primitive agriculture, they built the city-states of Copan, Tikal, and Chichen Itza along their major trade routes, as well as temples, statues of gods, pyramids, and astronomical observatories. Tenochtitlan became the dominant city in the alliance, and their empire spread through both trade and military conquest. . Great civilizations had risen and fallen in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans. The mayans did not fully occupy the area of land they in. The Inca didnt develop a writing system; their records were kept on bundles of knotted cords called quipus. When the Spaniard Hernn Corts arrived on the coast of Mexico in the sixteenth century, at the site of present-day Veracruz, he soon heard of a great city ruled by an emperor named Moctezuma. Flourishing from roughly 2000 BCE to 900 CE in what is now Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala, the Maya perfected the calendar and written language the Olmec had begun. If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. Both Corts and Pizarro were brutal in their treatment of the conquered peoples. Additionally, it provides us with common cultural patterns To access their homes, the cliff-dwelling Anasazi used ropes or ladders that could be pulled in at night for safety. Also, Smallpox spread, which killed most of the Inca. The Aztecs founded their biggest city, Tenochtitlan, in A.D. 1325, meaning they were much younger than any of the other three. The Aztec Empire began with an alliance between Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan in order to defeat Azcapotzalco. El Castillo, located at Chichen Itza in the eastern Yucatn peninsula, served as a temple for the god Kukulkan. The Spanish conquistadores and colonial empire - Khan Academy The civilization saw its peak between 250 and 900 CE. On the other hand, some Illinois women preferred the stable marriage rituals of the Catholic church to their customs, of which bride kidnapping was one. However, they did find Mayan history, in the form of glyphs, or pictures representing words, recorded in folding books called codices (the singular is codex). Inca and Aztec Compare and Contrast Essay.docx - Matthias What were the major differences between the societies of the Aztec, Inca, and Maya and the Indians of North America? As this historical event progressed each one of these themes began to intertwine until they became an almost unstoppable force., Montezuma, who was the ruler of the Aztecs, had a funny feeling about them. Maya builds towering temples and elaborate palaces, Aztec build their capital city Tenochtitlan on an island, while Inca constructed stone temples without using mortars, yet the stone fit together so well that a knife would not fit between the stones. The Navajo, on the other hand, have never lived in towns. This made them the unique civilization that they still are today., All cultures are centered around belief structures that continue over a long period time, but some of the practices and rituals associated with these beliefs can become shuffled and this can drastically set two religions apart. The Aztecs didnt try to kill the Spaniards but instead tried to use them as sacrifices. Recent research along the west coast of South America suggests that migrant populations may have traveled down this coast by water as well as by land. Most recognizable are their giant head sculpturesand the pyramid in La Venta. The Mongol empire was established in the eastern hemisphere with a foundation basically already built previously. Where the Spanish used brutality and force to convert natives, the French cooperated and worked within native practices. They spoke the Nahuatl language, also known as the Aztec language. Subjugating surrounding tribes and requiring tribute of both humans for sacrifice and goods for consumption, the island city of Tenochtitln was the hub of an ever-widening commercial center and the equal of any large European city until Corts destroyed it. Spain gained immense wealth from this expansionism, which translated into an influx of Spanish art and cultural capital. Direct link to louisaandgreta's post Illness played a much gr, Posted 2 years ago. The Inca were located in in the rugged, high mountainous terrain of Peru, and the west coast of other modern day South American countries, such as Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. A major part of their life was religion. Accessed 4 Mar. In 1911, the American historian Hiram Bingham uncovered the lost Incan city of Machu Picchu. Government was an important part of the Maya civilization. Even though the Spaniards had advantages the Aztecs were able to defeat them once, before the epidemic struck., The author argues that the Spanish were completely at fault for the total destruction of the Aztec Empire. Here we also discuss the key differences with infographics and comparison table. The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs in 1521, led by Hernando Cortes, was a landmark victory for the European settlers. Only by playing upon the disunity among the diverse groups in the Aztec Empire were the Spanish able to capture Tenochtitln. . What they found instead were small, disparate communities, many already ravaged by European diseases brought by the Spanish and transmitted among the natives. 2022 - EDUCBA. Horses, first introduced by the Spanish, allowed the Plains Indians to more easily follow and hunt the huge herds of bison. A polytheistic people, they often practiced human sacrifice to please their gods . The Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations were really smart in topics of engineering, writing, agriculture and astronomy. They treated the Spanish with riches and lavish food, as they would a God. The civilization's height was between 250 and 900 AD. Where getting that wealth required human labor, they enslaved the local people. Aztec and Mayan social classes shaped the daily life of their citizens., The Mayan, Aztec, and Inca civilizations brought major accomplishments to the world today. You may also have a look at the following articles to learn more . Aztec and Pueblo Similarities - Running head: SOME AZTEC Following the Spanish arrival in Mexico, a huge battle erupted between the army of Cortes and the Aztec people under the rule of Montezuma. Olmec Civilization In 1492, however, the Aztecs in Mexico City were at their peak. The most important collection of these poems is Romances de los senores de la Nueva Espana. The Eastern Woodland peoples were thriving, but they were soon overwhelmed as the number of English, French, and Dutch settlers increased. Posted 4 years ago. The Inca ruler required a third, and a third was set aside in a kind of welfare system for those unable to work. The Aztec and Maya, as well as other peoples in the same area, were in the area from about 10,000 BCE. Clashing beliefs about land ownership and use of the environment would be the greatest area of conflict with Europeans. They had religious customs, languages, and trade networks that were unique to their civilizations. Comparing European and Native American cultures - Khan Academy The estimated total of their population was around 10 - 20 million people , and they controlled most of central Mexico . The Olmec, Mayan, Incan, and Aztec civilizations are some of the greatest ancient civilizations in history, and yet we know very little about them compared to other parts of the world. On the surface of this house they would cook their food, walk and play as if they were on firm land. These groups subsisted on a wider variety of foods that grew in their regions. At its height in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the Inca Empire, located on the Pacific coast and straddling the Andes Mountains, extended some twenty-five hundred miles. Each of the three groups also had societal structures that were each unique to their own societies. It will happen a seeing [. Columbuss colonization of the Atlantic islands inaugurated an era of aggressive Spanish expansion across the Atlantic. It is also important to look at because of the immense cultural impact it had. In the European race to colonial dominance, the Treaty of Tordesillas legitimized Spains holdings in the New World, indicating Spanish primacy over Portugal. They built stepped roads to ascend and descend the steep slopes of the Andes; these would have been impractical for wheeled vehicles but worked well for pedestrians. I think the Spanish had monarchy. A fiery object appeared in the night sky, a spontaneous fire broke out in a religious temple and could not be extinguished with water, a water spout appeared in Lake Texcoco, and a woman could be heard wailing, O my children we are about to go forever. Moctezuma also had dreams and premonitions of impending disaster. - [Instructor] In the first years of interaction between Native Americans and Europeans, there were a lot of aspects of each other's cultures that each group found, well, just plain weird.