Compare and contrast the cultures of the, Maya, Inca and Aztec including roles of the people within each society and region M A Y a The Maya were divided into two main classes: nobles and commoners. The nobles: the king, top officials, and priests. The majority of Maya society were commoners, mostly farmers, who worked the land of the Empire. Lower ranking lords and higher ranking commoners formed a kind of middle class.

Achievements in astronomy and mathematics The Mayas were brilliant astronomers. Although they had no telescopes, they made detailed observations of the heavens. They plotted the positions of the sun, moon and planets. With this data, they were able to predict events such as eclipses of the sun, and the moon. The Mayas used a 260-day religious calendar and a 365-day solar calendar. The Mayas also developed an advanced number system. The Maya understood the concept of zero long before Europeans did. Their number system was flexible enough to be used for multiplication and division. Achievements in astronomy and mathematics

Compare and contrast the cultures of the, Maya, Inca and Aztec including roles of the people within each society and region A Z tec The Aztec were divided into two main classes: nobles and commoners. The largest group of commoners were farmers, but also included groups such as artisans and merchants. At the lowest level were slaves who worked for the noble families.

The center of the Aztec civilization was the Valley of Mexico, a huge, oval basin about 7,500 feet above sea level. The Aztec empire included many cities and towns, especially in the Valley of Mexico. The largest city in the empire was the capital, Tenochtitlan.

How the Aztec Empire was defeated by the Spanish In 1519, Hernando Cortes sailed to Mexico to conquer the rich Aztec Empire. When Cortes and his soldiers reached the capital of the Aztecs, Montezuma, their king welcomed Cortes as an honored guest. Tensions mounted between the Aztecs and the Spaniards. In the battle that broke out, Montezuma was killed. Soon after, the Spanish were forced to retreat. Cortes returned and began a siege of the city. Then, a smallpox epidemic killed most of the Aztecs. The survivor surrendered in 1521. How the Aztec and Inca empires were defeated by the Spanish

GPS/Video: Aztecs Video Clip (4:39)

Compare and contrast the cultures of the, Maya, Inca and Aztec including roles of the people within each society and region I n c a There were three ranks of nobles: nobles by birth, Appointed nobles, and Non-Inca Chiefs. Commoners were divided into categories based on age and gender.

How the Inca Empire was defeated by the Spanish Francisco Pizarro and a small group of conquistadors came to the Inca Empire in 1531. There, a smallpox epidemic had killed many Incas. Pizarro took advantage of the chaos in the empire. He invited Atahualpa, the emperor, to a friendly meeting and then had him imprisoned. Atahualpa arranged for a ransom that added up to almost 20 tons of gold and silver. This was said to be the largest ransom in history. However, Pizarro did not honor his end of the bargain. He rejected the Inca ransom and ordered Atahualpa killed, with that the Inca Empire was defeated.

GPS/Video: Incas Video Clip (4:12)

Compare and contrast the cultures of the, Maya, Inca and Aztec including roles of the people within each society and region. Maya Inca Aztec Government Economy Religion Achievements Compare and contrast the cultures of the Aztec, Maya, and Inca including roles of the people within each society and region

Compare and contrast the cultures of the, Maya, Inca and Aztec including roles of the people within each society and region. Maya Inca Aztec Government City-states with separate rulers Emperor Empire divided with separate rulers. King City-states governed by local chiefs Economy Farming Farming; trade Religion Belief in many gods Human sacrifice Achievements Writing system Discoveries in mathematics, astronomy Calendar Architecture Irrigation system Terrace farming Road system with bridges, tunnels Poetry Sculptures Compare and contrast the cultures of the Aztec, Maya, and Inca including roles of the people within each society and region