Central and South American Civilizations

Central and South American Civilizations 3 major civilizations: Mayan Aztec Inca

The Mayans Lasted from 1500 BCE – 900 CE Located in Central America in the present-day countries of Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

The Mayans The Mayan Civilization was based on agriculture Maize (corn) was the primary crop They also grew squash, beans, and peppers Grew cacao beans and made chocolate

The Mayans Not much is known about Mayan culture because there are not many written records They followed a polytheistic religion similar to the Ancient Egyptians The Mayans developed a writing system similar to hieroglyphics The Mayans developed a very precise calendar

The Aztecs Located in modern-day Mexico Lasted from 1100 CE – 1600 CE Had a culture of warfare (similar to Sparta in Ancient Greece) They were nomads for many years before finding a place to settle

The Aztecs The Aztec believed that the current world was one in a series of four worlds, called suns, which had existed before it Aztec religion was polytheistic They would sacrifice people and animals as part of the religion

The Aztecs People were divided into social classes depending on their family wealth All children, male and female, attended school Boys learned how to be warriors and religious practices Boys from wealthy families focused more on law, writing, medicine, and engineering Girls learned domestic tasks like sewing, cooking, and raising children

The Incas The Incas lived in South America in the Andes Mountains along the Pacific Ocean Lasted 1200 CE – 1570 CE The Andes are the tallest mountains in the Americas

The Incas Agriculture in the Andes was difficult The steep slopes of the mountains limited the amount of land for farming The climate was also dry, making water a precious resource

The Incas To solve this problem, the Incas developed terrace farming Terraces are wide steps on the side of mountains Without the terraces, the mountainous landscape would have been too steep for farmers to water, plow, and harvest

The Incas The terrace system increased the amount of land that the Inca could use for agriculture It also kept the topsoil from washing away down the hillside in heavy rains