WHAT WAS UNIQUE ABOUT THE MAYA?
They built hundreds of cities filled with large stone structures. The Maya are perhaps best known for their many pyramids. They built pyramids to their gods that towered hundreds of feet tall. They were also the only American civilization to develop an advanced written language. They also excelled in mathematics, art, architecture, and astronomy. Early Mayans tried to "enhance" the features of the children by pressing boards on the foreheads of the their kids so that they would be flat. They would also dangle objects in front of them in order to force them to become cross-eyed. They also used human hair to sew up wounds.The upper class women would file their teeth to points. Early Mayans also performed human sacrifices to the gods. They also made up a ballgame that was a mix between basketball and soccer but without using hands or feet.
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WHAT WAS UNIQUE ABOUT THE AZTECS?
The Aztec empire was located in central Mexico. It ruled much of the region from the 1400s until the Spanish arrived in the 1519. Aztec society centered mostly around their religion and Gods. They built large pyramids and would go to war in order to find people they could sacrifice to their gods. Sometimes they would even battle their neighbors just to capture people that they could sacrifice. In 1519 Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes arrived in Mexico. By 1521, the Spanish had completely conquered the Aztecs.European diseases eventually defeated the Aztecs. However, they also used to play a game similar to the Maya, it was very violent. Many courts would even have skulls of former players surrounding them. Aztecs were also the first to introduce chocolate. During the battle of Tenochtitlan some think that around 250,000 people died.
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WHAT WAS UNIQUE ABOUT THE INCAS?
In little more than 300 years, the Incas created an empire that stretched from present-day Colombia through, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. In the 15th century, the Incas ruled over 250 separate peoples, that came to about 9 million people in total. Also, the Incas constructed over 9,000 miles of roads and all their majestic buildings without using animals or basic technology. They also believed that deformed heads were considered beautiful so they would wrap bandages tightly around the heads of their children to limit growth in one direction. The Incas would keep pets such as; llamas, alpacas, ducks, and guinea pigs. They would also eat their pets and the traditional dish has survived to this day: Cuy, grilled guinea pig. The Incas developed the practice of opening skulls of the living to heal wounds. A study examining Inca skulls revealed that every 6th skull had a hole. They would also stretch their earlobes so much that they would reach down to their shoulders. In the years between 1532 and 1572, the Incan empire was conquered by the Spanish conquistadors. Though the Incans resisted they were weakened by smallpox, which killed approximately 90% of the Incans because they had no immunity to European diseases.
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