Between 300 and 1500 CE, three extremely advanced civilizations developed in Central and South America; the advancements developed by the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incans established them as advanced societies in their time. The Mayans showed exceptional architecture skills and advanced communication with a writing system, the Aztecs built well organized cities and marketplaces, and the Incans built a large road system, robust houses, and an irrigation system. First and foremost, it is no doubt that the Mayans were way ahead of their time with their architecture skills. They were hands down one of the most skilled architects ever, they built great cities of stone that remained over hundreds of years after their civilization fell into decline. The Mayans built temples, pyramids, residences and many more architecture structures. To top it off, they usually decorated their buildings with complicated stone carvings, stucco statues and paint. One can see the Mayans extraordinary architecture skillset through the pyramid temple they made in Tikal, as it was the tallest structure in the Americas until the twentieth century (Doc. 1). This represents their great mathematical intelligence and how organized their labor of work was. Another thing that is needed to do major projects such as building pyramids and temples is an organized form of communication, which is exactly what the Mayans had developed. The Mayans’ writing system is considered by archaeologists to be the most sophisticated system ever developed in Mesoamerica. The Mayans wrote using signs or glyphs, paired in columns that are combined and read from left to right and top to bottom such as the ones shown in Document 2. Mayan glyphs represented words that could have been combined together to form words, sentences, or phrases in the Mayan language, this also included names, titles, time periods, numbers, buildings, objects, etc. Not to mention, hieroglyphic inscriptions were either carved in stone and wood on Mayan monuments and architecture, or painted on paper, plaster walls and pottery. Thus, the Mayans distinguished themselves from other societies of their time through their many advancements. Moreover, the Aztecs had developed an advanced and organized economical system. The
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For starters, the map shown in Document 5 shows the roads and pathways the Incans constructed to unite the people throughout the empire. One can infer that great engineering skills were involved in building these roads, tunnels, trails, bridges, and steps to cross the rivers and mountains. The Incans’ road system formed a network of trails and a royal highway, this was a very crucial part of the Incan empire, because it facilitated the movement of armies, people, and goods and also provided representation of organization. Across plains, deserts, and mountains, the roads made it easier for the Incans to travel. The Incan empire also showed great agricultural technique. This is partially due to the fact that the Incan ruler “...ordered irrigation channels to be constructed” (Doc. 4). Hence, they constructed irrigation channels to supply water to plants. This facilitated the crops to grow in scattered sections, this strength the land and also provide fertility. As they were planted in highland areas which prevented them obtaining too much water, this allowed only the necessary amount to be absorbed from the irrigation channel to the plant preventing it from rotting, as shown in the picture in Document
For starters, the map shown in Document 5 shows the roads and pathways the Incans constructed to unite the people throughout the empire. One can infer that great engineering skills were involved in building these roads, tunnels, trails, bridges, and steps to cross the rivers and mountains. The Incans’ road system formed a network of trails and a royal highway, this was a very crucial part of the Incan empire, because it facilitated the movement of armies, people, and goods and also provided representation of organization. Across plains, deserts, and mountains, the roads made it easier for the Incans to travel. The Incan empire also showed great agricultural technique. This is partially due to the fact that the Incan ruler “...ordered irrigation channels to be constructed” (Doc. 4). Hence, they constructed irrigation channels to supply water to plants. This facilitated the crops to grow in scattered sections, this strength the land and also provide fertility. As they were planted in highland areas which prevented them obtaining too much water, this allowed only the necessary amount to be absorbed from the irrigation channel to the plant preventing it from rotting, as shown in the picture in Document