The Ancient American Civilization Katz Summary

Friedrich Katz, born in Vienna, Austria as a young child he had to flee his native land to seek refuge with his family in the United States, later moving into Mexico. It was through his rough childhood that he was influenced by the Mexican culture. He earned his doctorate degree the University of Vienna. He is known to be a great scholar of Mexican history for his time, it was he who placed a new platform on the Aztec civilization, his book The Ancient American Civilizations, details anthropological research conducted. At Humboldt University (1956) Katz along with others conducted research that stated Mexico role with European diplomatic history. This research was later introduced in a book called, The Secret War in Mexico: Europe, the United …show more content…
When the second chapter (The Origins of the Native Population of America and of the American Cultures) is introduced Katz begins to discuss the arrival of Columbus on American land who thought he had arrived in India. He later goes on to discuss theories as to where the native inhabitants came from. Some suggesting that they came from 'thirteen lost tribes of Israel mentioned in the bible ' (Katz 10). This first theory came from Lord Kingsbrough. The second theory suggesting that they came from the American content, this theory raised from a man named Fernando Amenghino. The rest of the second chapter continues to discuss these theories concluding that the ideas will continue to be a concerned for those looking to find the origins of the American people. Throughout the second chapter Katz continues to discuss the various groups pf American people, providing evidence that the primitive races of America came form Asia ( Katz 11 ). Katz discusses not only the resemblance between the people but also physical anthropology to support this claim. The third chapter goes on to discuss The birth of agriculture in America , here is where he analyzes the findings found in excavations. He introduces a man named Gordon Chile who discussed the neolithic revolution I the region. Then he goes on to suggest that from this theory three …show more content…
Through the years scholars believed two opposing views, one being that the Aztec and Inca empires were empires to rose apart from the cultures they emerged from, while others believe them to be not so different. The book gives a detailed explanation of both sides. Using the works of scholars who are on both sides. Ultimately the author does not side with one side or the other. His work depicts him being bias into his personal belief. Looking this his autobiographical information, it is none the less true that he is a scholar who believes the Aztec and Inca empires to be in it of themselves different from the cultures in which they emerged from. The goals of the author was the purpose to give the reader the information into one book, allowing the individual to decide for themselves. This goal was achieved. Thanks to his critical skills in analyzing prior records and current, using scholars form both sides and separating each section of the book into a time line gives the reader an outlook as to how these empires emerged, from who, why, and what they came out to