Mesoamerican Empires

The Axial Zone transformed Afro-Eurasia culturally and economically from trade and the different empires that emerged around the 2nd millennium CE. But not everyone was lucky enough to benefit from the communication. Mesoamerica, West Africa, and Japan experienced benefits and drawbacks from cultural and economic isolation. Mesoamerica faced social and economic benefits and drawbacks from being isolated. Mesoamerica was a region in the Americas, extending from central Mexico to northern Costa Rica. Because it was on the America’s, Mesoamerica couldn’t benefit from Eurasia’s trade and communications. The Mayans of the Yucatan peninsula lived with oceans on their east, north, and west sides, and with mountains on their south boarder. They also had a surplus of food, like corn, beans, and squash, which meant they didn’t have to fight for territory, unlike most other Mesoamerican civilizations. But unlike Afro-Eurasian empires, the Mayans didn’t have a set standard for money, and each city state would have its own value on goods. The Aztecs were three kingdoms loosely united together to form a more powerful structure. And while these two civilizations had great technologies …show more content…
Japan is an island county off the coast of the Korea’s and Russia. Unlike most societies, Japan suspended most trade with China in 838 CE because rulers were fearful of losing migrant workers to richer country. Even when they opened trade back up, the seas made the trips to and from the main land daunting. The effects of isolation are most prominent when you take a look at Japan’s lack of new or adopted technology and their consistent populations. While the Chinese where building new things at a relatively fast pace, Japan was at a technological stand still. And because of the new technologies, China’s population grew at a rapid pace, where Japan’s stayed about the