Mesoamerica

Mesoamerica contains many diverse environmental zones, highland plains to lowland jungle. These diverse environmental zones allowed for the development of diverse cultures. The ancient civilizations that inhabited this area influenced civilizations that would develop and take their places. These societies began after the domestication of maize. The Olmecs were a society that developed after domestication took place. While trade may have been common in Mesoamerica. The Olmecs created longer distance trade routes. They made contact with much of Mesoamerica. These trade routes not only spread goods, but ideas from their society as well. The power of Olmecs chiefs were derived from the managerment of not only long-distance trade, but corvee…

There are many words that one can use to describe the indigenous people of Mesoamerica: brilliant architects, pioneers in mathematics and astrometry. However, there are a few words that are hardly ever utter out loud; cannibals and superficial individuals who perform human sacrifice. To our modern society, the practices of the Aztec people may seem a bit strange and a little bit extreme but to the Native people it was a part of their religious practices. If you can imagine it, it would be like…

lowest stages of growths. The two prominent examples were India and Mesoamerica. Even if India and Mesoamerica have some similarity, the differences influence India to become more prominent in their society. India and Mesoamerica influence other civilization, and they form their culture similar to how Mesoamerica and India did. Both India and Mesoamerica started off with agriculture. A village like Teotihuacan or village that places along the Indus River began to become more and more popular…

Mesoamerica was impacted just as significantly as the Andes and the Bajío following contact with the Spanish. Mesoamerica was the first place Cortez landed; making it the epicenter of Spanish change in the New World. With this contact of the Spanish came conquest, war, prosperity, and most importantly disease. The indigenous people were not immune to smallpox and other European diseases, so when they came into contact with these new illnesses over 90% of the indigenous population died. Such…

In the 19th century the Spanish came down to Mesoamerica due to political conflicts like Napoleon taking over many countries in Europe. The pressure he put on countries lead Spain to go down to Mesoamerica and when they got there the people, in their eyes, were barbaric animals that need to be shown the proper way to live. As a result, the Spanish took over because they had a stronger army than the Natives. With their newfound land they set up a class system unique to Mesoamerica. They had the…

In Mesoamerica the Toltecs had abided to Tula, just north of modern Mexico City, and there they irrigated crops with the assistance of the Tula river being so close. The Toltecs developed a large population and powerful military that would then contribute to the capital becoming increase wealth of their capital. The Toltecs would have close relations with the Mayas and the cross-cultural interactions would assistance with the similar architectural designs to Chichen Itza. A civil dispute would…

Justifying Rulership: a comparison of the Olmec and Ubaid cultures There are many similarities in the rise of complex society in both Mesopotamia and Mesoamerica. From monumental structure building to well integrated trade, cultures such as the Olmec of Mesoamerica 1200 BC - 400 AD and the Ubaid of Mesopotamia 4500 BC-3000 BC, have many parallel elements relating to their success as complex societies and what one may refer to as states, despite thousands of years between the two.…

During the course of this semester, we have been focusing on the earliest civilizations and what they have contributed to our society today. Although Mesopotamia (Sumerians) and Mesoamerica (Olmecs) are relatively near each other and there are numerous similarities, they still had distinct differences. Mesoamerica was more advanced than Mesopotamia despite the fact that archaeologists have found limited evidence. While the Sumers had a not-so-whopping population of 18,000 per city, the Olmecs…

When the mesoamerican society first started out in the americas. civilization in Mesoamerica did not have the cultural unity like that enjoyed by, for example, Egypt or China. There were several different societies in Mesoamerica that rose and fell over time. Though isolated, it is clear that Mesoamerican civilization achieved some very impressive mathematical, architectural, engineering and calendrical advances. the complex of indigenous cultures that developed in parts of Mexico and Central…

The Olmec civilization The Olmec’s were the first known civilizations in Mesoamerica and had numerous incredible achievements. The Olmec tribe had a fascinating culture which would, therefore, have a lasting on the later tribes and civilizations such as the Aztecs, and the Mayans. The Olmec’s had copious significant accomplishments that would, furthermore, leave a substantial influence on all of Mesoamerica for centuries to come. The multitude of achievements made by the Olmec’s were some of…