Mesoamerica

city-states of Kaminaljuyu in the highlands and El Mirador in the lowlands. There were many important city centers that laid along trade routes that interconnected the Maya. Trade reached from the highlands all the way to the coastal regions of Mesoamerica. This increased trade fostered…

Down in History The Maya civilization was one of the most dominant indigenous societies of Mesoamerica (a term used to describe Mexico and Central America before the 16th century Spanish conquest). Unlike other scattered indigenous populations of Mesoamerica, the Maya covered a wide territory of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and El Salvador. This concentration helped its people develop one of the most astonishing and unique cultures in the antique world, where the level of knowledge,…

century to the mid-15th century. In the paper I will discuss where they came from, there religion, where they ruled, and most importantly their life style and how they ended. The Aztecs originated as a nomadic tribe in northern Mexico, arrived in Mesoamerica around the beginning of the 13th century. From their magnificent capital city, Tenochtitlan, the Aztecs emerged as one of the most dominant force in central Mexico, developing an intricate social, political, religious and commercial…

might have been in honor to the serpent god Quetzalcoatl. Kenimer mound, one of the five-sided mounds found in Georgia and connecting states, is the oldest. It was sculpted from a hill, which was the typical way the Itza Maya mounds were built in Mesoamerica 200-900 A.D. The archaeological site near Brass town Bald measures approximately half a square mile and is 700 feet in height going up the slope of the mountain. It contains as a minimum of 154 stone masonry walls that look as though they…

The Spanish soldiers were ready to repel against Cortes because of the promise of riches (most had been shipped back to Spain). Cortes agreed that the soldiers deserved their pay and asked Spain to give it up. Cortes goal was to colonize Mexico into a powerful Spanish empire. The Aztecs were a group of Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries. Aztec culture had complex mythological and religious traditions. The one that standed out the most…

The Mayan Civilization The ancient Mayan lived in the Yucatan around 2600 BC. Today this area is southern Mexico, Guatemala, northern Brazil and western Honduras. By 250 AD, the ancient Maya were at their peak of power. The history of Mayan civilization is divided into 3 principal periods: The Preclassic (2000 BC-250 AD), Classic (250 AD – 950 AD) and Postclassic (950 AD – 1539 AD) periods. The preclassic period of Mayans extend from 2000 BC till 250 AD. In this era Mayans switched from their…

Finally, one of the most recognized indigenous Mexican groups is the Aztec, is also the most powerful kingdom of all time in Mesoamerica. This enormous empire reached from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf coast and from central Mexico to the present day-day Republic of Guatemala. Fifteen million people lived in thirty-eight provinces and residing in 489 communities paying tribute to the Emperor Moctezuma II in Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the great Aztec empire. The Aztec spoke a version of…

The Olmec were the first major Mesoamerican culture, their beliefs, art, structure and agriculture influenced civilizations that came later. They are known for their engineering skills and their huge sculpted heads carved from black volcanic rock. They are also the first known Mesoamerican culture to develop a writing system.The Mayan civilization developed very special religious centers and religious systems that grew into huge cities with many people. Mayans are known for the writing system…

The Spanish invasion of Mesoamerica in the sixteenth century has been one of their most renowned victories. However, with a review of Restall’s work, as well as a closer look into the help that the Spanish had, reveals that the success of the Spanish was not merely their own. The Spaniards’ and natives’ common political goals, the natives’ army strength, knowledge of the land and the sharing of battle strategies and resources made the native allies a key asset to the conquest. The success of the…

What continent? What Landforms? What important Places? Small islands in large lakes. This left little land for farming. Had highlands in southern Guatemala which contained valuable minerals. Lowlands were hot and dry. Also the valley of mexico in Mesoamerica was an very important lake that is still visited today. Political (Leadership, citizenship, decision-making institutions) The aztecs had allies to help in battle. Also they demanded tribute to whom they conquered unless they joined…