Ancient Americas People (Tribes &Kings)
The three major civilizations in the Americas were the Maya, Inca, and Aztec that existed between 2500 BCE to 1500 CE. The Maya civilization was located in Central America, including South Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Incas were located Peru, Bolivia, and Equador. Aztec civilization was located in the valley of Mexico.
The Maya civilization was made up of a large number of city-states, each having its own independent government. Every city-state was ruled by its own king. They believed their king was given the right to rule by the gods. The king worked as an intermediary between the people and the gods. The position of the king was usually inherited by the oldest son of a family and chosen from the
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If you broke a law you would appear in court where the local leaders or nobles served as judge. Sometimes the king would also serve as judge. The Maya did not have prisons. Punishments included death, slavery, fines, and sometimes they would shave the head of a person as to show a sign or shame. Murder and arson and acts against the gods were punished with death. If the victim of the crime wanted to pardon the accused, then the punishement may be reduced. The Maya civilization was centered around religion, gods, and goddesses. Religion touched their daily lives and they believed ina large number of nature gods. The main way we know about the Maya religion is through texts which describe the religious ceremonies and the belief of the Maya. Itzamma was considered the most important Maya god. Itzamma was the god of fire who created earth. He was the ruler of heaven as well as day and night. They Maya people believed he gave them the calender and writing. The next major god to them was Kukulcan, the god of the Itza people in the later part of the Maya civilization. Bolon Tzacab was the god of storms, wind, and fire who was said to have caused a great flood to come when the Maya
Religion was a major part in both the Aztec and Inca society. Both practiced polytheism and had rituals that included sacrifice. In the Aztec community they built major pyramid shaped temples. The priests of the Aztec religion went to pray,worship,and make offerings to the gods in these temples.(2) The Aztec King was both a political and religious leader.
Over a thousand years ago in the Mesoamerica region the culture that we know as Maya thrived. They had an amazement and intrigued fascination over the technical mastery of their intellectual studies. The Mayan’s history is rich with remarkable human achievements, as well as stories. Some of their most recognizable masterpieces are the Mayan trade network, building Cities, the Mayan number system, and the Mayan calendar.
They live in Southern Mexico and Northern Central America. The land and vegetation of this region vary. The Maya culture is influenced by Olmec civilization. Farming success leads to the rise of social classes. The High Class includes the King, holy figure; priests, and warriors.
15. See generally J. ERIC S. THOMPSON, THE RISE AND FALL OF MAYA CIVILIZATION (1954) (providing a detailed account of the Maya civilization, its periods and most important cities);
The Maya human progress was a Mesoamerican development created by the Maya people groups in a territory that includes southeastern Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and the western segments of Honduras and El Salvador. The most punctual towns created before 2000 BC. The primary Maya urban areas created around 750 BC, and by 500 BC these urban communities had fantastic structural engineering. Two hundred years after the fact, the Maya were utilizing Hieroglyphic written work, the most progressive script in the pre-Columbian Americas. Just three of their books of history and custom learning are known for sure to remain.
The Mayans worshiped a broad array of deities. The exact order of their importance is not exactly clear. However, it is believed that the ancient Mayans called their supreme god Hunab Ku. Hunab Ku was the creator of the universe. He was so sacred that he took no part in everyday human affairs.
The Mayans were people with no central government, and yet individuals worked hard to complete buildings for the whole community. The citizens of Mayan cities followed orders from higher political powers, which organized the work and maintenance of these places. (Doc B) The effort put into building these cities must have been unimaginable. The Mayans worked hard to construct many places without the luxury of having a previously established government and system to command over the people.
In the Western Hemisphere, no early civilization was more remarkable than the Maya. The Maya are the best-known classical civilizations of Mesoamerica, originating in the state in southeastern Mexico, Yucatan at around 2000 B.C. They rose to importance around A.D. 250 in present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and northern Belize. The Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization developed by the Maya peoples. As being the most remarkable civilization in the Western Hemisphere, the Maya produced an extensive range of structures, and have left a great architectural legacy that places the Maya civilization as one of the great preindustrial civilizations of the world.
The Mayans were people that lived in parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and the occidental part of Honduras and El Salvador. It was a mesoamerican civilization that stand out for their glyph writing as well as their art, architecture, mathematics, astronomy and ecology. The Maya political system was never a state or empire. Rather, throughout its history, the Maya area was made up of a political mix that included both states and chiefdoms. The political entities varied enormously, since they were involved in rivalries, periods of domination or submission, vassalage and alliances
The Shang/Zhou dynasties and the Maya civilizations were both powerful entities built around political control. The two governments power came from religion, as their leaders were viewed to be Gods by the people they ruled over. However, the contrasts between them, such as Shang/Zhou China’s monarchy and the Maya’s warring city-states, defined each cultures varied political advancements.
Everything was perfectly planned out. As the calendar says, they have to sacrifice one of their own to please the Gods. The Mayan people would get together as a whole to practice their religious ceremony at the temple. The Mayan and Aztec civilizations are two ancient civilizations that were located near Central and South America. The Mayan civilization was more remarkable than the Aztecs because of their advanced knowledge.
The societies of Central and South America prior to the arrival of Europeans were somewhat advanced because of government, religion, and economy. The somewhat advanced society kept many things in place to turn out the way it did with many ups and downs. A strong government that controlled and scared people. The many methods of farming of them survive for a decent time. These civilizations had a good economy that is strong and strict help them maintain.
The ancient Mayans, who lived in parts of present-day Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, created one of the most complex and advanced civilizations in the Western Hemisphere. The Mayans accomplished many remarkable and influential achievements, most notably, in art, astronomy, and engineering. The achievements of the Mayans influenced the cultures around them and are still influential today. The Mayans created amazingly sophisticated works of art.
As a civilization in the jungle, the Maya are well known for their architecture, art, monumental sculptures, and calendars. The Mayan religious, ritualistic culture is developed and maintained in conjunction of the native people, as well as a communication and ties to the earth and sky. Understanding the Maya people and their religion is similar to understanding the geographical location of the people, and therefore their life source. There is great importance within the items that surrounded them geographically. Products or resources that sustained them as a community, or maintained their health and wellbeing, also created foundations for their religious belief system.
Which meant the son would follow his father in leadership. The government was ruled by kings and priests. Their society ranged from warriors, priests, merchants, farmers, and slaves. Mayans built decorative tombs for important rulers. Warfare played an enormous role in their civilization.