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Essay about mesoamerican civilization
Ancient Civilizations: Inca and Mayan Empires
Aztec civilization introduction
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Civilization is defined as an organized society that has values through written language. Many civilizations were created around the 2500 BC. Examples of many famous civilizations include the the Incas, Persians, Romans, Greeks, Olmecs, Aztecs and Maya’s. The Olmec’s, Aztecs, and Maya’s were created between 1800 BCE to 400 BCE. These civilizations continue to have a significant impact on many people as it created many values and cultures with it which is still practiced today. For example, many contributions of Olmec’s, Aztecs, and Maya’s include the calendars created, art, sculpture, architecture, and many amazing inventions. Olmec’s are a really important civilization as it led many other cultures such as the Aztecs and Mayas follow them. …show more content…
The Olmec’s ruled areas from the Tuxtlas mountains to the east Chontalpa. Many reasons apply for ruling east to west and that was due to it being easier to control, export good, and also have access to valuable resources. Laguna de los Cerros was also considered an important place for Basalt to help carve out stones to make many monuments. Many art works by the Olmec’s included the Jaguars, wrestler, and face mask. Jaguars are considered a spiritual form of an intellectual man. Also Olmec’s created pyramids, they made houses out of clay, and also temples. Many other attributing contributions of the Olmec’s include the writing system, compass, and water acquates in which was U shaped and helped many people get access to water for bathing and other essentials. As of today, the Olmec were not only known for their architecture but also amazing inventions which helped many civilizations …show more content…
Their economy consisted mostly of farming vegetables like corn, beans, tomatoes, and squash. They also believed the sun as their God and human sacrifice. They were best known for building monumental buildings, planning the city, and aqueducts. According to contrabutions.wikispaces.com, they also were first civilization that mandated education to everyone in that civilization. They also created a medicine called “antispasmodic medicine” which can help reduce high blood pressure, insomnia and other stress related problems. It is still used today. Other contributions to society today include popcorn, choclate and chinampas. Aztec’s were the best known civilization as they built most of civilization that are located
Most notably in Mesoamerica are the colossal Olmec heads. These heads are carved of basalt, weigh about ten tons and are between six and ten feet tall. What makes them notable is that the nearest source of basalt for the Olmecs was 60 miles away in the Tuxtla Mountains. In Peru, South America, the Nasca culture drew over 800 miles of complex lines on the top of the Nasca Plain. The creators of these networks made these lines by removing the dark top layer of stones to expose the light clay and calcite layer below. Art historians are unsure what these lines were for or even how these ancient peoples could create such seemingly perfect straight lines for such a distance. In the North American cultures, burial and effigy mounds were very common. The Serpent Mound in modern day Ohio was created by the Mississippian Culture, also well known for Monk’s Mound in Illinois. Unlike Monk’s Mound however, Serpent Mound was not for burial nor religious practices. Therefor the purpose for this mound is unknown, though some have hypothesized that the curves of the mound could be replicating the path of Halley’s Comet in
The Aztec Empire was the most powerful Mesoamerican kingdom of all time. They dominated the valley of Mexico in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Aztecs were an advanced and successful civilization that built beautiful, sophisticated cities, temples, and pyramids. They also created a culture full of creativity with mythological and religious traditions. Aztecs lead a structured and evocative life that let their society to become a very superior civilization. The Aztec’s communication skills were very well developed for their time; through religious beliefs, government involvement, and family life they lived a full and productive life. Until in 1519 when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico, and defeated the Aztecs.
...e able to plan ahead and harvest fruits, nuts, and herbs depending on the season. Another thing that was amazing was the tools they used in order to hunts and prepare their food. They were able to use the foods in different manners in order to have a variety of meals. The Cahuilla were very resourceful that they were able to flourish, and thrive in an otherwise inhabitable region.
When the Spanish began to arrive in Mexico and in Central America in the early 15th century, one of the many civilizations they found was the Maya. The Maya, building upon the Olmec culture, were located in present-day Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, southern Mexico, and the Yucatan Peninsula. Even though they had many similarities, the Maya were separated by language differences. Because of that they were organized into city-states. Since there wasn’t a single city-state powerful enough to impose a political structure, the period from 200 A.D. to the arrival of the Spanish was characterized by the struggle of rival kingdoms for dominance.
Architecture, like many things, can also be made for the use of or inspired by the symbols people believe in. Therefore, art and architecture in Ancient Mesoamerica can be stated to be made for the use of religious symbols. Making architecture and art forms takes effort, dedication, and patience. Architecture can take years to make, as was s...
The Rise and fall of the Aztec Empire is possibly the most important area of study in the modern world. Of all of the nomadic tribes who migrated into Mexico, the Aztecs were one of the last. At first driven away by established tribes, the Aztecs slowly began to develop an empire of immense wealth and power by the late fifteenth century. Due in large part to the accomplishments of their ruler Itzcoatl, the empire expanded to include millions of people from a number of different tribes, including the Cempoala, who would later aid the Spanish in defeating the Aztecs. Because of the "melting pot" within the empire, the Aztecs had a very diverse culture. However, this immense Aztec Empire would soon be brought to its knees by the doings of one man and his army.
The Olmecs are the earliest known Mesoamerican civilization. Around 1200 B.C. the Olmecs originated as a primitive people living and farming on the shores of Mexico (Stanton 91). Soon, however, they began to build cities such as San Lorenzo, La Venta, and Monte Alban. These “cities” were religious centers where people gathered to worship, and were not populated (Stanton 91). The first of these centers, San Lorenzo, was built c. 1150 B.C., on a flat topped, man-made mountain. It was mysteriously abandoned 200 years later (Stanton 92-93). La Venta, built between 1000 and 600 B.C., sat on an island in a swamp (Stanton 93). Later, around 500 B.C., Monte Alban, which was used as a religious center even after the Olmecs faded, was built on an immense mountain (Stanton 93). The cities were made up of temples and plazas, and decorated by monumental stone heads, which weighed up to 50 tons (Stanton 93)! These heads probably represented their early kings and had distinct helmets (Kingfisher 32). It is incredible how the Olmec people transported the stone from the distant mountains to La Venta, near the shore, without the aid of work animals or carts. It appears that the Olmecs did this grueling work for their gods willingly, as there is no evidence of forced labor (Stanton 93). The Olmecs probably worshipped the jaguar, as it appears so often in their artwork. There are also many e...
Near 1800 B.C, the Maya people found settlement within Teotihuacan territory and quickly became known as one of the most dominant indigenous societies within Mesoamerica. Best known for their agricultural skills, pottery work, hieroglyphic writing, mathematics and of course calender making this civilization. However, the Maya were the regional groups of Olmec heritage who were the first major Mesoamerican civilization.(Grahm, Liz. 2014) In 1500 B.C, the Olmecs began the effective cultivation of the crops of corn, beans, chili peppers and cotton, along which they established fine arts and the use of symbols to record history. Due to the Olmecs innovative talents at the time, they were also able to branch off and establish other cities.
They are all similar in such ways that their art is very ancient, and that it took a lot of effort and hard work to finish. However, their artistic and architectural styles tend to differ, based off of their different ideas and climates. Mesoamerican civilization began with the Olmec culture, while little remains of Olmec architecture, many buildings of later Mesoamerican civilizations have survived. The stepped pyramid is the greatest known form of Mesoamerican architecture. The Mesoamericans also built grand palaces using mainly post-and-beam structures.
The book Daily Life of the Aztecs: On the Eve of the Spanish Conquest written by Jacques Soustelle gives a great insight into the Aztec people and their immersive culture. This book is set in Tenochtitlan and covers the span of the Aztec civilization to their invasion by the Spanish Conquistadors. This book brilliantly discusses the Aztec civilization like never before. I hope to show the importance of Aztec religion and education to their society as a whole.
Those buildings also show the art and architecture of the civilization. For instance, the Sumerians’ ziggurats demonstrated their religion and architecture. Moreover, job specialization and social hierarchy relate to each other, for people in a civilization were ranked based on their importance, which was determined by their jobs. Lastly, the writing system is an important part of a civilization. It was used to keep track of specific information, and was significant in the government because scribes would keep records for rulers and priests.
The Maya were influenced by other civilizations, particularly the Olmec. The Olmec lived in the jungle areas on the eastern coast of Mexico. The Maya adapted and developed ideas they had learned from the Olmec. For example, the Maya adapted the Olmec writing system and they refined Olmec building techniques. Mayan society during the Classic period was composed of numerous independent states.
Olmecs - Early Mesoamerican society (1200-100 B.C.E.) that centered on sites at San Lorenzo, La Venta, and Tres Zapotes and that influenced later Maya. An analysis of the Olmecs of why they were called rubber people is that it derived from the rubber trees from which they lived on. A significance of the Olmec society is that they mainly spread their influence partly by military force but trade was the prominent
Christina Young Intro to Visual Arts Mr. Hahn March 2nd, 2018 Mayan Temples and Architecture The Mayans were skilled at many different forms of art such as bookmaking and ceramics but what probably stands out the most to people is their astonishing architecture. They built whole cities which included things such as; homes, palaces and temples out of basic materials they had. The Temple of the Grand Jaguar, The Palenque Palace and The Temple of Inscriptions are just a few of the great pieces of architecture the Mayans designed and built (The Maya, Engineering an Empire).
For thousands of years, people all over the world have developed, progressed, and eventually formed civilizations. A civilization is a community characterized by elements such as a system of writing, a development of social classes, and cities. Early civilizations such as ancient Greece, classical Rome, Mesopotamia, and classical China have made many contributions to society that still affect people in the modern world. The inventions, progress, and contributions of the people of these ancient civilizations and others have shaped the world that we all live in today.