Mayan Civilization Dbq

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” This quote from Arthur C. Clarke nicely represents the admiration that studying the Mayan, Aztec and Incan civilizations can inspire. In the current age of technology it is very hard to imagine these ancient civilizations accomplishing their many deeds without any modern tools or computers. The Mayan, Aztec and Incan civilizations of Central and South America made major advancements in engineering, math, astronomy, writing agriculture, and trading. The Mayans lived in Southern Mexico and Central America in their capital, Tikal, which is in present day Guatemala. The Mayans were known for their engineering, one structure they were famous for is their pyramid temple

Because of the mountainous terrain, it was difficult for them to farm. Similar to the Aztecs, they also invented a way to farm in their challenging environment. The Incas came up with the idea of terraces (Document 6). These were steps or flat level areas carved in to the mountains that made it easier to farm. Another agricultural achievement of the Incans was the widespread construction of irrigation channels. As the empire expanded, there was a need for more farmland, but there was not always a water source available. The Incas grew corn, cotton and squash. Garciasco de la Vega, speaking about the farming in the Incan Empire, said, “The engineers showed great cleverness and skill in supplying water for the crops since only scattered sections of the land could grow corn” (Document 4). Their success with irrigation helped them expand their empire. Without it, it would be more difficult for them to subsist in a growing empire. Much like the Romans, they connected their empire through an extensive road system that included long suspension bridges in the mountains. This road allowed the empire to protect itself better because it was a quick route for the armies to travel from one end of the empire to the other (Document 5). These roads were both an engineering achievement and a government achievement. It was an engineering feat because they built roads and bridges from modern day Ecuador to the southern part of Chile. The government had to have been strong, similar to the building of the pyramid in