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Essay about mesoamerican architecture
Comparing and contrasting the inca and maya
Essay about mesoamerican architecture
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Cultures vary over different times and locations because of the different environmental and political pressures that are at play in each different situation. For material culture, the resources available and the local geography determine the architecture of a society, what forms of artistry and tools they can make, and the physical aspects of their livelihoods. For example, the monolithic carving of Mount Rushmore would not be possible without the large granite mountains of the Black Hills. Due to the mountainous terrain of southern Mexico, Central America, and western South America, the Maya and Inca civilizations developed systems of terrace farming, as opposed to the sprawling manors and feudal farming communities that emerged in the vast
The Aztec’s and the Inca’s have many similarities such as religious beliefs, and views about gods. Inca’s views about training for war are different, and the Aztec’s artifacts are somewhat different to. The farm land compared to the Inca’s is differs also, because where the Aztec’s lived the land was elevated about ten thousand feet.
In terms of agriculture, Moche and Mayan civilizations were similar in that they both had water management systems that would help them grow the crops more efficiently; however, since agricultural styles were dependent on the landscapes and the climate of the region, Moche and Mayan had different techniques of growing their crops, as well as irrigation system, which Moche had more complexed ones. Moche irrigation system was surely “complex...requiring constant maintenance, which funneled runoff from the Andes into fields,” since the Moche civilization contained thirteen river valleys and dynamic landscapes including the Andes mountains, that they required an extensive irrigation system. Rainfalls were extreme, that it occasionally brought drought and
The following Essay must be a minimum of 5 paragraphs of 10-12 sentences each (a sentence is 10 words or more) .
Long before Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic to the ‘New World’, the Western Hemisphere had already divided and developed civilizations. Some of these civilizations were extremely advanced for the time. As people settled in the Americas and developed cultures, so did differences in the life styles, religions, and art of these peoples. The cultures of Mesoamerica, South America, and North America all developed many different types of art, most notably ceramics and larger scale items that still baffle historians today.
The Maya and Aztec civilizations were both indigenous people that flourished in Mesoamerica during different periods of time. Maya 's classic period is dated from 250 to 900 AD, which was considered to be the peak of their civilization. They covered much of the Yucatan Peninsula and were centered in what is now known as Guatemala. The Aztecs dominated from 1325 AD to 1521 AD, in what is now modern day Mexico. Although they shared cultural similarities such as their social structure, they also had their differences in military and religious rituals.
Mayan, Inca, and Aztec Civilizations. The Mayan, Inca, and Aztec civilizations each originated in Latin America. The Mayans lived in southern and central Mexico, other Mayans lived in Central America in the present day countries of Belize, Guatemala, and ancient Honduras. The Incas lived along the long coastal strip, and in the high peaks and deep fertile valleys of the Andes Mountains, and along the edges of the tropical forest to the east; this would be the country of Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina in present days.
Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans, these were three of the largest ancient civilizations in the western hemisphere, beasts of their time. They all had amazing qualities, the Aztecs were the fearsome warriors, the Incas were agricultural geniuses, and the Mayans were impeccable inventors. They all brought so much to the table and left so much behind for us to uncover. But, the question of who truly was the best of these three immaculate cultures? I believe that the Inca civilization is the superior of the three other major civilizations. This is true because of their resourceful farming methods, high-caliber art, and innovational architecture.
Geography played a large role in the prosperity of the Southeast Native Americans. The landforms around the Southeast Native Americans included mountains, river valleys, and swamps, shown on the far left and right of the exhibit. These landforms affected where they settled and what types of resources that they had. Southeast Native Americans often settled along rivers, such as the one to the far left, for its resources. The climate in the area was hot and humid, which changed the type of clothes that the Southeast Native Americans wore, such as dresses and a lack of clothes on the males as shown on the people. It also allowed Southeast Native Americans to farm for longer because they had short winters and long summers. The land around
America has changed through the years in many ways. Medicine has improved, average standard of living has risen, and the overall quality of life has changed drastically over the course of time. Yet, these are all short-term ideals when taken into the whole picture. Although all of this is important, to truly understand the actual face of America, we have to think farther back than a few hundred years. The face of America can best be portrayed in thinking about how America looks the way it does. Questions like “How did the Rocky mountains form?” or “Why are the Great Plains located where they are?” These types of questions are important because once you figure out why certain areas have the qualities that they do, it becomes simpler to pinpoint why Americans live and react the way they do. For example, not just Americans but humans in general desire a marine climate area, typically close to a water source, and moderate temperatures that do not vastly fluctuate. This is why so many people are located on the coast near California or Florida. What becomes interesting is that if the tectonic plates hadn’t shifted the way it did, and perhaps broken apart differently from Pangaea, then America wouldn’t look the same as it does now. America would have more or less land for people to cultivate and live on possibly changing the areas of higher population or common wealth depending on if the new land was useful in anyway. All this ties into why America looks the way it does or the “face” of America.
This decided what they could grow if they could even grow anything. It also determined whether or not they had water, also whether or not it would be safe to travel for trade. In the Roman empire the cities were overflowing with people. So full that, poor people couldn’t have their own home and only rich people could. Where they were they could grow olives and grapes, they also ate vegetables, bread, and cheese. Where the Maya lived farmers lived in wood houses and rich people lived in stone houses. In the Maya civilization, they had corn, beans, and yams if they were poor; if they were rich they ate meats and crops that servants grew. Both had a fine line between the rich and the poor. The two civilizations both had the ability to grow things to keep themselves
The example of societal collapse in which I will be making reference to throughout this essay is the Maya civilization. The Maya civilization is, “probably the best known of all early American civilizations.” (Fagan, 1995) It was at its strongest point between AD 300 AND 900. Around AD 900 was the time of its collapse. This civilization was developed in a densely, tropical forest on either highlands or lowlands. Today to visit a Mayan site, people would go to the modern Mexican state, capital city of Merida. This site was once home to the “New World's most advanced Native American civilization before European arrival.” (Diamond, 2009) Over the years there has been many predictions on what had caused the Maya civilization to collapse. At the moment the most recent cause that geographers and scientists have come up with is that climate change may have had a major impact on this collapse. It is said that the rainfall received during the creation of the civilization was a key factor in the continuity of life for the Mayans. This and the addition of societal factors such as religious beliefs, ethnicity and education all had an affect on their way of life, an effect on their societal well-being. Art and architecture that was formed by the Mayans is the foundation for the archaeologists work today. They look at these features and the ruins of the buildings created to depict the kind of lifestyle they lived. Looking at the art and architecture of a specific civilization or community of the past is just one way that can help to inform future adaptations. Another way in which the Europeans received knowledge on the collapse was that they sent out geographers and researchers not long after the collapse to gather as much data and information ...
“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 and Americans have many differences. Mayans and Americans have their own religions and beliefs such as what kind of gods/god they believe in,and what they believe what they have to do to stay alive.
In ancient civilizations, geography affected them in so many ways, like the climate, resources, and the landscape that they use. The climates affect them because monsoons were offend common that brought heavy rain and wind to the area. The mountains provided them with protection against invasions, but the mountains were also used for trading with other to get the resources that they needed.
The Maya civilization is a very important culture that has left a great impact on our world today. They are known for their written language, art, mathematical system and astronomical system. The Maya territory includes Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico. In these areas the Maya thrived in their religious practices, politics, and their use of the territory.