Compare and contrast the Aztec civilization and the Mayan...

The Aztecs civilization and the Mayan civilization where the most important civilizations from the new world that amazed many of the Europeans that came to conquer this wonderful rich land. The Europeans where amazed with the Aztec and Mayan culture, their ways of life, their geographical surroundings and their technology. The Europeans and historians today find that the Aztecs and the Mayans where similar in some ways of life like their culture, their technology, their religious events and at the same time they had their differences in their cultures. The Aztec civilization dominated the valley of Mexico during the fifteen and the sixteen centuries. Their culture was seen as unethical to the Europeans that were in Aztec territory and†¦show more content†¦At the very top of Aztec society was the Tlacatecuhtli or chief men that dominated all religious ceremonies and was the military leader of the Aztecs. Below him were religious offices that served as military generals. The religion of the Aztecs was made up of mainly three gods: Huitzilopochtli, Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl. Below these three main gods were four creating gods. Below these four gods were many other gods, however the most important were Tlaloc, the rain god, Chalchihuitlicue, the god of growth and Xipe, the god of spring. The main thing that captures the attention of Aztec religion is their human sacrifice made to the different gods. Although human sacrifice was practiced around Mesoamerica, the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice in a large scale never seen before to date. The idea of human sacrifice was that Gods gave things to humans like food, rain, wealth, and other goods only if they were given human beings in return. The Aztecs believed that the goods liked best the living hearths of sacrificed captives. If the captive was a well skilled soldier and very brave then the Gods would return better goods to his people. This idea lead to wars were the Aztecs fought with other indians and capture their bravest men for sacrifice. As we can imagine,Show MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast Maya, Aztec, and Inca Culture Essay677 Words   |  3 PagesCompare and contrast Maya, Aztec, and Inca culture In history we the people have found to realize that the Maya, Aztec, and Inca culture was one of the most incredible findings of their accomplishments. The Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations were really smart in topics of engineering, writing, agriculture and astronomy. Also all three had their beliefs, and good with agriculture. All three cultures used great technologies in their agriculture like slash and burn, terrace farming. They all huntedRead MoreWhat Was The Political Structure Of The Mayans From 600 Ce?1568 Words   |  7 Pages AP World History 1st Semester Exam Study Guide What was the political structure of the Mayans from 600 CE to 900 CE? The political structure of the Mayans was split up into two city states with a governing body overseeing each of them, never under one ruler. How does Confucian philosophy attempt to create social harmony? His philosophies said that the goal of an emperor is to bring peace to the people, the philosophies also promoted fairness and loyalty among the state. Where was the eventualRead MoreA Study on iPhone Essay2433 Words   |  10 PagesCastillo went on to brilliantly declare the worst thing that can happen to a culture is to have its history told by its conquerors. Castillo ended by saying that we first have to make sure the historical records are accurate for both cultures and civilizations before they can be compared. The same flow of culture happens when a country occupies another country. The military aggressor and the dominant country’s culture invades, slowly but surely, the weaker state. Suffice to go back to the expansionRead MoreThe Birth of Civilization18947 Words   |  76 Pages1 The Birth of Civilization Mohenjo-Daro Figure. Scholars believe this limestone statue from about 2500 B.C.E. depicts a king or a priest from Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus valley in present-day Pakistan. Does this figure seem to emphasize the features of a particular person or the attributes of a particular role? Hear the Audio for Chapter 1 at www.myhistorylab.com CRAIMC01_xxxii-031hr2.qxp 2/17/11 3:22 PM Page xxxii EARLY HUMANS AND THEIR CULTURE page 1 WHY IS â€Å"culture† considered a definingRead MoreCeramics: Pottery and Clay17443 Words   |  70 Pagesin relatively small groups and developed pottery traditions and techniques that are similar to the African people - low temperature, no potters wheels or glazes and open firing methods. Larger more organized civilizations also developed in Mexico and Central America like the Maya and the Aztecs. These people used similar techniques but had more elaborate decoration using multicolored slips. Also like Africa, these early potters were either men or women depending on the culture. Mixtec culture Mexico: