The inca v.s. the aztec and the maya
All civilizations farmed, but the Inca did it best. As you know, the Inca used terrace farming. The terraces had built-in irrigation systems and the stones heated the plants. They also prevented erosion. The Inca also grew over 200 types of potatoes! Some of them are still around today. The Aztec lived in wet areas. To farm, they piled mud into columns until it breached the surface. Then they planted trees so the roots would hold the chinampas, the floating farms, in place. Then they would plant their principal crop, corn. They also grew avocados, beans, peppers and more. They had no animals or machines to help make the land better, but luckily the chinampas were soft enough to plant on them with hands. The chinampas were placed so that they made canals. This made getting to and from them easier. These canals are sometimes called "The Venice of the Americas." The Maya used a different method to farm. It is called the "Slash and Burn" method. They would choose a spot they wanted to farm in, then cut down all the trees and burned the stumps. This provided fertile soil from the ash. The Maya grew many of the same crops as the Aztec, like corn, peppers, and beans. They also grew cocoa, which they used to make chocolate. The Inca, Aztec, and Maya all had advanced technology. First of all, the Inca had their incredible road system. It covered over 16,000 miles of land, making the Inca very connected and organized. The Inca are some of the best stone cutters of all time. Some of their buildings still stand today. They were so good, they didn't need plaster. The Maya were very advanced in astronomy and mathematics. They have an incredibly accurate calendar that is so accurate because of their prowess in astronomy. Their year is almost the same length as ours, meaning they could predict how long it would take for the Earth to orbit around the sun. They even predicted eclipses and when the day would end. They are only 4 days off from us right now. Their calendar ends this year, but chances are, they ran out of stone to carve. What is incredible is that they predicted all these things without computers. The Aztec were known for their obsidian weapons, called Atlatl, and their metallurgy (working with gold and silver). They also made pyramids, some of which are still around today. The Aztec had no iron or bronze, so they made weapons with obsidian or chert. When the Spanish conquered them, they had began to experiment with copper weapons. They even started making drills of reed or bone. However, their drills were spun between the hands, not by a machine. The Aztec were so advanced, they had the wheel. Unfortunately, they only used them in toys. The Aztec also had some medicines, like ointments and salves. All of these civilizations had religion, but they each went about it in a different way. The Inca were polytheistic, which means they
worshipped many gods. Like all civilizations, they sacrificed, but they did it less than the others. Usually they only sacrificed for making the gods happy, to get rain, and protection. Inti was the Incan sun god and the Inca got their name from him, because Inca means "Children of the Sun". They believed that they were created by Viracocha. They built temples high on mountains to prove how devoted they were to their gods. The Aztec were a violent people, sacrificing people left and right. They sacrificed because they believed it would keep the world going. They believed that their gods created 5 suns, and the first 4 were destroyed and they were on the last one, so it was critical to sacrifice. They predicted the fifth sun would end on December 23, 2011. That is 363 days before the Inca predicted it will end. Their main god was Huitzilopchtli. They believed he sent them on a journey to find an eagle with a snake in its mouth. When they found this scene, they settled around it. The Maya had religion too, with a medium amount of sacrifice. They would pierce some part of their body and put a string through it. These were called bloodletting rituals. They would then let the blood drip into a bowl. The Maya called their creation myth the Popol Vuh. It depicted the Maya being created out of maize(corn). These three civilization have many interesting features, but the Inca were the best.
worshipped many gods. Like all civilizations, they sacrificed, but they did it less than the others. Usually they only sacrificed for making the gods happy, to get rain, and protection. Inti was the Incan sun god and the Inca got their name from him, because Inca means "Children of the Sun". They believed that they were created by Viracocha. They built temples high on mountains to prove how devoted they were to their gods. The Aztec were a violent people, sacrificing people left and right. They sacrificed because they believed it would keep the world going. They believed that their gods created 5 suns, and the first 4 were destroyed and they were on the last one, so it was critical to sacrifice. They predicted the fifth sun would end on December 23, 2011. That is 363 days before the Inca predicted it will end. Their main god was Huitzilopchtli. They believed he sent them on a journey to find an eagle with a snake in its mouth. When they found this scene, they settled around it. The Maya had religion too, with a medium amount of sacrifice. They would pierce some part of their body and put a string through it. These were called bloodletting rituals. They would then let the blood drip into a bowl. The Maya called their creation myth the Popol Vuh. It depicted the Maya being created out of maize(corn). These three civilization have many interesting features, but the Inca were the best.