NATIVE AMERICAN EMPIRES

Years before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492, three Native American empires — the Maya, the Aztec, and the Inca — flourished in the area that is present-day Latin America. The civilization of each empire left enduring marks on Latin American cultures.

The Maya

The Maya dominated southern Mexico and northern Central America from about A.D. 250 to 900. They established many cities, the greatest of which was Tikal, located in what is today Guatemala. The Maya based their economy on agriculture and trade.

Skilled in mathematics, the Maya developed accurate calendars and used astronomical observations to predict solar eclipses. They used glyphs, picture writing carved in stone, on templesto honor their deities and record their history.

For reasons that are still a mystery, the Maya eventually abandoned their cities, which over time became lost beneath the vegetation of the rain forest. Researchers haver uncovered the ruins of over 40 Mayan cities, but most glyphs remain untranslated. Descendants of the Maya still live in villages in southern Mexico and northern Central America, where they practice subsistence farming.

The Aztec

The Aztec civilization arose in central Mexico, in the A.S 1300s. The Aztec founded their capital, Tenochtitlán, today the cite of Mexico City, on an island in a large lake.

The Aztec developed a highly structured class system headed by an emperor and military officials. High-ranking priests performed rituals to win the deities' favor and to guarantee good harvest. At the bottom of Aztec society were the majority—farmers, laborers, and soldiers.

The Inca

During the time of the Aztec, the Inca established a civilization in the Andez. At its height the Incan Empire stretched from what is now Ecuador to central Chile. The Inca built their capital, Cuzco, in what is now Peru and ruled their lands through a central government headed by an emperor.

Using precisely cut stones, Incan builders constructed massive temples and fortresses. They built roads that cut through high mountain passes and penetrated dense forests. The Inca domesticated the alpaca and the llama, which they used for wool. With no written language, the Inca used oral storytelling to pass on knowledge to each generation. To keep track of financial records, Incan traders used a quipu, a series of knotted cords of various colors and lenghts. Each knot represented an item and a number.

EMPIRES TO NATIONS