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Mayas, Incas and Aztecs

Before Europeans arrived in the Americas, there were three major indigenous civilizations: the Inca Empire in Peru, and the Maya and Aztec civilizations in Central America. The Inca Empire began as a small tribe in Cuzco, Peru but expanded to a vast empire through military conquests under the leadership of Pachacuti. It developed advanced infrastructure including roads, aqueducts, and cities like Cuzco and Machu Picchu. The Maya civilization arose in Central America around 2,400 years ago and built large cities like Chichen Itza in the rainforest using advanced astronomical and architectural knowledge without metal tools. The Aztec civilization emerged later in central Mexico, establishing the capital of Tenochtit

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835 views28 pages

Mayas, Incas and Aztecs

Before Europeans arrived in the Americas, there were three major indigenous civilizations: the Inca Empire in Peru, and the Maya and Aztec civilizations in Central America. The Inca Empire began as a small tribe in Cuzco, Peru but expanded to a vast empire through military conquests under the leadership of Pachacuti. It developed advanced infrastructure including roads, aqueducts, and cities like Cuzco and Machu Picchu. The Maya civilization arose in Central America around 2,400 years ago and built large cities like Chichen Itza in the rainforest using advanced astronomical and architectural knowledge without metal tools. The Aztec civilization emerged later in central Mexico, establishing the capital of Tenochtit

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Guaxxon92
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Mayas, Incas and Aztecs:

Three Indian cradles of


Civilization
By Marcela Escrraga

In 1492, Christopher Columbus
arrived in San Salvador, an
island, where there many people
that he called Indians.

Before Europeans came to America,
there were three important Indian
Civilizations: The Inca in Peru and the
Maya and the Aztec in Central
America.
The Peruvian Civilization
Inca Empire
They lived in Peru.

The Inca Empire
started as a small
tribe who lived in
the village of
Cuzco, high in the
Andes Mountains
of South America.


One day, another
tribe tried to
conquer them.
Thanks
to Pachacuti, the
king's son, the
Incas won! That
was the beginning
of the Inca Empire.
The Spaniards called them The Inca
Empire because their ruler was the
Inca.
It was one of the largest empires in
the world. At it's height, it was over
2,500 miles long and about 500 miles
wide, tucked high in the Andes
Mountains.

They were farmers
and engineers
They had roads
and bridges and
aqueducts.
They lived in the
mountainous
regions and
cultivated corn,
cotton, beans and
the white potato.
Most people were
farmers, but the
Inca also had
specialized
professions like
weavers who made
fabulous textiles,
and musicians who
created new
instruments like the
pan pipe.

They created water
irrigation systems
because their land
was dry and cool.
They domesticated
the llama and
alpaca that were
from the Andean
Mountains.
They were great
architects too.
Important cities
were Cuzco and
Machu Picchu.
There was
almost no crime as
punishment was
harsh.
The
Inca invented many
things.
They believed in
many Gods.
The Spaniards con
quered the Incan
civilization.

Today, in South
America, in the
modern country of
Peru, you can still
find ancestors of
the incredible
Incas.

The Mayan Civilization
They lived in Mexico
and Central America

Nobody knows where
they came from, but
about 2,400 years
ago, a new
tribe appeared in
Central America. They
settled in the
rainforests of
the Yucatan
Peninsula.
They were
architects and built
large buildings and
cities like Chichen
Itz and Uxmal.
They were very
clever people. They
built many beautiful
cities in rainforest,.
They did not
use metal tools.

They were astronomers too.
They invented a calendar with
18 months.

They also
cultivated corn,
sweet potatoes,
peanut, manioc,
pineapples,
avocados, cotton,
and papayas.
Today, many
countries, in
different parts of
the world also
cultivated these
products.


Today there are still
many Mayas that
speak their native
language in the south
of Mexico and in the
North of Guatemala

They lived in
Central America
after Mayan
Civilization. The
Capital of the
Empire was
Tenochtitlan, where
Mexico City is
today. When the
Spaniards came,
there was silver
and gold.
The Aztecs
wandered around
Mexico for about
200 years before
they settled down
in the Valley of
Mexico.
Aztecs settled
down in the
swampy land
around Lake
Texcoco.
They built canoes
to fish.
There were
pyramids too,
because they were
great enginners.
They were warriors
After they had
settled in, the
Aztecs began
conquering
neighboring tribes.
Soon, the entire
Valley of Mexico
was under their
control.
Other tribes had to
pay tribute to them
in the form of food,
clothing, goods,
and captives to
feed the hungry
Aztecs gods.
The Aztecs
believed in human
sacrifice.

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