Ancient American Civilizations

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October 25, 2021

There were two significant American empires before the arrival of the Europeans. Their names were the Inca and the Aztec. A highly stratified society existed among the Incas. With the aid of an aristocratic bureaucracy, the emperor maintained power by enforcing stringent and usually violent rules. Although sophisticated, Inca architecture and technology were not particularly distinctive. Their irrigation systems, palaces, temples, and defences are still visible in the Andes. The cornerstones of the economy were corn, white and sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, peanuts, chilli peppers, coca, cassava, and cotton. They also raised dogs, llamas, alpacas, guinea pigs, ducks, and ducklings. The garment was made from llama wool and cotton. Mud or stone homes were typical. In a sense, every guy was a farmer who produced his own food and clothing. In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the Aztecs ruled a vast empire in what is now central and southern Mexico. They were also called the Mexica, a mythical name for Lake Texcoco derived from Metzliapán, and the Tenochca, after an ancestor named Tenoch. Tenochca was given the name Tenochtitlán, the beautiful metropolis they built on an island in Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico. The metropolis that took the place of the Aztec capital and the surrounding valley was given the name Mexica, which was later applied to the whole Mexican country. Until the advent of Spanish explorers in 1519, the Aztec kingdom was still growing and its civilization was still evolving. 500 European troops were led by the Spanish into central Mexico where they seized the monarch. Better weaponry (crossbows, muskets, steel swords, and body armour) as well as battle-trained horses and hounds were to the Spanish's advantage. The Aztecs were not immune to deadly European diseases, which also took their victims Finally, the Spaniards took advantage of the resentment that the conquered tribes of the Aztec held for their imperial overlords. The Spanish invasion, which unquestionably would not have been successful without the participation of thousands of Native American warriors, included them. Tenochtitlan was taken over by the Spanish on August 13, 1521, following a two-year conflict. With its capture, the Aztec kingdom was overthrown. To sum up, these were wealthy civilizations before colonialism, and stories like the one of El Dorado and many others serve as symbolic representations of the plenty of these empires throughout history.