Short essay on the level of sophistication of the Incas, Mayas, and Aztecs C.E 900-1450.

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11/1/04

Short essay on the Mayan, Aztecs, and Inca C.E 900-1450

The civilizations of the Mayans, Aztecs, and Inca were sophisticated compared to the other civilizations in America. They were advanced for their isolation, and had made many major accomplishments and several advances. Particular themes that the American civilization excelled at were: sovereign, sophisticated, and organized power; and Building, technological, and social developments. Fields like architecture, engineering, technology, and imperial power.

When the Spanish came to Mesoamerica, one of the first things that astonished them was the buildings and monumental structures. Large temples, such as the Mayan pyramid temple in Tikal, showed that the Mayans were organized and sophisticated, since they managed to gather a labor force and control them. This means that there must have been a powerful group or person that organized plans to make a temple. There is organization, control, and action involved in producing a building project.

These characteristics were what gave the Egyptians their reputation in construction. In places where there were not many monumental buildings, there was no imperial power or authority, or centralized people to organize, control, or initiate a project of a large scheme. This was also true for roads and other building projects.

The roads that the Incas made created a sense of unity in their empire. The roads promoted communication, social integration, and trade. These roads were similar to the ones made in Rome, which also allowed communication and united cities. Other projects that led to a more centralized government were the markets of the Aztecs. The Markets represented a sort of urban Mesoamerica and promoted the economy, the social, and the relationship with neighboring empires. Great communication and socialization among a large populous in markets show that the Aztecs were socially organized and sophisticated.

The Inca...