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Use the following resources to research the Mayan, Incan, and Aztec civilizations. Work in groups to add to the comparison charts provided. Please scroll through and make sure you use the resources marked MUST USE THIS SITE first!!!! Good luck!

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Inca Religion Video

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MUST USE THIS SITE

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Overview

Back to History
The three most dominant and advanced civilizations that developed in the Americas prior to the arrival of the Europeans were the Aztecs, the Maya, and the Inca.

Map of Aztec, Mayan, and Incan Civilizations
by Ducksters
Aztecs
The Aztec Empire was located in central Mexico. It ruled much of the region from the 1400s until the Spanish arrived in 1519. Much of the Aztec society centered around their religion and gods. They built large pyramids as temples to their gods and went to war to capture people they could sacrifice to their gods.

The capital city of the Aztec Empire was Tenochtitlan. This city was founded in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco. At the height of its power, the city likely had a population of 200,000 people. At the center of the city was a large temple complex with pyramids and a palace for the king. The rest of the city was planned out in a grid-like fashion and divided up into districts. It had causeways built to get to the mainland and aqueducts to bring fresh water into the city.

The Aztec called their ruler the Tlatoani. The Empire reached its height under the rule of Tlatoani Montezuma I. Around 1517 the priests of the Aztecs began to see omens of doom. They felt that something bad was going to happen. They were right. In 1519 Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico. By 1521 the Spanish had conquered the Aztecs. They tore down much of the city of Tenochtitlan and built their own city on the site called Mexico City.

Maya

The Maya civilization began as early as 2000 BC and continued to have a strong presence in Mesoamerica for over 3000 years until the Spanish arrived in 1519 AD. The Maya were organized into powerful city-states. Over the course of Maya history, different city-states came into power such as El Mirador, Tikal, Uxmal, Caracol, and Chichen Itza.

The Maya were located in Central America in a region that is today made up of southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, and northern El Salvador. They built hundreds of cities filled with large stone structures. The Maya are perhaps best known today for their many pyramids. They built pyramids to their gods that towered hundreds of feet tall above the jungle.

The Maya were the only American civilization to develop an advanced written language. They also excelled in mathematics, art, architecture, and astronomy. The golden age of the Maya civilization occurred during what is called the Classic Period from 250 AD to 900 AD.

Inca

The Inca Empire was centered in Peru and ruled over much of the west coast of South America from the 1400s to the time of the Spanish arrival in 1532. This wide ranging empire did not have the wheel, iron tools, or a writing system, but its complex government and system of roads created a society where everyone had a job, a home, and something to eat.

The emperor of the Inca was known as the Sapa Inca. The first Sapa Inca was Manco Capac. He founded the Kingdom of Cuzco around 1200 AD. The city of Cuzco would remain the capital of the empire as it expanded in the coming years. The Inca expanded into a great empire under the reign of Pachacuti. Pachacuti created the Inca Empire which the Inca called the Tawantinsuyu. At its height, the Inca Empire had an estimated population of over 10 million people.

The Inca were conquered by the Spanish and conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1533. The empire was already severely weakened by civil war and diseases such as smallpox when Pizarro arrived.

Activities
Crossword Puzzle
Word Search

Recommended books and references:

Aztec, Inca, and Maya an Eyewitness Book by Elizabeth Baquedano. 2005.

The Aztec Empire by Sunita Apte. 2010.

Great Civilizations: The Aztec Empire by Sheila Wyborny. 2004.

Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Maya by Leonard Everett Fisher. 1999.

The Inca by World Book. 2009.

The Inca Empire by Sandra Newman. 2010.

Works Cited
Back to History

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Kids learn about the ancient civilizations of the Americas including the Aztecs, Maya, and Inca Empires.

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MUST USE THIS SITE!

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The Incredible Incas - The Inca Empire for Kids

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The Inca built thousands of well-paved roads, but they never invented the wheel. They lived high in the snow capped Andes Mountains of South America. It was difficult to grow food, but the clever Inca found a way.

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MUST USE THIS SITE!

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The Maya Indians for Kids and Teachers - The Maya Empire for Kids

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A History Mystery: By 900 CE, the Maya cities were mostly deserted. Some people remained, and their descendants still live in Central America today. But without enough people to take care of them, the great Maya cities fell into ruin.

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MUST USE THIS SITE!

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For Kids

The Aztec wandered around Mexico for about 200 years before they settled down in the Valley of Mexico. Other tribes were living in the area. Rather than start a war for a place to live, the Aztecs settled down peacefully (at first) in the swampy land around Lake Texcoco.

They were clever people. They adapted to their environment. They built canoes to fish and hunt. They filled the marshes with a combination of reeds and stones and dirt to create more farmland. They built dams and dikes to free even more land. Their engineers successfully built a bustling city, with wide plazas and many shops, on a swamp.

After they had settled in, the Aztec Indians 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 Aztec gods. The Aztec believed in human sacrifice. That was one of the many reasons the other tribes hated and feared the Aztec. But the Aztec seemed unstoppable.

It was not until the 1500s, when the Spanish arrived, that the Aztec were conquered. The Spanish brought guns, dogs, horses, and disease. It was disease that conquered the Aztec. The Aztec Empire collapsed. The Spanish took over the entire region.

Today, in Mexico, there are about one million descendants of the ancient Aztec, living and working. Human sacrifice is no longer part of their festivals (thank goodness!), but beautiful Aztec art and clever Aztec games are still enjoyed today.
Geography, Human-Environment Interaction Myth: Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus Story: Journey of a Princess Correct Behavior Aztec Gods & Religion Aztec Afterlife Government Floating Gardens The Flying Birds (an event) Tenochtitlan, capital city Specialized Professions Aztec Myths, Legends, and Stories for Kids Cortez & Spanish Arrival Achievements & Inventions Free Online Aztec Games Take the Quiz, Interactive (with answers)
Investigate Real Life Artifacts

For Teachers
The Aztecs for Teachers - Free Use Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities Free Presentations about the Aztecs Free Use Video Clips Free Use Clipart
Mr. Donn and Maxie's Ancient History PowerPoints Series
Written by Lin & Don Donn,
illustrated by Phillip Martin, Published by Good Year Books

Mr. Donn and Maxie's Always Something You Can Use Series
Written by Lin & Don Donn, Published by Good Year Books

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The Awesome Aztecs for Kids and Teachers - Aztecs for Kids

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The Aztec wandered around Mexico for about 200 years before they settled down in the Valley of Mexico. Other tribes were living in the area. Rather than start a war for a place to live, the Aztecs settled down peacefully (at first) in the swampy land around Lake Texcoco.

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Mayan Religion

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Aztec Religion

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Inca Religion

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East of the cordilleras is the Montaña. The area is characterized by deep forest-covered valleys and wildly plunging rivers. Still farther east, the Andes flatten out into the Amazon jungle. The hot, humid portions of the Montaña and the people of the region alike were called yungas by the Incas.

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aztecs mexico morelos mesoamerica tlahuica

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This page is about the Tlahuica culture, one of the the regional ethnic groups of Aztec civilization. There are links to descriptions of archaeological sites and projects in the Mexican state of Morelos.

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The Valley of Mexico is part of the central highlands and lies at an altitude of about a mile and a half. At the low point of the Valley there is a large lake that made human life sustainable in the generally dry country.

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Use the following resources to research the Mayan, Incan, and Aztec civilizations. Work in groups to add to the comparison charts provided. 

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Use the following resources to research the Mayan, Incan, and Aztec civilizations. Work in groups to add to the comparison charts provided. 