Mesoamerican Civilizations
By: Ethan Hellebusch
Maya
The Mayans were located in what is known in the present as Mexico. They had many different crops. They grew maize, beans, squash, chili peppers, avocados, pineapples, and cacao. They had a unique farming method, where they would burn parts of their crops to make soil more fertile. The Mayans invented the calendar with 365 days, which we still use today because it is the most accurate calendar. The game pok-a-tok was played by the Mayans to decide who would be a human sacrifice for the gods.
Inca
The Incas settled in what is currently known as Peru and the Andes Mountains. They primarily grew corn and potatoes. The Incas used a terraced farming system, so they could feed all of the Inca people. They invented a tool to help count, called the quipu. They also invented many advanced medicines, and even early forms of brain surgery. The Incas made lots of art involving gold in their civilization.
Aztec
The Aztec empire settled in what is known in the present as Mexico. They grew corn, squash, chili peppers, and cacao. The Aztecs used a different kind of farming method for their crops. They used and invented the chinampa, which was a type of farm that they made in the swamp water by putting mud on buoyant, natural things like grasses. The Aztecs made calenders based on farming and rituals, which were very important to them. Their religion was a part of their everyday lives, where they worshiped gods and prayed at alters in their homes. Sometimes, there would be human sacrifices to their gods.