The Most Powerful And Largest Cities Of Mesoamerica

People often wonder how a civilisation as advanced as the Aztecs could have collapsed within 2 years of the arrival of foreigners. The Aztecs arrived in Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) in 1325 CE, and the empire collapsed 200 years later, in 1521 CE. The pivotal event that assisted in the collapse of the civilisation was the arrival of conquistador Hernan Cortés. The main factors that assisted Cortés were tribal warfare, the Aztec religion, disease, and the difference between Aztec and Spanish military technology. Disease played a significant role in the downfall of the Aztecs, because it killed 25% of the population, including major military leaders. (The Fall of the Aztec Empire, 2006)

Another society that emerged within Mesoamerica was the metropolis of Teotihuacan that arose around the third century B.C. The city was marked by the construction of pyramids that were dedicated to the gods. These pyramids showed the extreme dedication towards the gods and goddesses from each and every individual living in the surrounding area which allowed the society to unite on a religious ground. Economically, the society was able to grow due to the large marketplace in Teotihuacan that fostered the trade of cacao, feathers, meats, produce, rubber, and more to be traded. The trade of these materials brought increased revenue into the city, allowing its residents to thrive. Geographically, Teotihuacan

Mesoamerica was once a place filled with expanding, ruthless empires and civilizations, although none was like the Aztecs and their empire. Although they started off with a humble beginning, they quickly grew into a great civilization that dominated present day Central Mexico. They conquered and expanded into an empire stronger than the other neighboring empires. The heart of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan, was a grand capital filled with many people and astounding temples. The Aztecs were also ahead of their time with fully-functional government and irrigation systems. They continue to astound many historians with their diverse way of life. They impacted the way of life for many people today with their customs and ways of life. Throughout the years, the Aztecs were able to grow and prosper with their sufficient supply of agriculture and blessed fertile lands of the Mexican Valley, and demonstrated to be an important part of Mexican heritage. The Aztec civilization was truly one of Mesoamerica’s most influential empires because of their history, vibrant culture, and unique architecture.

As a result of this, the Maya stopped construction work in their cities and halted the erection of stelae. After a short period of time, the Maya civilization recovered and continued to grow for another 300 years. Today people are still trying to discover the reasons for the collapse of the Teotihuacan. They believe it may be due or caused by disease, crop failure, and the movement of other groups into the Maya area.

     According to the famous legend, the Aztecs finally settled at a spot where an eagle sat upon a cactus eating a snake. This was a sign foretold by their patron god. The sign, found by the priests, finally appeared on a small island in Lake Texcoco. By 1325, on the island, the Aztecs built a temple to Huitziposhtli and began to construct the city of Tenochtitlan, the "Place of Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit." Over the next 200 years, the city slowly became one of the largest and most powerful cities of the world, and was the giant heart of the Aztecs Empire .

The Aztec was a Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. They called themselves Mexica. The Republic of Mexico and its capital, Mexico City wanted to be called “Mexica”. I chose this culture because The Aztec nation is one of the largest and most advanced Indian nations to have ever existed on earth. Nearly every part of the

The term culture is defined as “the distinctive features of a group that are learned rather than biological”, according to Essential Humanities. Religious beliefs, artistic traditions, and language can be placed under this definition. Mexico, specifically central Mexico, had been home to many civilizations; the three most dominant being Teotihuacan (4th to 6th century), the Toltecs (10th to 12th century) and the Aztecs (14th to 16h century). The Aztecs were the last of these cultures to settle there and as a result, were influenced greatly by the previously established groups. The most significant cultural influences of the Toltecs and Aztecs came primarily from the ancient city of Teotihuacan. Initially, Teotihuacan emerged as a new religious center and by the 4th century, it was a place of religion, culture and art. The city flourished for centuries and before its decline in AD 700, was a large, cosmopolitan city with fairly large complexes made up of temples and monuments devoted to gods. Buildings were

Aztec history tells that the Aztecs migrated around the 6th century when they settled central Mexico. In the 13th century the last Aztec Tribe, known as the Mexica, settled in central Mexico. However, in 1323, the Mexica Tribe saw a vision from the Aztec Gods, that once again made them move. The vision was of an eagle perched on a cactus, clutching a snake. Said vision showed them where they should build their new city. So the tribe of Mexicas moved to a small island in the center of Lake Texocco and started building – the city of Tenochtitlan. In 1376, they elected their first king or “Huey Tlatoani,” Acamapichtli.

The mystery concerning the fundamental explanation for the collapse of the Mayan Civilization has been a major focus for researchers in the fields of anthropology and archeology for a considerable period of time. At the very core of this mystery of the Mayan collapse was the question of how could such a strong, stable civilization that had flourished for approximately twenty-seven hundred years disappear without a clear, rational explanation. As a result, researchers have put forth a large number of theories for the explanation of the collapse and subsequent decimation of the Mayan empire.

The Aztec civilization was a very complex society that was feared and known well for their various gory sacrifices done to please their many gods in their polytheistic religion. The much feared civilization began by the exile of one of the two Toltec leaders, which lead to the decline of the Toltec state that was later replaced by Mexica, or the Aztecs. According to the Aztecs, the land chosen to build their main city was chosen by the portrayal of an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its mouth. Through military might, the Aztecs managed to become the most powerful civilization in the mid-fourteenth century. They maintained their power through military might and the fear they caused other civilizations because of the human

This great city was amazingly large and impressive. Even the Spanish thought so. The thing that I find most impressive is how these people traveled around. They would travel through Tenochititlan by canoe and "farmed special plots of land called chinampas. They also used picture writing to record political and religious history; they used calendars and had a mathenmatical system. This city was and still is inspirational because of how much this city grew, how large and impressive it was, and how they made their population grow. This city was conquered by Hernan Cortes, his army, and the Indian tribe that wanted the Aztec rule to break away. The way they ruled was by demanding high tributes and constantly fighting to keep up the steady supply of captives to later on use as

Tenochtitlan was built on a lake island called Aztlan and over the lake, the Aztecs built fertile, floating farms called “Chinampas”.The people who inhabited the Aztlan Island were originally called the Mexica people. The name Aztec is derived from the name of the Island. However primitive this empire may seem, the Emperors were quite affluent. They had lavish possessions

The Mayan Civilization at its height was one of the greatest civilization to ever reign on the planet. Their advances in astronomy and mathematics well in advance has helped present civilizations to prosper. But one of the great questions is what happened to the Mayans? Why did they collapse? What caused them to collapse? It is a question that had gone unanswered for decades until some of the worlds great historians and scientist finally concluded to three reasons why the Mayan Civilization collapsed. The Mayans Collapse was fast and occurred due to Deforestation and Climate Change, Overpopulation, and Internal and Exterior Rivalry.

Even though Teotihuacan has made such a lasting impact on all those who marvel at its grandeur and scale over the past two thousand years, this site in still far from understood. There are many mysteries surrounding this area even after decades of excavations and research. Archaeologists and anthropologists alike struggle to gain a clearer picture of this great Mesoamerican city, although continuing work at the site has provided a wealth of information about the region, occupants, and lifestyles of those who were touched by it.

Massive temples hidden in the jungles of the Yucatan, mysterious stone stelas, and cryptic calendars eluding to advanced knowledge of the stars and mathematics are just some of the artifacts originating from the “Classic Maya” period (200 CE-900 CE). However, these popular items should not be the only defining characteristics of a society that dominated the Mesoamerican region for nearly a millennia. Dynastic lines, similar to those found in European houses, were important elements during this period in places like Palenque, Tikal, and Calakmul. Additionally, the Maya experienced violent and consistent warfare between localized powers and the backbone of their society, agriculture, suffered through several multi-year droughts. These factors