Ancient Civilization D: Maya, Aztec & Inca (1 quarter)

The civilizations of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca that flourished in Mexico, Central America and Peru gave us many things we still use today such as chocolate, tortillas, great pyramids and advancements in science and writing. People practiced farming, developed social structures, raised armies, and worshipped many gods. The three civilizations were similar yet different and each civilization still has people who speak their language around today! The Maya, known for developing a system of mathematics, thrived in the rainforests of the Yucatán Peninsula, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala from about 200 to 900 CE. From 1325 to 1521, the Aztec built a large and dense city at Tenochtitlán, located on a swampy lake in the middle of a semi-arid basin in central Mexico. The Inca were skilled engineers who built a vast system of roads and bridges to unite their empire located high in the Andes Mountains, reaching their peak in the 1400s and early 1500s.
This course will provide a general introduction to several of the most prominent ancient civilizations in the Americas including the Maya, Aztec, and Inca introducing you to what each civilization is remembered for and examining it’s major influences on us today