Essay Sample about Mesoamerican Civilization

Civilizations and environments in Medieval Mesoamerica and South America interacted with the civilization differences between Aztecs and Mayans and the similarities between Aztecs and Incans. Both Aztecs and Incans adapted to their environment by using terrace farming, which was very important. According to “Incan Farming” by Linn Don “ They lived in the mountains. Flatlands were rare." So, they simply created flat land by building steps of land for agriculture down the mountainside.”This means that between 1150 and 1300, the Inca around Cusco began to capitalize on a major warming trend in the Andes.

As temperatures climbed, Inca farmers moved up the slopes by 244 to 305 meters (800 to 1,000 feet), building tiers of agricultural terraces, irrigating their fields, and reaping record corn harvests. Similarly, according to “Aztec Environment” by Team Project Americas, “ creating the city of Tenochtitlan, the Aztecs dug up through the swampy fresh lakes and placed the mud and lake material on top of itself to create islands, canals, and drained fields called chinampas.” This is important because Tenochtitlan was located on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco in what is today south-central Mexico. The Aztecs were able to settle there because no one else wanted the land. At first, it wasn't a great place to start a city, but soon the Aztec’s built-up islands where they could grow crops. The similarity between the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas is that all had control of massive empires that eventually ceased to exist. Other than that common factor, the groups all had different ways of life and unique languages, political agendas, religious views, and ways to provide for their people.

According to, “Aztec Capit“Aztec Capital Tenochtitlan” "The city [Tenochtitlan] was established on a very unusual terrain where the ground was swampy and therefore the land had to be expanded artificially. "Huitzilopochtli directed them to build where they saw an eagle perched on a cactus, eating a snake. When they saw this exact scene on an island (located in what was once Lake Texcoco), they interpreted it as a sign from their god and founded Tenochtitlan on that island." which meant that 

They believed their god of sun and war had visited their priests long ago and had promised the priests that one day a priest would spot an eagle, perched on a cactus, holding a snake. This would be the signal that they had found their home. This is where they were supposed to settle down and build a city. In conclusion,  all the differences and the similarities have an effect on all the civilizations but Only the specific ones.