The Aztecs and the Mayans
Long before the colonial period, Mesoamerica was a beautiful and prosperous place. The
land was filled with thick forests, lush grasslands, rich mountain ranges, and glistening
lakes. Southern migrations began to occur and many different tribes began to flourish in
Mesoamerica. Before long, these tribes became more influential. Culture, religion, and
trade began making tribes even more powerful. Eventually, war broke out and alliances
were made against other tribes for survival. Soon, states formed and two prominent
empires arose, the Mayan and the Aztecs.
The Mayans and Aztecs were two thriving empires that, while sharing very similar cultures
and ideals, were also quite different. They both developed amazing skills, traits,
architecture, and culture. If it was not for the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century, the two
empires could still possibly existed in some form in Mesoamerica today.
The Mayan’s upbringing in Mesoamerica is much different than the Aztecs. The Mayans
were in the region long before the tribes of the Aztecs were even in the Mexico area. The
oldest pieces of their art has been dated back to the B.C. time period. During that time,
many tribes speaking similar languages formed and joined together to search for new
homes down the Mesoamerican rivers. Once these tribes began to take root and thrive,
they shared trade routes, cultural ideas, religious habits until they eventually became one
civilization: the Mayans. After their empire had formed, their influence continued to
spread beyond Mesoamerica.
The Mayan’s were amazing astronomers, mathematicians, and writers. The Mayans were
the only society in the Americas to form a complete written language, and no other nation
in the world during their time had created such an accurate astronomical calendar. They
may not have been the first to do accomplish these feats, but they mastered them while
completely developing it all themselves.
After a long prosperous age, the Mayan empire fell into decline which included famine and
disease which lasted for two-hundred years. Temple construction increased rapidly during
this time as the Mayans tried to please their gods.The Mayan empire eventually crumbled
and the entire southern half of the empire had became deserted. Even though the empire
had fallen apart, the Mayans still thrived in separate city states in the Yucatan Peninsula,
where the descendents of ancient Mayans still live to this day.
The Mayan’s built an illustrious empire that brought a different foreshadowing for the
Aztecs. While the Mayan and Aztec nations were similar, they spoke different languages
