Pre-Columbian Civilizations Overview

Overview

This lecture covers the distinct histories, achievements, and contexts of the three major pre-Columbian American civilizations: the Maya, Aztec, and Inca.

Major Civilizations of the New World

• The Maya, Aztec, and Inca were complex, unique societies in the Americas before European contact.
• The Maya developed agriculture and cities in the Yucatan Peninsula as early as 500 BC.
• The Aztec Empire originated from a triple alliance in Central Mexico in the 14th–15th centuries.
• The Inca Empire arose from Cusco in Peru, expanding rapidly along South America's west coast.

Sources of Knowledge

• Maya and Aztecs had pictographic writing; Maya script has been largely deciphered, revealing dynastic records.
• Many Aztec texts were destroyed by the Spanish, but Spanish chronicles provide information.
• The Inca used khipu—knotted cords—for record-keeping, but these are mostly undeciphered.
• Much information on the Aztec and Inca comes from biased Spanish accounts.

Maya Civilization

• The Maya built large cities amid harsh environment using slash-and-burn agriculture and hydraulic engineering.
• Their religion centered on the cyclical nature of creation, destruction, and rebirth.
• The Maya experienced a slow decline due to drought and overpopulation before shifting northward.
• By the time of Spanish arrival, most great Maya cities had been abandoned.

Aztec Civilization

• The Aztecs built Tenochtitlan on an island, creating a massive, canal-filled city.
• Aztec expansion was aided by military conscription and alliances.
• Rituals included the ballgame Pok-A-Tok and human sacrifice, though details are unclear.
• The Aztec Empire quickly fell to the Spanish, aided by internal rebellion and disease.
• Spanish thinkers debated the ethics of conquest, with Sepulveda and de Las Casas representing opposing views.

Inca Civilization

• The Inca Empire was one of the largest of its time, known for diplomacy and conquest.
• The Inca government was highly organized, enabling the building of stone cities and infrastructure in mountainous terrain.
• Achievements included suspension bridges, terrace farming, freeze-dried food, and successful brain surgery.
• The lack of a written language did not prevent efficient administration via khipu.
• Civil war and disease weakened the Inca before Spanish conquest.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Slash-and-burn agriculture — a method of farming where vegetation is cut and burned to enrich soil.
• Cenote — a natural sinkhole used by the Maya as a water source.
• Khipu — a record-keeping device using knotted cords, used by the Inca.
• Pok-A-Tok — a ritual ballgame played by the Maya and Aztec.
• Tenochtitlan — the Aztec capital city built on an island in Lake Texcoco.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review the rise and fall of Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations.
• Familiarize yourself with key terms and achievements of each culture.
• Prepare for quiz on differences between Maya, Aztec, and Inca societies.