Ancient Civilizations of Central and South America: An Enthralling Introduction to the Olmecs, Maya, Toltecs, Aztecs, and Incas

By Enthralling History

If you want to discover the enthralling history of ancient civilizations of Central and South America, then keep reading…

 

Central and South America were full of great civilizations. This book discusses five of the most famous: the Olmecs, Toltecs, Aztecs, Incas, and Maya. These civilizations first showed up in Central and South America over one thousand years ago, and some descendants of these tribes are still living in these regions today!

                     

Each of these civilizations added something to history. In this book, we will look at areas of ancient Mesoamerican and South American life, such as how commoners and kings lived, what their buildings looked like, and what caused the civilizations to come to an end. Each chapter will also include beautiful pictures to help show their artwork, writing, and beautiful architectural feats.

                     

Of course, we know more about some civilizations than others. The Olmecs are almost a complete mystery, the Toltecs are a little less mysterious, the Maya left behind great written records, and the Spanish were able to talk to and write about both the Aztecs and Incas! Because of this, some chapters will focus more on leaders that we have written records about, while some will focus more on architectural ruins and artwork that we don't need writing to appreciate. Either way, each chapter is sure to have something to interest every history fan.

                     

Some of the fascinating things you will learn in this book include the following:

• Did the Maya calendar actually predict the end of the world?
• How did the Olmecs make their giant head sculptures?
• How did the Toltecs influence other civilizations?
• Why are some ancient leaders also gods in some Mesoamerican religions?
• Who was Montezuma II?
• How did the Spanish conquistadors impact these civilizations?
• What led to their decline?
• And much, much more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Enthralling History
• Release date: Jun 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201127336

Book preview

Ancient Civilizations of Central and South America

An Enthralling Introduction to the Olmecs, Maya, Toltecs, Aztecs, and Incas

© Copyright 2022

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Outstanding Olmecs

Chapter 2: The Marvelous Maya

Chapter 3: The Terrific Toltecs

Chapter 4: The Amazing Aztecs

Chapter 5: The Incredible Incas

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

When people talk about Native Americans or Indigenous Americans, their thoughts often go to the native peoples who live in what is now the United States and Canada. Unfortunately, this means that several important tribes from Mexico and other countries in Central and South America often go undiscussed. This short guide seeks to remedy this.

This book will discuss five of the most impressive tribes and civilizations from ancient Central and South America: the Olmecs, Maya, Toltecs, Aztecs, and Incas. Most history guides leave out the Olmecs and Toltecs since less is known about these people groups than the others. Of course, that doesn’t make these two civilizations any less impressive.

Each of these civilizations has similarities, but they also have things that help them to stand out and distinguish themselves from one another. While it would be easy to lump all of these civilizations into one general Middle American Indigenous people group, that would not do their individual accomplishments justice. Some of the biggest differences between these groups include their architectural styles, metalwork, religions, farming practices, and trading.

It is also important to note that while some of these civilizations were active at the same time, others are separated by hundreds of years! Because of this, the timelines of these cultures may not line up with each other. The collective civilizations are not discussed in chronological order, but we will discuss the events of each individual civilization (within their respective chapter) in chronological order. Most of the civilizations came to an end or petered out around the time when Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Americas, although some seemed to have disappeared without a trace!

Throughout this book, we will look at some of these civilizations’ greatest accomplishments and general culture. We will go as far back to the beginning as we can until when the civilization disappeared or assimilated into other cultures. We will also take a look at the cultural practices that are still used and how the descendants of these cultures see themselves today.

Although not all of these civilizations had customs that trickled down to us today, there is no doubt that they impacted the history of Mexico and other countries. Now, let’s take a cursory dive into each of these five amazing civilizations to learn more about them!

Chapter 1: The Outstanding Olmecs

The Olmec civilization sprang up around what is now the present-day