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Aztec Culture Research Paper

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As scientists believe, ancient culture, which gave rise to all the others, was the Olmec civilization. Therefore, all people of pre-Columbian America is characterized by several common features: hieroglyphic writing, illustrated books, calendar, human sacrifice, ritual ball game, belief in life after death, stepped pyramids. In this unit response, I would like to describe three main cultures in Mesoamerica: Olmec, Maya and Aztec.
Despite occasional contenders for its title as the “Mother Culture” of Mesoamerica, the Olmec culture is still identified as the oldest sustained high civilization in Mesoamerica.( Mackenzie, 2000). For that time the Olmecs were the most developed nation in the cultural sense, therefore, were able to spread their cultural influence on the vast region of Mesoamerica. By the cultural achievements of the Olmecs should be attributed a well-developed architecture. For example, the city of La Venta, we see that it was built on a clear plan and oriented to the cardinal.
The stone head sculptures of the Olmec civilization of the Gulf Coast of Mexico (1200 BCE - 400 BCE) are amongst the most …show more content…

The culture of these tribes in the beginning did not have any well-defined features, but they gradually crystallized into a single solid entity - the Aztec civilization. Aztec culture differ in their priorities, it was dominated by religion and politics. The priests had almost complete authority over the people. People lives were controlled by laws based on religion. In religion, the main ritual was the sacrifice. Aztec gods were in constant enmity. The appearance of the gods were frightening and most of all the gods have had two entities: human and animal. This suggests a close connection with nature and also their strength and capabilities were the relationship with inanimate

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Over a thousand years ago in the Mesoamerica region the culture that we know as Maya thrived. They had an amazement and intrigued fascination over the technical mastery of their intellectual studies. The Mayan’s history is rich with remarkable human achievements, as well as stories. Some of their most recognizable masterpieces are the Mayan trade network, building Cities, the Mayan number system, and the Mayan calendar.

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The mysterious and intriguing Olmec civilization began approximately 1200 B.C. more than 1,500 years before the Maya’s, and prospered until 400 B.C. and is considered by many scientist as an influential culture for all the subsequent Mesoamerican cultures such as the Maya and the Aztecs. Nevertheless, the Olmec civilization generates anxiety due to all the mysteries that are buried in time. Scientist still do not know what they called themselves, as “Olmec” was the Aztec name which meant “Rubber people.” Due to the lack of archeological evidence to indicate their ethnic origins and exact settlement period. However, the Olmecs codify and record (a form of writing system still undeciphered) their gods and religious practices using symbols, although the precise significance of this record is jet unknown.

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Everything was perfectly planned out. As the calendar says, they have to sacrifice one of their own to please the Gods. The Mayan people would get together as a whole to practice their religious ceremony at the temple. The Mayan and Aztec civilizations are two ancient civilizations that were located near Central and South America. The Mayan civilization was more remarkable than the Aztecs because of their advanced knowledge.

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The Aztecs were one of the most famous and successful early civilizations of the Americas that we know of, who ruled an empire in the modern day country of Mexico from 1350 to 1519. From their capital city of Tenochtitlan, now known as Mexico City, to their daily routines, the Aztecs had many achievements that they deserve recognition for. Two very important components in the history of the Aztecs are agriculture and human sacrifice. Although they both play huge roles in Aztec culture, historians should emphasize on their methods of farming. The reasons why historians should center their focus on the Aztecs' agricultural techniques are they affected the growth of their empire, were used on a huge scale, and were very unique in comparison to other

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The Olmec's were the first major civilization in Mesoamerica that lasted from about 1600-350 BCE. They lived in the tropical parts of south- central Mexico near the Gulf coast of what is now Tabasco and Veracruz. Using all the natural resources they were able to build great art and complexes made from stone and were able to advance in their society creating new inventions which helped their civilization last for about 1250 years. Their religion and culture became the "cradle" of the Mesoamerican culture because they laid many foundations for the civilizations to come, such a as the Aztecs and Mayans.

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Another major difference between the Adena and Aztec cultures is their daily activities. On the one hand, the Adena has a simple daily life that they are hunter-gatherers, living in extended family groups and notable for their agriculture, pottery, artistic works and extensive trading network. On the other hand, Aztec ‘ways of life were more complicated due to the difference of its social status. Precisely, wealthy people lived in stone homes or sun-dried bricks while the poor people who mostly farmers lived in smaller palm leaf huts; they then obviously had to struggle to make a living. Thus, the daily life of the Aztec people especially the poor were quite difficult.

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Olmec heads The Olmec built heads out of sand and water. The Olmec had heads made in mexico by hand. When you look up Olmec you see a bunch of different heads made of sand. The Olmec made heads to show the religion by making heads out of sand.

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Have you ever wondered what it’s like when the Mayan and Aztec lived ? The traditions of the Mayan and Aztec religion and art are very similar but have their differences. The Mayan and Aztec was polytheism (belief or worship of one or more god). Both Mayan and Aztec people believed in human sacrifices.

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The Olmecs started between 1200- 400 B.C. They lived in the forests of the east coast of Mexico. The Native people learned from the Olmec Civilization. Since the Native groups learned from the Olmecs, they are called the “Mother Civilization”. The Olmecs made art and built temples and buildings.

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WAC assignment, for this assignment the topic will be Aztec culture. Fist the paper will discuss what are Aztecs, and their language. Then it will more on to what are Aztecs known for. Moving on to what did Aztecs eat and drink, and last what did Aztecs invent that sociality uses today. Aztecs are members of an American Indian people dominant in Mexico before the Spanish conquest of the 16th century.

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The gods commanded and governed activities such as war, food production, reproduction, commanded the skies, creating the universe and creating human culture. Aztecs believed that in order to please the gods they needed to give offerings, this could be through food, jewellery and the most common human sacrifice Since the Aztecs recorded most of their beliefs on perishable items such as deer-skin it meant that they basically disintegrated. Later on, what

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The Olmec culture is best known as the “Mother Culture,” because during the formative period in Mesoamerica the region flourished. This is also known as the first culture to develop the

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Among the pre-Colombian cultures of the New World the civilizations of Mesoamerica-the region from Mexico south to Guatemala and Honduras- were unique in their possession of a true form of writing: a series of hieroglyphs arranged in vertical column and in many instances combined with numerals. The glyphs were at least (48) … related to a spoken language. Although there were many regional (49) …, the four major systems were those of Maya of shouter. Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, of the Aztec of central Mexico and of the Mixtec and Zapotec of southern Mexico. Of the four Zapotec system was the oldest.

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During this period, the oldest culture in Mesoamerica was thriving, the Olmecs. Similarly, like the Mayans, it is unknown where thy came from nor what happened to them, but they did lay the foundation for the future civilizations in Mesoamerica. They had settled in the Gulf of Mexico and build cities made of stone and brick. The Olmecs ruins were vast buildings that left the idea that the land was once colonized by giants. The third period was the Classic Period, or the Tajin Period.

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