maya atzechi inca differenze

What are the differences between Maya, Aztechi and Inca? The story in short of pre -Columbian civilizations

The three most famous pre -Columbian American civilizations, or i MayaThe Aztec they Inchthey differ from each other in culture, language, political model, religion and geographical basin of origin. The Mayans originated from an area that included the current peninsula of Yucatánin Mexico, the Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and the Belize. The Aztecs instead thrived in the plateau of the Central Mexicowhile the Inc along the Cordigliera Andinain the territories of the current Peru, Bolivia and Chile.

The Mayan civilization

The first thing to clarify on Mayafamous all over the world for their pyramids, it is the fact that when the Spanish colonizers arrived in Mexico At the beginning of the 16th centurythis ancient civilization was in a period of profound decline. The so -called phase “classic“, that of the highest period of splendor, goes From the V to the 9th century ADtherefore long before the journey of Cristoforo Colombo of 1492 Guatemalaand subsequently migrated to the north, in the Yucatán, between the X and the VIII century. B.C

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Diffusion area of ​​the Mayan civilization. Credit: kmusser

In the classic period the Maya developed a refined urban civilizationbased on the political model of the city-state, Tikal and Chichén Itzá were some of the main ones. Unlike the Aztecs and the Inca, the Mayans they never created a unitary government in their geographical region: each city was administered by themselves, with one’s king and his own aristocracyoften in contrast and in war with neighboring cities. The economy was based onagricultureabove all the cultivation of the corn and gods beans, But the cities-state also entertained to each other profitable relationships commercial.

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Kukulcan’s pyramid in Chichén Itzá, built between the IX and the XII century. d. C. Credit: Daniel Schwen

The languages belonging to the Maya family are still aliveand are spoken by about 6 million people Between Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. The Mayans also owned a complex writing systembased on glyphs capable of representing both sounds and words, used to pass on the disciplines in which the Mayans grew more, namely the mathematics el ‘astronomy. To date the corpus literary of the ancient Mayan language is estimated in about 10,000 registrationstheir refined scientific culture ended up for influence Above all their nearby Aztecs.

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The Paris code is one of the only three Mayan manuscripts survived to the present day. It contains a calendar and ritual formulas, and was made on bark around the mid -fifteenth century.

The Maya believed in various deitiessome benevolent others malicious. The two most important were Itzamnàthe god of the sun, e Kukulkanthe feathered snake (also common to the Aztec civilization). The Mayans practiced i human sacrificeseven if to a lesser extent compared to the Aztecs: the blood tax was considered necessary as it would have satisfied the deities and would allow them to run the world. The cult of ancestors.

Starting from the 10th century AD the Mayan world began to go to crisis. A series of wars between city, social and political sumsAnd upheaval climatic And environmental they caused theabandonment and the decline urban centers. When the Spaniards arrived in Yucatán they found a civilization much less rich and developed compared to that of some centuries earlier. There conquest of the Mayan territories committed the conquistadors From 1517 to 1546even if the last independent city was submissive only in 1697.

Aztec civilization

The Aztec they settled on Central Mexico plateausgiving life to one of the most important empires Mesoamericans. These people did not use the word “Aztec” to define themselves, given that this term was introduced by western. They called themselves “mexica“, word from which the term derives”Mexico“. They spoke the language nahuatlstill in use for 1.7 million people in Mexico. The Mexica arrived in central Mexico in the thirteenth centuryand they originated from lands much further north, the area where the border between Mexico and the United States runs today. They were warriors tests, and in a few years they managed to subdue The other populations who lived in the surroundings of the gigantic Texcoco lakewhere it stands today Mexico City. Inside the lake, connected to the mainland by three bridges, they founded their capital, Tenochtitlan. Together with two other cities that stood around the lake, Texcoco and Tlacopan, gave birth to “Triple alliance“. This alliance, where Tenochtitlan played the dominant role, was operational Starting from the fifteenth century at the expense of the neighboring peoples, who came submissive with violence. Thus was born the Aztec Empire.

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The Aztec Empire at its maximum expansion, at the beginning of the 16th century. Credit: Yavidaxiu

The Empire was led by Huey TlataniThe Reinforced speakera hereditary emperor who was the supreme in the militarized company Aztec military leader. In addition to military power, the Azteco empire also achieved considerable successes scientific And architectural. Very important in this case had been the legacy of the neighbor Mayan culture of the Yucatán. The Mexica also master a form of writingcharacterized by a pictographic and logosillabic system, that is, with words or sounds linked to certain symbols.

The Aztecs believed in many deities, which they celebrated during the course of Great public parties where the human sacrificein fact it was believed that only through the tribute of the blood The divinities could maintain the balance of the world. The sacrificial victims were usually prisoners of submissive populations (the Aztecs were Always at war with the neighbors) but also volunteers of noble families, who felt as a necessity to offer their lives for the well -being of the community.

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Giaguaro warrior of the Aztec army

The Empire ceased to exist following the Military Spanish conquest campaign led by Hernán Cortéswhich lasted from 1519 to 1521. The Spaniards managed to defeat the Aztecs not so much thanks to military superiority, given that i conquistadors were a few hundred), but above all by exploiting the resentment and the rancor that the submissive peoples nourished towards the Mexica.

The Inca civilization

The Empire of Inchunlike Maya and Aztecs, developed in South Americaalong the Cordigliera delle Ande. Its origin is not clear, probably this people were native of the Region, and to start from XII century began to build a vast domain, based on submission of close populations. The term “Inca”, which today indicates the entire civilization, was used only for theemperor. In fact, like the Aztecs, the Incas also established a empire.

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The ruins of Macchu Picchu. Credit: Martin St. Amand

Thanks to military forcethe Incas expanded enormously during the 15th centurygoing to create The largest pre -Columbian empire of the Americas, along the Andean Cordigliera. Developed numerous cityand their capital, Cuscotoday in Peruwas one of the largest and most populous on the continent. The Inca cities were known for theirs complex urban and architectural solutionsthe great level of centralization it allowed to build efficient inhabited centers even in a impervious Like the Andean one.

The economy was mainly based onagriculturebut trade and crafts also covered key roles. Unlike the Maya and the Aztecs, however, the Inca they never developed a writing system. However, along the highly advanced roads which connected every corner of the empire, ran the Chaskithe messengers runners, who transported i Quiupor of cord that through a combination of nodes and colors were able to communicate certain concepts.

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A chaski with quipu in hand

The Incas believed in numerous deities who were considered different manifestations of natural creation. Human sacrifices were practiced, but in a decidedly reduced scale compared to the Aztecs. Rather known are the mummies Find in the sacred mountains to certain deities. The language of the Inca, the Quechuahas still been spoken by almost 8 million people throughout the continent.

The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire was rather long And bloodyabove all because of the difficult land on which military operations took place. The campaign of Francisco Pizarro began in 1532, but the last emperor, Tupac Amaruwas killed by the Spaniards only in 1572.

Sources

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Oakley F., Rubin B., Sacral Kingship and the Origins of religius, social, and political oRDers

Sharer R., Loa T., The Ancient Maya

Olmedo Vera B., The Mayas of the Classic Period

Introduction to Maya Hierogliphs

Canger U., Five Studies Inspired by Náhuatl Verbs in -oa

Aztec and Maya Law, Tarlton Law Library.

Lenguas Indígenas y hablantes de 3 años y más, 2020

Justeson J., The Origin of Writing Systems

Ribeiro D., The Americas and the civilizations