The Mayan, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations

This painting is a detail from a larger Diego Rivera mural called " Great Tenochtitlan
Maret!" "n the horizon are the pyramids constructed #y the Aztecs in their capital city!
In the foreground sellers of tightly $oven reed mats #ring their $ares to #e sold in the
city maretplace! The Mayan, Aztec, and
Inca civilizations $ere the largest empires in the lands $e no$ call %atin America! The
Mayans, the oldest of these three great civilizations, #uilt their empire in $hat is no$
southern Me&ico and Central America! Mayan civilization had collapsed $hen the Aztecs
#uilt huge pyramids to their gods! Their city, Tenochtitlan, $as #uilt on a lae $hich is
the current site of Me&ico City! The Incans $ere master #uilders creating a road system
to connecting their empire in the Andes Mountains! Their influence stretched '((( miles
from northern )cuador, through *eru to southern Chile!
+ot only $ere people from these three empires master #uilders, in their cities $ere
artists, sculptors, mathematicians, astronomers, doctors, and engineers! The Mayans and
Aztecs created very accurate calendars and the Incas practiced #rain surgery! All three of
these cultures $ere governed #y a hereditary ing! In addition to these three civilizations,
there $ere hundreds of smaller tri#es and civilizations that inha#ited the area $e no$ call
%atin America!!
Te&t #y Dave ,orrest
Mural #y Diego Rivera from Murals Painting of the Mexican Revolution
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