INTRODUCTION

Mesoamerica, which included the Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations, flourished with remarkable
accomplishments and cultural significance. This era paved the development of creative creations that we,
at the present age, admire and apply. Definitely, each civilization made distinct contributions to
Mesoamerican culture, leaving an indelible mark.

INVENTIONS

1. Weaving Looms (MESOAMERICA - MAYA)

The Maya employed weaving in their daily and ceremonial lives in a wide variety of ways.
In their heritage, they employed a combination of vivid colors and feathers on their clothes to
express their identity or rank. The Maya also created elaborate clothes for special occasions to
interact with the Gods.

2. Chocolate (MESOAMERICA - MAYA)

The ancient Maya can be credited with the origin of chocolate, crafted from cacao tree
beans. While the precise emergence and inventor of cacao remain uncertain, traces of
theobromine, a stimulant in chocolate and tea, were found in ancient Olmec pots dating back to
around 1500 B.C. The Olmecs passed their cacao knowledge to the Maya, who not only
consumed chocolate but held it in high regard.

3. Mandatory Education (MESOAMERICA - AZTEC)

In the 14th century, the Aztec Civilization implemented a mandatory education for all
children to learn various knowledge and practical skills. Every child, whether it be a child of a
commoner or nobility, has the right to receive formal education—separately.

4. Suspension Bridges (MESOAMERICA - INCAN)

In the 13th century, the Incas crafted unique suspension bridges from ichu grass ropes,
forming both main cables and walkways. Stone abutments anchored the bridges, featuring
handrails (makis) and vertical ropes (sirphas). Despite engineering ingenuity, the bridges required
annual or biennial reconstruction due to natural grass rope decay.

5. Hydraulics system for water supply (MESOAMERICA - MAYA)

The Maya Civilization built their own water catchment features due to the persisting dry
season. They built reservoirs to capture rainfall on top of the hills by using the slopes to distribute
water through canals. The landscape of Maya was dotted by circular reservoirs called cenotes
(sinkhole), creating streams and channels that disappear underground—making groundwater flow
through a porous rock that carves out a cavity filled with water.

SIGNIFICANT / PURPOSE

Weaving Looms
Maya weaving looms were essential tools in ancient Mesoamerican communities, fulfilling
practical and cultural needs. Women played an important role in weaving and producing elaborate fabrics
with symbolic and ceremonial importance. These textiles, representing Maya cosmology and
socioeconomic institutions, were vital for everyday living and contributed to commerce, economic
prosperity, and the display of social standing within society.

Chocolate
Mayans used chocolate for more than just eating. Mayan written records indicate the use of
chocolate drinks in celebrations, initiation ceremonies, weddings, and are regarded as the "Food of the
Gods" by the Maya. Moreover, cocoa drinks were associated with elevated social standing, primarily
favored by the elite such as priests and nobles. They worshiped the cacao tree, had a goddess named
Ixcacao. Furthermore, cacao beans functioned as currency in Mayan society, with their value so high that
counterfeiting became a concern.

Mandatory Education
The mandatory education is applied to nurture the minds and skills of children to expand
civilization. They created separate schools for children born of Nobility and Working Class. Boys were
sent to school to learn history, religion, war, and the law. Contrary, young girls were only taught dancing,
singing, religion, and how to become mothers and wives. At present, most countries apply this
compulsory free education to all children—but there is no practice of separation between the children of
social classes and genders to give the same opportunities equally.

Suspension Bridges
The Incas built suspension bridges to connect their vast empire, showcasing ingenuity and
construction skills. Essential for the extensive road network, these sturdy bridges facilitated travel,
especially for Inca armies, who relied on foot travel without horses. Inca bridges, designed for easy
dismantling, faced destruction during the 16th-century resistance against Spanish invaders. Today, the
Q’eswachaka Bridge, over 600 years old, is the sole surviving example among the 200-plus built.

Hydraulic Systems
The Mayans consumed their water for drinking, bathing, cooking, food processing, as well as for
the construction of several infrastructures such as their temple where they perform their rituals. They were
able to do such activities easier because of the system they built to manage their source of water. Due to
the engineering of their hydraulic systems, the Mayans no longer have to depend on natural resources of
water, such as rivers, swamps, and ponds that were prone to contamination and salinity. Moreover, these
systems helped the Mayans during the dry season to still have a continuous supply of water for their
agricultural fields and holding ponds, which they use for economic purposes.

REFERENCES

Textiles in Mesoamerica | HistoricalMX. (n.d.). HistoricalMX. https://historicalmx.org/items/show/136

Mesoamerica, an introduction (article) | Khan Academy. (n.d.). Khan Academy.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-americas/beginners-guide-art-of-the-americas/meso
america-beginner/a/mesoamerica-an-introduction

Aztec Civilization - Education | Aztecs and Tenochtitlan. (n.d.).

https://aztecsandtenochtitlan.com/aztec-civilisation/aztec-education/

Carlos, J. (2020, March 27). Ancient engineering: the suspension bridges of the Incas. Andean Lodges.
https://andeanlodges.com/en/ancient-andean-engineering-the-amazing-suspension-bridges-of-the-inca-e
mpire/

History of Chocolate I History.com Editors (August 10, 2022)

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/history-of-chocolate

Mayan Chocolate: The Birth and Invention of Chocolate I Faustina Mulnik (August 3, 2021)
https://www.spanish.academy/blog/guatemala-birthplace-chocolate/ ‘Little has been done to recognise
ancient Mayan practices in groundwater management.’ (2023, May 18). UNESCO.
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/little-has-been-done-recognise-ancient-mayan-practices-groundwater-
management?TSPD_101_R0=080713870fab200012e31cde8eede28f30a08decc28f0860bcc7417402793
54fe97d3c1839731e1308555874fa143000bb453d959b9a04f2ab6b6811be79587c92520b995cf62902c30
0e8c30e6eb5229ba874793ab6b6811be79587c92520b995cf62902c300e8c30e6eb5229ba874793a6ba75
42tas
 Saint Louis University
School of Accountancy, Management, Computing, and Information Studies
Baguio City, Philippines

A Requirement for the Subject

General Education - Science, Technology and Society (GSTS)
MesoAmerica - Maya, Inca, Aztec Civilizations

Submitted by:
Balinag, Chrys Menchie
Bumagat, Mariella Elhyn
Julian, Khryssha Mae
Robles, Freesia Athena
Umagtam, Micah Joy

Submitted to:
Mr. Kenneth Lipao
GSTS Professor

January 2024