The Lost Civilisations Of The Americas

The ancient Americas were home to some of the most sophisticated and innovative societies who had a profound influence on us with their mathematical and astronomical discoveries. We have learnt a lot about their cultures and way of life through their wealth of artifacts and architecture and in this article, we take a closer look at three of these societies in particular: the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas.

The Aztecs

The Aztecs arrived in Mesoamerica around the beginning of the 13th century and emerged as a dominant force in central Mexico, establishing themselves in the capital city of Tenochtitlan under direction of their patron god Huitzilopochtli. They employed sophisticated agricultural techniques such as irrigation, had a powerful military presence and were known for their discoveries in tool making, medicine and astronomy.

The religion of the Aztecs shared many common practices with other Mesoamerican societies at the time, including the practice of human sacrifice. They incorporated a 260-day ritual calendar in which to show their religious devotion and constructed many magnificent temples and palaces in honour of their gods. The great Aztec empire eventually came to an end when Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés invaded in 1521.

The Mayans

Mayan society was also based in Mesoamerica – built in the region of modern-day Guatemala – and reached its height during the sixth century AD. They lived in three separate sub-areas with distinct environmental and cultural differences. They too had moved from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to agricultural practices, cultivating maize, beans and squash. The Maya built many of their temples in the famously stepped pyramid design, adorned with inscriptions and religious reliefs. It was unclear if these structures were used as residences for their elite leaders or if they served another purpose. The Mayans were well known for their advancements in mathematics and astronomy.

It is not certain what caused the decline of the Mayan empire; some scholars believe it was overpopulation or warfare which ultimately led to their decline. Mayan descendants can still be found in modern day central America.

The Incas

The Incan empire began in Peru in the 1200s and was the largest empire of the ancient Americas. They were skilled at growing their crops on the mountainsides by building large terraces. They created great highways to allow easy transportation and were known for their incredible architecture high in the Andes mountains – Machu Picchu (the remains of which are pictured) being one of them. The Inca believed their rulers were the descendants of the gods and would mummify them in a similar fashion to the Egyptians. Their society was ruled through aristocratic bureaucracy who continually strove to expand the empire’s territory. Interestingly, the Inca didn’t have a written language and instead used knotted cords to keep historical records.

In 1531, Spanish invaders attacked the Incas in search of their gold and set about removing their leaders and disrupting their religious practices, eventually leading to their decline. Some Peruvian descendants still use old Inca weaving techniques to make clothes, while the ancient language of Quechua is still spoken by over eight million people.