Study And Characteristics Of The Civilization Of The Aztecs

Study and characteristics of the Civilization of the Aztecs

Aztecs

LOCATION

They were located in Mesoamerica in the central zone was formed by the coalition of the Mexican Mexicans, the Tetzcoco Acolhuas, and the Tlacopan Tepanecas.

POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

Organized by state cities governed by a Tlatoani these were called Altepetl, which were political units where other minor populations called Calpulli, Tlaxilacalli, and even Teccalli or Teccalli were included or Tecpan these were under jurisdiction of their pipiltin or Pilli.

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

Divided into a state society, a nobility by lineage called pipiltin was differentiated within these we found ranges, the main one is the Tlatoani, it had political, civil, military and religious power. A second high -ranking president is Cihuacoatl, and supplied the Tlatoani in necessary circumstances, then there is the Cuauhtlatoani or military ruler. Another range is that of Tecutli which was commanded by Teuccalli, or headquarters, served by Macehualtin, these were taxed in merchandise and services. The Pochteca were the middle class could get high social recognition, but indicators of wealth were limited by sumptuaria laws. For state services (war merits) these could get the range of Cuauhpilli (Merit Military).

Economic organization

Based on the tribute that was obliged to pay the dominated through a system of tax provinces which were under the supervision of a calpixqui which exploiting the work of their Macehualtin obtained an economic benefit that was products or merchandise whose quantity and nature and nature and They had been set.

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION

The Aztecs were polytheistic but one of their main gods was Huitzilopochtli which had taught them the art of war and human sacrifices. Other gods (representatives of the Sun, Venus, Earth or Fire) were responsible for the conservation of the cosmic order and good order on earth. The "Guerrero mysticism" characterizes his dominant ideology, in addition each human group had a patron god, on the other hand the fusion and fission of gods was characteristic of Mesoamerican religion.

CALENDAR

It was a basalt rock wheel called Xíhuitl, but there were two calendars: the plot had 365 days divided in 18 months with 20 days, it had agricultural purposes. Another calendar was the tonalpohualli or ritual, it had 260 days divided by 20 months of 13 days. Every 52 years, these two cycles aligned to mark the century, which was celebrated with sacrifices of prisoners and fasting as penance.

MEDICINE

They were based on empiricism, they used herbs to cure natural diseases, especially eucalyptus and rue. They also performed climbing, bleeding, sutures, amputations or punctures. They used the obsidian for their scalpels. For magical or religious disease, a ticitl was needed, which was like a shaman or sorcerer.

MATHEMATICS

Own numbering system was of twenty -based base, they were counted for twenty, the numbers from 1 to 19 were represented with points, 5 with one hand, 20 with a flag and this was repeated for major quantities. The 400 was represented with a pen and 8000 with a bag or sack.

Land use

Its most important technique was that of chinampas or floating islands where small lots of land to grow cocoa, beans, corn, tomatoes, chili and other vegetables were discarded, with these chinampas they left free channels for the flow of products and people.

ARCHITECTURE

They built pyramids with double staircases, richly ornate, most of their architecture was built for ritual dramas. In addition, its architecture was developed on a series of islets and was symmetrical. Large palaces and temples were made based on stone, which were communicated through channels.

Incas

LOCATION

They were located in South America (had 10 million inhabitants), in the territories of the current countries: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

It was a monarchical government where the Inca possessed absolute power, the nobility called Cápac Aillu, was divided into Panacas.There is also the possibility of a daily government formed by the Incas Hanan (Conquistador and Guerrero) and Rurin (priestly functions). Government decisions were consulted to the oracle, that is, the gods and ancestors influence government decisions.

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

The Cápac Aillu were the main Cuzqueña nobility and subdivided into, Hanan and Rurin Cuzco and these in turn were divided into three Aillus: Collana Payan and Cayao which were composed of ten groups normally identified as Panacas. On the other hand, a noble Cuzqueño, who joined a Cápac Aillu for being a descendant of a noble and a noble woman, would be associated with one of these ten Aillus and would be considered ‘collana’ if his father was or descended directly from a Inca reigning. Otherwise, as he descended from a ‘second’ or ‘third’ brother, he would integrate the Payan or Cayao group.

Economic organization

In economic life in Tahuantinsuyo there was no private property and was based mainly on kinship, reciprocity and redistribution. What allowed to solve economic needs at the local and state level, human energy was exchanged, of work in this way, the relatives could be available at the time of planting or harvest, the Inca had an immense amount of labor, Through the mita, to subsist with agriculture. In case the economy always involved the delivery of labor to the State and not that of products.

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION

They were polytheistic their gods had a duality for example Sol (Inti) and the moon (keel), the authorities were responsible for organizing the ceremonies of worship to their different divinities regardless of the degree of power they exercised, from the sovereign of Cuzco to the Less powerful curacas, the authorities were, like supernatural beings. The sacred space was divided into Hanan, Kay and Ucu Pacha, also sacrifices, offerings to the gods and rituals that were seen as the origin and support of power were made.

CALENDAR

His calendar began with the inti Raymi. It was determined from the observation of the sun and the moon. The year, of 360 days, was divided into 12 moon of 30 days each.

MEDICINE

He practiced medicine based on the use of medicinal plants and magic rituals linked to religious aspect. Any disease obeyed the action of an evil spirit, intervening in the body of a mortal came to practice surgeries, climbing the skull of a patient to evict an evil entity. The method included an anesthetic, which could be performed based on coca leaves, alcoholic beverages or sleepy plants. They used simple but effective surgical instruments, such as the Tumi which served to open skulls, and vilcachina, to remove objects. Thus, those in charge of exercising it were different herbalists (Hampa-Camayoc), Curanderos (Sancoyoc) or shamans (Macsa, or Sayac).

MATHEMATICS

Quipu was used, materialized in a set of knots made on strings, and yupanas ‘Inca abacus”. This gave the Incas a simple but effective arithmetic, for accounting purposes, based on the decimal system; They did not know zero, but dominated the sum, subtraction, multiplication and division.We cannot consider it so much an instrument of calculation, but rather as a record or file of numerical information.

Land use

They were worth the slopes of the hills to grow, built platforms and used various altitudinal floors to have a greater diversity of agricultural products also used camellones or crop paths above the level of water and cochas or artificial lagoons that allowed to adapt the crops to The extreme climatic conditions all these techniques depended on the area where it was cultivated.

ARCHITECTURE

Its architecture was solid, simple and symmetrical, and was made with huge overlapping stone blocks where no glue none was used, with carved and polished rocks, together with such precision, that it was impossible for a sheet of paper to pierce the joints in addition to the joints in addition to They did not carry complex decorations. Another example of architecture is the Ushnu or Trunca Pyramid, the acllahuasi is a construction with pads of padded stones and with adobes walls and finally the kallanka that were rectangular spaces similar to sheds. They also had street streets and was owned by a drainage system.

Maya

LOCATION

They were located in what corresponds to the Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, much of Tabasco, half of Chiapas, as well as the Republic of Guatemala, Belize and the western ends of Honduras and El Salvador. The territory covered at least 400,000 square kilometers.

POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

His state organization was theocratic. When the conquest was given, the Mayan area was divided into autonomous political entities, states, provinces or independent cacicazgos which had a member of the nobility in front of their government who received the position of Halach Ulnic or true man, who was also called Ahau or Lord.

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

Society divided into classes. A minority, composed of the nobility, there was the priests and the lords. In Yucatan they were called Ahkinoob (those of Sol) and Almehenoob (those who have a father and mother). The merchants formed an intermediate stratum between nobles and common people. The working mass was called Talcs as Ah Chern Bal uinicooh (lower, vulgar men), Yalba Um icoob (small men, plebeians) this located them at a low level, finally lacking every human right, were slaves, prisoners of war or criminals, as well as individuals bought from a merchant or orphans, all slaves could be offered as sacrifices to deities.

Economic organization

They took advantage of the resources of nature to feed, build weapons, homes, clothing and ornaments, also used bartering as a form of trade between generally internal peoples, and in major transactions they used as form of currency cocoa grains, jade, shells red shells or flat copper hashuelas.

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION

They were polytheistic and worshiped elements of nature. Hunab Ku (The Creator), was Lord of Heaven and God of the Day. The gods possessed unlimited power, built temples and around them, cities were built, which means that religious cult was the center of this civilization. The people chosen as priests were part of the elite of the Mayan society and, after their appointment, they received even more privileges, similar to those enjoyed by other important personalities such as the warrior bosses. Among its gods we have Itzamná (son of Hunab Ku) Chac (God of rain, and fertility of agriculture) Ah puch (God of death) Yun Kaax (God of corn).

CALENDAR

The Maya had 2 calendars: the tzolkin or ritual and the haab or solar. The first consisted of 260 days divided into 13 months of 20 days, and was used to predict the future of people. The Haab had 365 days, 18 months of 20 days each and another more than five days. The names of the months were: Pop, UO, Zip, Zotz, Tzec, Xul, Yaxkin, Mol, Chen, Yax, Zac, CEH, Mac, Kankin, Moan, Pax, Kayab, Cumbu and Uayeb.

MEDICINE

The healers established the symptomatology and had a wide curative arsenal of products of plant, animal or mineral origin. As for evils from bad winds, they were supposed to be of magical origin so they were cured with magical practices. In addition, corn grains was a very important spiritual medicine. According to the ritual of the bacabes texts on spells, prayers and medical recipes the word was endowed with a powerful magical and ritual force.

MATHEMATICS

Used a positional vigesimal numbering system. They also had a sign to represent zero, and thus be able to perform complex mathematical operations. For the Maya the point had a numerical value of 1 and the ray of 5. Thus they could count until 19 and being a vigesimal system considered 20 as a basic unit for the account, each space that progresses in the number represents 20 times more than the previous space.

Land use

They used the "touch and burning" system where the Maya planted on the ground and ashes, obtaining their crops the Maya moved to a new area and repeated the process. In addition, the Maya made terraces in the steep hills and raised crop beds next to the channels.

ARCHITECTURE

They built their temples and palaces on pyramids, platforms and acropolis, their buildings were adorned with stylized masks and sculptures which were surrounded by a patio or garden, but the interior of the buildings was very simple. Many of these structures were covered with the use of the cantilever arc to accommodate the stones. Finally, the Maya built astronomical observatories, embankments (Sacbeob), reservoirs, bridges, ball courts, saunas, chultunes and prey.

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