Inca's method of communication was more advanced with the creation of a runner system who carried messages to The Olmec, Mayan, Incan, and Aztec civilizations are some of the greatest ancient civilizations in history, and yet we know very little about them compared to other parts of the world. Both were conquered by Spain. The local rulers and conquered people had to pay tax to the Aztec. The Incas placed Initi, the sun god, in the center of their divinities, joined by Illapa, a god of the thunderbolt who rattled the heavens and sent hail, and by Viracocha who raised mountains, and created and handed down laws for humans to follow. Similarities. Rulers were sometimes buried in pyramids with practical and precious grave goods, accompanied by real dogs or canine statues to help them navigate to the underworld. Pre-conquest Incas mummified important rulers and ancestors and kept them around -- either in their residences or in caves believed to be passageways between worlds. The Incas and Aztecs had a. Prezi. • Mayans were a far better civilization as they had a different approach to scientific processes. Aztec priests ritually murdered sacrificial victims by cutting out their beating hearts on altars or platforms set at the tops of pyramids. Aztecs were later arrivals. Aztec & Inca Empires: Compared Aztecs 1200s to 1520s Inca 1430s to 1530s 2. 8. Both had very developed civilization. Both their archaic common background and their mutual influences in later times account for the numerous points of resemblance between their cultures and societies, the most striking resemblances being found in matters of religion. Aztec was ruled by an Emperor whose main purpose was to lead in the wars. The blood flowed down the pyramid steps, a striking image for the observers below and a compelling enough offering to keep the sun rising and setting each day. The Aztecs were nomads that were instructed by Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec sun and war god, to head south in search of an eagle on a cactus with a snake in its mouth. Aztec & Inca Empires Were both based on earlier civilizations and cultures. They followed the sun and the god of the sun. Inca and Aztec societies were similar in that both (A) developed from Mayan civilization (B) acquired empires by means of military conquest (C) independently developed iron technology (D) depended entirely on oral record keeping Alignment with Curriculum Framework Key Concept Theme Skill 3.2.I.D (page 47) Theme 3: State-Building, Expansion, and Conflict. But the Aztecs were quick to incorporate indigenous minor gods into their pantheon. At the end of the first sun, tigers devoured the people; in the second sun, a fierce wind blew away most of the people and the survivors were turned into monkeys. Every art had its own calpulli or guild. The Aztec and Inca Empires. (Aztec by Herman Cortes, Inca by Francisco Pizarro). The similarity between the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas is that all had control of massive empires that eventually ceased to exist. Though, both these civilizations are Pre-European in their origin, it is the Native American people who have marvelous accomplishments in the history. Maya Aztec Inca Location Modern Day countries of: Guatemala, Mexico, The Inca were conquered by the Spanish and conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1533. The economic systems of early American societies were very similar. Explain the rise and fall of the Mayan, Aztec, and Inca Empires. Inca used quipus for documentation and Aztec used codex. Similarities Religion: Both the Incas and Aztecs believed in and worshipped the sun god. The first Mayan settlements were founded around 1800 B.C., with the great Mayan cities being built starting in 250 A.D. Aztec & Inca Empires Were based on managing resources, goods, and people in an economy centered on intensive agriculture. The Aztecs believed that if they fed the god blood the sun would rise. The Olmecs are frequently forgotten entirely, and the rest are often lumped together or confused, but they were all completely distinct. Benna Crawford - Updated September 29, 2017, Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Education, Explore state by state cost analysis of US colleges in an interactive article, University of Minnesota Hispanic Issues: The After-life of Inka Rulers, Arizona State University: News and Studies on Mesoamerica, "LaRousee World Mythology"; editor Pierre Grimal. But the Aztecs were quick to incorporate indigenous minor gods into their pantheon. Were originally clan based. While both the Aztecs and Incas had similar social hierarchies consisting of the elite, government officials, and commoners, the Aztecs had no structured form of government only paying tributes to officials compared to the Incas’ military ran bureaucracy… Compare And Contrast Inca And Aztec Empires But the big takeaway here is near the end of the Aztec civilization, as we get to the 100 years before the conquistadors arrive, you have this empire form. Both Incas and Aztecs believed in an afterlife and developed specific practices to honor their dead. Huitzilopochtli, the sun, was a primary god who protected the early Aztecs as they wandered in Mexico, looking for a homeland. Both of the civilizations have got their differences as they have evolved differently. b. The locations were in different areas - Inca lived in the Andes Mountains and Aztec resided in the Mexico Valley. The mummies, easily preserved in the dry Andean climate, participated in celebratory processions, were petitioned to intercede with the weather gods, and received regular offerings of food and drink. Other than that common factor, the groups all had different ways of life and unique languages, political agendas, religious views and ways to provide for their people. Even though the Inca and the Aztecs were separate and distinct civilizations, they were both considered agricultural based economies. ~ Inca had no writing system ; the Aztecs used Hieroglyphics ~ Incas lived in the mountians of Peru and used llamas to help with farming ~ Incas built hundreds of miles of roads ~ Aztecs were more focused around the city of Tenochtitlan Aztec & Olmec Similarities ; ~ Both lasted around 1000 years ~ Both used Heiroglyphics ~ Studied astronomy There were four unlucky attempts to create humans and, eventually, one couple survived by riding out a devastating flood in a box. Aztecs and Incas are two of the great civilizations of South America. Archaeological evidence in Teotihuacan, Mexico revealed the remains of over 100 Aztec warriors buried beneath the foundations of the temple of Quetzalcoatl, most likely as guardians to safeguard the temple. Aztec and Inca rituals included human sacrifice, in both cultures the offerings were made to seek favor from the gods. The Aztec and Incan civilizations were founded later, … Life and death were seen as an endless continuum with the soul migrating between mummified remains and carved stone effigies of the dead. Huitzilopochtli, the sun, was a primary god who protected the early Aztecs as they wandered in Mexico, looking for a homeland. The Aztec, Maya, and Inca all farmed but had different techniques. Start studying Religion: Compare and Contrast - Aztec, Inca, and Maya. At the end of the penultimate sun, a great flood washed over the earth and one man and one woman were left to repopulate the planet. Aztecs assigned the underworld several levels and a soul would arrive in one depending on its fate and occupation at death. Inca was ruled by Sapa Inca, the emperor who had absolute power. 1. Unlike the neighboring Mayans, which were … a. Both Incas and Aztecs participated in human sacrifices. And had built large temples to do the sacrifices in and had built special temples to worship thier god. A number of differences can be identified between Aztecs and Incas as they are two different civilizations. SSWH8 Describe the diverse characteristics of societies in Central and South America. In the Inca culture, it was a supreme honor to be offered to the sun god. The Inca, Mayan, Mississippian, and Aztec Civilizations Credits The Aztec Civilization 2 They spoke Nahuatl is their language and is still spoken today! Both empires were destroyed by Spanish conquistadors but left traces of their culture that tell us about their beliefs. • Mayans were the first to come and settle in modern-day Mexico. … Viracocha had similar challenges establishing an Inca race from clay or stone and destroying his flawed versions. The Aztec religion was polytheistic -- they believed in many gods. Well first of all, both the Inca and the Aztec performed human sacrifices to the gods. Mummies were considered to be the actual person they were before death. Her work has appeared in USA Today, the San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, and in professional journals and trade publications. As for the Incas the most important gods were; Into the sun god and Viracocha the creator or in other words the father in all of the gods who created the earth and all other planets. 2005. The ancient civilizations of the Americas all had fascinating features, some alike and some different. Inca and Aztec societies were similar in that both (A) developed from Mayan civilization (B) acquired empires by means of military conquest (C) independently developed iron technology (D) depended entirely on oral record keeping Alignment with Curriculum Framework Key Concept Theme Skill 3.2.I.D (page 47) Theme 3: State-Building, Expansion, and Conflict. Inca sacrificial victims, preserved for thousands of years at the freezing tops of sacred mountains in the Andes, were typically teenagers or children. Benna Crawford has been a journalist and New York-based writer since 1997. The Aztecs and the Inca people developed striking civilizations -- and complex religious systems -- in very different parts of the Americas. Aztecs believed in sacrifice of human whereas Mayans believed in offering blood as a sacrifice. -both had a class of professional merchants known as pochteca -both were loosely structured and unstable conquest states -both encouraged the assimilation of conquered peoples into their societies However, sacrifices were done by the thousands in the Aztec Empire. Both the Inca and Aztec civilizations have similarities in religion, politics and social structure.    What is a quipus and what is a codex? Many Aztec families and even villages were devoted to providing artwork for Aztec nobles. Learn more about ancient American cultures at HISTORY.com. The empire was already severely weakened by civil war and diseases such as smallpox when Pizarro arrived. One of these societies, the Mayans, lived in southern Mexico and northern Central America from the 3rd to the 10th century CE, and they relied on the trade of goods such as obsidian and crops such as cacao beans. In the era of the Aztecs, royalty were the holders of the throne, and their empires were quite similar to those in European history. Creation, for both the Incas and the Aztecs, was a process, not a single event. In what way were the Aztec and Inca empires similar? 3. The Aztecs built floating gardens while the Maya burnt down forests to plant gardens and the Inca farmed steep areas by building terraces. Although the pyramid designs were distinct, both cultures constructed geometrically precise pyramids out of stone, with their sides aligned on a north-south axis and their exteriors decorated with carvings of snakes -- representing Kukulcan/Quetzalcoatl -- and other divine figures. One Aztec founding myth is of the goddess Omeciuatl who birthed an obsidian knife which fell to earth, shattering into 1600 gods. Both the Aztec and the Inca were New World empires. The Aztec religion was polytheistic -- they believed in many gods. Another American civilization was the Aztec civilization. “Almost all religions in the ancient Andes was deeply connected to nature and to the success of farming. Incas erected palatial residences in the high altitudes of the Andes, read the night sky and were known as the children of the sun. Activities Crossword Puzzle Word Search Recommended books and references: Aztec, Inca, and Maya an Eyewitness Book by Elizabeth Baquedano. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Ancient America was the home of many large, advanced civilizations including the Maya, Inca, Olmec and Aztec societies. The Incas ruled their empire with a centralized government. Some archaeologists theorize that the sacrifices of children may have been made to appease the volcanic mountains, and that the mountains themselves were considered powerful gods. While both the Aztecs and Incas had similar social hierarchies consisting of the elite, government officials, and commoners, the Aztecs had no structured form of government only paying tributes to officials compared to the Incas’ military ran bureaucracy… Society : Both Aztec and Inca possessed a society ordered in hierarchies, the nobility being the most important sector Among the Aztecs the most recognized were military leaders, priests and civil servants, who were part of the Pipiltin class; while the rest were part of the common people called macehualtin. Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites. The Mesoamerican ballgame was a sport with ritual associations played since at least 1650 BCE by the pre-Columbian people of Ancient Mesoamerica.The sport had different versions in different places during the millennia, and a newer more modern version of the game, ulama, is still played by the indigenous populations in some places. Aztecs settled in Mexico where they placated the sun god and built pyramids. Inca's empire was more vast than the Aztec. This emperor was also the empire’s religious leader. Aztecs believed that there were four "suns" or eras and that each ended in catastrophe before the final, successful creation of humans. One Aztec founding myth is of the goddess Omeciuatl who birthed an obsidian knife which fell to earth, shattering into 1600 gods. They all used the same resources for building Adobe was one of the biggest resources for houses throughout the inca aztec and mayan empires. Both the Aztec and Inca had calendars of their own. Viracocha sculpted the first men from stone and set them underground to emerge from caves, lakes and rivers into the world. They both practiced and participated in human sacrifices. The Aztecs and Incas were religiously similar because their gods and the religious following were connected deeply with nature and how the world around them. 8. The Incas placed Initi, t… In the third sun, a rain of fire destroyed humanity and those left behind became birds.