Ancient American Civilizations From A to Z
Ancient Americans built advanced societies including the Maya Aztec Inca and Olmec with writing engineering architecture art and agriculture. The Aztecs created canals for Tenochtitlan and Montezuma II interacted with Cortes. the Inca excelled in roads bridges irrigation and goldsmithing. Olmec jade and stone work and Maya jade valued for jewelry and teeth. Feathers were prized for headdresses and cloaks.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mexico
Tenochtitlan
Mexico City
Food of the Maya diet and staple foods
The Maya relied on maize as the main staple with tamales and tortillas common. Kidney beans provided protein alongside sweet potatoes squash chilies tomatoes pumpkins and avocados. Cacao beans served as currency while some families kept turkeys ducks dogs and eel for special meals and stingless bees produced honey.
Inca Crafts: Cloth, Pottery and Jewelry Traditions
Inca society valued crafts such as textiles and pottery. Wool cloth was spun and dyed, with plant and insect dyes including tie-dye techniques. Pottery ranged from plain everyday pieces to painted, carved, or stamped works for ceremonies, while jewelry used stones, gold and silver.
Games of the Aztecs patolli and ulama
The Aztecs played patolli on a board with beans and stones as pieces and ulama as a ball sport for the elite. Ulama used a hard rubber ball on a court, with helmets, gloves, knee pads, and hip protectors, players hitting the ball through a ring using only hips and knees. Bets accompanied matches and losing players could be killed.
Ancient Civilizations of the Americas Overview
Ancient Americans cover Inca llamas and crafts, Maya achievements in art, architecture, farming, and writing, and the Toltecs in Mexico. Machu Picchu hid from Spaniards, Olmec origins and calendars, rubber balls, and survival of stone buildings. Notes on Aztec weaving, Mayan goddess Xochiquetzal, and Chichen Itza in Yucatan.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Machu Picchu
Andes
Mexico
Yucatan
Chichen Itza
Also Mentioned on This Page
Americas
Europe
Tonatiuh
Montezuma II
Hernando Cortes
Cortes
Montezuma
South America
The
Olmecs
Betty Debnam
Universal Press Syndicate
We At
Dlognamayas Vic
Amathdagbt
Sjkszad
Vanc
ERORL
NQST
AS LI
Mini
Mini Spy
Mushroom
Apple
Mis
Andrews McMeel Publishing
Kansas City
Central America
Chuh-Chenuhsaw
Egypt
Etzalcoatl
Ket- Sal-Kwat-Ul
What
Uxmal
Central and
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!