In what way were the maya, aztec, and inca civilizations similar?

Although they had never had contact with each other, the three peoples had many curious similarities. The first is religion. All were polytheists, that is, they believed in several gods. And all these gods were what we now call phenomena of nature: sun, thunder, rainbow, rain, moon, etc. In common, they also had human sacrifices as an offering. The Mayans offered their enemies as sacrifices. The Aztecs, on the other hand, were perhaps the most cruel, offering children, besides prisoners of war. They believed that the earth must be fed with human blood. While the Incas preferred to offer animals and resorted to human sacrifice only in very serious situations or at the beginning of a new reign.

Another common point among the three was the agriculture-based economy, with a focus on maize and beans. The Maya already had some techniques for planting, such as the use of fertilizer and the construction of irrigation canals. A curiosity here: the Mayans thought that the raw material of the human being was corn. These people also planted cassava, pumpkin, potato, tomato, cacao, cotton and fruits like pineapple, passion fruit, banana and cashew. Already the Aztecs planted in pieces of drained land, known as chinampas. They also grew tomatoes, melons, vanilla, cotton, agave, tobacco, manioc, pepper and cacao. They are the first known chocolate, which was a hot cocoa-based drink.

The similarities do not stop there. The three peoples reached a high level in the crafts, the sculptures and their architectures. Everyone can be highlighted by their colorful clothes and their embroidery. Their temples were very well designed. They also had in common political and religious centers: for the Incas was Cuzco and Machu Picchu; for the Aztecs it was Tenochtitlán and the Mayans possessed Chichén Itzá, Tikal, Copán and Palenque. The three had hierarchies: sovereigns dominated, followed by priests, high officials, and the class of warriors, who were sustained by the work of artisans, peasants, and slaves. Moreover, one can not deny the great intelligence and knowledge of these peoples, in areas such as mathematics and astronomy.

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