Are you curious to know about ancient civilizations? People who lived and formed a totally different kind of culture and society hundreds of years ago. Here we'll give you a little flashback into the history of the well-known Mayan and Aztec civilizations.
This civilization flourished in areas that today comprise southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras and El Salvador. It is one of the Mesoamerican civilizations that developed around 2600 BC-1800 BC. The Mayan civilization is known worldwide for having the only well-formulated writing system and a calendar system known at that time. The Mayan civilization never had a unified state, it was rather composed of many "small states" ruled by princes. The peak of the Mayan civilization was between 250 and 900 ADs, when many Mayan cities began to emerge in most parts of Central America. It was during this period that civilization also developed in terms of intellectual capabilities, trade, economy, astronomy and warfare, which was a crucial indicator of the progress of a kingdom or civilization in terms of expansion. It was at this period that civilization built important sculptures and monuments, such as the flat pyramids and elaborate limestone monuments, which were complex in detail and the engineering of which was almost unattainable in that period. The Mayans had reached the pinnacle of civilization, which was unprecedented for all the civilizations that were flourishing at that time.
Eventually, the Mayan civilization began to collapse, leading to its downfall in the 8th and 9th centuries. Speculation on the causes of its decline is debatable and many theories have been put forward over time by numerous researchers and historians. The most widespread theories are a possible drought, a disease that could have wiped out the civilization, or a major climate change that could have brought an end to civilization in the southern lowlands. However, in the Yucatán highlands, civilization was still flourishing after 1500 AD. However, over this period, the local culture was wiped out by the Spanish conquest of the civilization in the early 1500s. The colonizers converted the population into Christians, which led to the destruction of most of the texts and documents. Today, the Mayans still live in parts of Central America and Mexico and in all other states where civilization once thrived, although Mayan culture is no longer preserved, the present Mayans are fragmented into several communities but they commemorate their ancestors and cherish their culture while being assimilated into the modern world.
The Aztecs arrived long after the end of the Mayan civilization. They were a group of nomadic tribes from northern Mexico who migrated to present-day central Mexico during the 13th century. The Aztec civilization flourished between 1345 and 1521 AD. Like the Mayans, the Aztecs were a group with extraordinary abilities. With their enormous political, economic, military and social powers, the Aztecs ruled central Mexico until the 15th century. In their main cities, the Aztecs built temples, palaces and gigantic statues, which shows that the population was highly devoted to their indigenous Gods. It was a civilization with a strong cultural heritage whose capital, Tenochtitlan, equalled in size and splendour with the largest cities in Europe. If we take a closer look at the interesting facts, the Aztecs were perhaps the first community in the history of mankind to make schooling compulsory for all, regardless of gender, demonstrating avant-garde thinking. Another fascinating fact about the Aztecs is the significance and value of chocolate associated with them. They offered cocoa beans to their deities and it also served as a currency of exchange. Standing with glory and ruling over 100 years, the civilization was finally taken over by the Spanish conquest in 1521 led by Hernan Cortes. The Spanish leader declared a war against the Aztecs and started a long seize and with hunger and failure to cope with the huge Spanish army the Aztec civilization ended.
The legacy continues with the natives who have survived to the present day, but the population today is a mixture of Europeans and the indigenous, making the racial composition of Mexico very diverse.
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