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In 600 C.E, Teotihuacan, located 30 miles northeast of modern day Mexico City, was at the height of its power. It was the largest city in the Americas, with a population of 125,000 to 200,000 people. The advances in astronomy are represented in local religious architecture, that aligned with nearby mountains to reflect the stars. Polytheism was studied, and human sacrifice was practiced to please their Gods. Their political structure did not place all the power into the hands of one ruler.
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While Teotihuacan was at its peak, the Mayans were making major advancements to their previous cultural, agricultural, political, religious achievements, as well as inventions in astronomy, time keeping, and mathematics. Draining and building elevated fields, and irrigation allowed the Mayans to feed their large populations. They created a solar calendar, made up of 365 days, divided into 18 months of 20 days, similar to the calendar we use today.
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The Mesoamerican Civilization from 600 to 900 CE experienced what historians call the Classic-Period in their history. This Classic-Era was a time of growth for the Mesoamericans, with advances in technology, political structure, astronomy, mathematics, long distance trade, as well as advancements in agicultural productivity. These advances were dependant upon the powerful elites who organzied and commanded large groups of soldiers and laborers.
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Their mathematic system included the idea of zero and place value. Warfare and religion coincided, and many illustrations depict the sacrifice of prisoners as a religious offering. The Mayans tracked the course of the sun, and used their cosmic observations to create the calendar, as well as construct their temples. Elite rulers held both priestly and political power. They were known to communicate with Gods. Their writing system was made up of heiroglyphics, used to signify words or concepts.
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Historians are still not completely sure as to what caused Teotihuacan to collapse. Scholars predicted that an a rival city attacked and defeated the Mesoamericans in Teotihuacan. Other evidence from murals shows that the final decades of Teotihuacan were violant. Mismanagement of resources that led to class conflict and a social breakdown within society could have also been a major cause of the decline.
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Beginning in 800 C.E, Mayans began abandoning, or destroying their cities and major urban centers. It is unclear as to why the Mayans really left, however many ideas were proposed. Some scholars say that with the decline of Teotihuacan, trade declined as well. Also, with the large population, resources grew scarce, causing a decline in agricultural production, leading to social conflict and warfare. A third reason is that epidemic disease may have caused them to leave.
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Although Teotihuacan and many Mayan cities were destroyed, some remained unscathed, and are today major tourist attractions. Cultural characteristics and practices that once were apart of the classic period were carried over into the postclassic period. "The two periods are linked by similarities in religious belief and practice, architecture, urban planning, and social organization"(The Earth and Its Peoples 1). The population increased during this time, as well as warfare and agriculture.
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The Toltecs were a very powerful civilization with a strong military used to conquer lands. Their capital, Tula, was constructed in grand style in 968 CE, with elaborate temples. It controlled all of central Mexico. War and violence were a reoccuring theme in the Toltec art, with most art depicting war, soldiers, and human sacrifice. Two kings ruled the Toltecs, and this caused them more harm then good.
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IN 1175 CE, northern invaders came into Tula, destroying it as well as the Toltec civilization. Also, the division of power between two kings in the Toltec civilization is said to have been one of the reasons for their decline because a difference of opinions weakened their unity.
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Following the destruction of Tula, the Aztecs move into central Mexico from the north, and later become the dominant power. However, when they first arrived, they served as mercenaries and serfs to the more powerful neighboring civilizations. They had a clan-based civilization, then later mimicked urban civilazations, adopting social and political practices.
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In 1325 C.E, the Aztecs began constructing their twin capitals, Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco on small islands near Lake Texcoco. With increasing military power, the Aztecs were able to gain control of new land, gained political security and economic independence, and developed a monarchial system, or a kinship-based organization, where artistocrats selected new rulers from a ruling lineage. The urban plan of these cities was based around the clans, who were soldiers together in separate units.
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By the 1500's, "great inequalities in wealth and privilege characterized Aztec society"(The Earth and Its Peoples 1). Social divisions were accentuated, where nobles would own large properties with many slaves and landless commoners. The lower classes has little to no say in the government, and were very poor. In 1502, the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II was crowned king, and the tribute sytem was in order. The population of both Technotitlan and Tlatelolco, and the smaller cities reached 500,000.
