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Period: 1500 BCE to 1539
Maya
Like most civilizations, the Maya specialized in farming and trade. They sported a monotheistic religion, in which the sacrifice of both humans and animals was prevalent. They were also in well-organized city-states. Maya Pyramid -
Period: 700 to 1500
Cahokia
Cahokia was composed of main city-states and prospered off of large amounts of trade. They often used canoes along the river to trade maize, beans, and squash. They are located in modern-day Illinois. Cahokia Mounds -
Period: 800 to 1200
Chaco
The Chaco Canyon was the center of this civilization, and they had large pueblo buildings, which gave them the nickname Pueblo Peoples. The canyon also served as an administrative, trading, and ceremonial center. The Chaco Canyon -
Period: 1190 to 1300
Mesa Verde
These peoples were located in Colorado, and we also occasionally called the Pueblo Peoples. The peoples living here started up as agriculturally centered, but as they got older, they built structures of sandstone bricks and mortar, to become a trading city. -
Period: 1230 to 1533
Inca
Used terracing on mountains for farming. They didn't write, they used quipu (colored and knotted ropes) rather than writing. Mita labor was a mandatory public service to the empire. -
Period: 1325 to 1521
Aztec
The Aztecs were agriculturally based, as they grew crops such as corn, beans, and squash. They featured a polytheistic religion, in which they would make human sacrifices. They also had a ruler or emperor of sorts, that would often conquer other tribes.
