The Maya, Aztec, and Inca

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

1. The Classic Maya: City-States and Dynasties. The Classic Maya were not one empire but rival city-states ruled by divine kings, or k'uhul ajaw.
2. Maya Writing, Mathematics, and the Calendar. Maya scribes combined a phonetic script, vigesimal mathematics with zero, and an extraordinarily precise calendar.
3. Maya Religion, Art, and the Terminal Classic Collapse. Maya religion inspired a rich artistic tradition, before the Terminal Classic brought a staggered political collapse.
4. The Toltecs: Tula and the Myth of Quetzalcóatl. The Toltecs of Tula (c. 900-1150 CE) became a lasting model of civilized refinement for later Mesoamerican peoples.
5. The Mexica Empire: Tenochtitlan and the Triple Alliance. The Mexica rose from a marginal migrant group to rule the Triple Alliance empire from island Tenochtitlan.
6. Aztec Religion, Economy, and the Fall of Tenochtitlan. Mexica religion and commerce flourished at Tenochtitlan until Cortés and epidemic disease brought the empire down by 1521.
7. The Inca Empire: Pachacútec and the Tahuantinsuyo. Beginning with Pachacútec in 1438, the Inca built the largest empire in pre-Columbian America in under a century.
8. Inca Religion, Architecture, and the Fall of the Tahuantinsuyo. Inca religion and monumental stonework flourished until civil war and Spanish conquest ended Inca rule by 1572.