ACTIVITY

Search on the Internet and study the following civilizations. Learn about their
activities, culture and history:
MAYAN CIVILIZATION
History Culture Activities
●​ The Ancient Mayans resided in ●​ The Maya were deeply ●​ The earliest Mayans were
Yucatán around 2600 B.C. religious, worshiping farmers, cultivating corn
various elemental gods (maize), beans, squash, and
●​ The term "Maya" originated in such as the sun, moon, cassava (manioc). The
the ancient Yucatan city of rain, and corn. The Mayans pioneered a variety
Mayapan, which was the kings, or "kuhul ajaw" of advanced farming
capital of the last Mayan (holy lords), who techniques, incorporating
Kingdom. claimed to be descended irrigation and terracing.
from gods and followed
●​ The Mayans descended from a hereditary succession, ●​ They were renowned for
the Olmec and other Central ruled over Maya society. their elaborate ceremonial
American and Mexican architecture, containing
peoples. ●​ The Maya addressed pyramids, temples, palaces,
their feasts and rituals as and observatories. Their art
●​ According to numerous a habit. These Maya also includes stone
studies, the Maya civilization rituals frequently sculptures, architecture,
fell apart between A.D. 800 included blood, which ceramics, wood carving,
and 1000. could be obtained and wall painting
through human
bloodletting and animal ●​ The Mayans also made
or human sacrifice. major contributions to
mathematics and
●​ Maya funerals were astronomy, including the
ritualistic, with the body use of the zero and the
being cremated and advancement of complex
buried, as well as calendar systems such as
traditions to free the the Calendar Round, which
k'uh. utilized 365 days.

●​ Many Maya rituals ●​ The Mayans made paper

included dancing and using tree bark and
elaborate costumes in the produced books formed
hopes of capturing the from this paper, which they
attention of a specific called codices.
god.
●​ Their form of writing is the
hieroglyphic writing
system.
 INCAN CIVILIZATION

History Culture Activities

●​ The Inca civilization emerged in ●​ The Inca religion ●​ The Inca Empire's notable
ancient Peru between c. 1400 to incorporated elements of features included monumental
1533 CE. animism, fetishism, and the architecture, especially
worship of natural gods. stonework, an extensive road
●​ The Inca had the world's largest The Inca supported the network connecting all
empire, and it remains the largest worship of a creator god corners of the empire,
empire to ever exist in America. (Wiracocha), the sun god finely-woven textiles, the
(Inti), the Moon Goddess usage of knotted strings
●​ The Inca called their capital city, (Mamaquilla), the thunder (quipu) for record-keeping
Cusco, the "belly button of the god (Illapa), the earth and communication,
world." mother (Pacha Mama), and agricultural innovations and
a variety of other deities of production in a difficult
●​ The Spanish began their invasion the supernatural. environment.
of the Inca Empire in 1532, and
by 1572, the last Inca state had ●​ Inca rituals included ●​ They provide their own
been completely conquered. intricate methods of clothing and blankets with
divination as well as alpaca and llama wool.
human and animal
sacrifices. ●​ Following their ruler's death,
they mummified them by
removing their organs,
preserving the body with
alcohol, and freezing their
remains in the cold, dry
mountain air, believing that
they were the sons of the sun
god.

AZTEC CIVILIZATION
History Culture Activities
●​ The Aztecs were thought to ●​ The Aztecs were ●​ Commoner sons were
have originated as a northern polytheistic, and their primarily trained as
tribe of hunter-gatherers gods and goddesses were soldiers, whereas noble
named after their homeland, associated with both sons were trained as
Aztlan, which means "White natural and human priests, government
Land" in the Nahuatl language. elements, including the officials, or military
The Aztecs eventually arrived sun, water, agriculture, commanders.
in Mesoamerica in the early war, and death.
13th century. ●​ An older woman could also
●​ The Aztecs reflected the work in a profession like
●​ By the 15th century, the Aztecs civilization's unwavering matchmaking or
had established themselves as devotion to the many midwifery. Young girls
the dominant force in central Aztec gods, including helped with household
Mexico, establishing a Huitzilopochtli (god of chores. The woman's
complex social, political, war and the sun) and primary responsibility was
religious, and commercial Quetzalcoatl ("Feathered to bear and nurture her
organization that brought many Serpent"), a Toltec god children. The Aztecs
of the region's city-states under who played numerous believed that marriage's
their control. important roles in the purpose was to bring
Aztec faith over time. children into the world.
●​ The Aztec Empire ended in
1521 when it was conquered ●​ Aztec priests used a ●​ In the marketplace, Aztecs
by Spain, and a large portion 260-day ritual calendar used a barter system in
of the population died from for divination, along which one type of good
hunger and smallpox. with a 365-day solar was exchanged for another.
calendar. As part of their
religious practices, the ●​ Aztecs enjoy recreational
Aztecs practiced activities such as music and
bloodletting and human dancing, while nobles
sacrifice at their central enjoy hunting. Patolli (a
temple, Templo Mayor, board game) and tlachtli (a
in Tenochtitlan. soccer-like game) were
also popular forms of
●​ Marriages were typically entertainment.
arranged by the bride
and groom's families.
Polygamy (marriage to
more than one woman)
was permitted in Aztec
society.

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION
History Culture Activities
●​ Ancient Egypt was a ●​ Some of the girls in ●​ The Egyptians were
civilization in ancient Egypt wear a scarf to innovators in mathematics,
Northeast Africa that respect Islamic virtue of medicine, and architecture.
flourished along the lower conservativeness. They invented the calendar,
reaches of the Nile River, in developed methods for
what is now Egypt. ●​ The Egyptians used measuring distances,
symbols called enhanced irrigation
●​ Egyptian civilization lived hieroglyphs for sounds, systems, performed
along the Nile River in large words, and ideas. medical surgery, and
part because the river's annual utilized their expertise in
flooding provided consistent, ●​ Egyptians worshiped architecture.
fertile soil for crop cultivation. hundreds of gods and
goddesses. They ●​ Egyptian kings built
●​ After the Roman Emperor believed that their king, massive structures and
Octavian (Augustus) defeated known as a pharaoh, was invoked the concept of
Pharaoh Cleopatra and Marc the falcon-headed god divine kingship to establish
Antony in 30 B.C., Egypt Horus on Earth, who and prolong their reign.
became a province of the served as a middleman
Roman Republic, ending the between the gods and
final era of the ancient humans. Other Egyptian
Egyptian dynasties. deities (gods and
goddesses) were
represented as animals or
fusions of animals and
humans.

Analysis
Based on what you have learned about the different civilizations, how did science shape their
everyday life? Write your answer below.

The way we live our daily lives has been greatly influenced by science. Scientific
discoveries can be found even in prehistoric times; the Mayans, for instance, achieved significant
advances in mathematics and astronomy. Priests studied the sky from observatories spread across
the Mayan lands. With remarkable accuracy, they were able to monitor the motions of planets
and stars. Based on their observations, the Mayas determined the solar year. The incredible
precision of the 365.2420-day Mayan year is impressive.
The Incas' most advanced technological skill was engineering. Their incredible road
system serves as the best evidence. The Incas constructed roads all over their empire. Significant
medical advancements were also made by the Incas. The healers, the Incan priests, performed a
surgical procedure known as trephination. Following the procedure, every patient for this surgery
made a full recovery.
 The Aztecs then showed their mastery of astronomy and mathematics by creating a
sophisticated and precise calendar system. The Xiuhpohualli, or solar calendar, and the
Tonalpohualli, or sacred calendar, were their two primary calendars. These calendars were used
by them to forecast future events, plan religious festivals, and identify ideal times to plant and
harvest crops.
The Egyptians gained extensive knowledge of medical science. They had ideas about
surgery. Dead bodies could also be preserved using chemicals. Other scientific achievements
included the construction of structures (the pyramids), mummification, and irrigation (crop
fields).
These just demonstrated that science was evident during ancient times.