CULTURAS NATIVAS DE AMÉRICA

Overview of Native American Cultures: Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs

The Maya Civilization

• The Mayans developed a vigesimal (base-20) numeral system, with the significant achievement being the concept of zero.

• They utilized two overlapping calendars: the sacred lunar calendar (Tzolk'in) with 260 days and the solar calendar (Haab') with 365 days plus five additional "bad" days.

• In medicine, they classified diseases based on causes and symptoms, believing illness stemmed from imbalances due to bad behavior; healing rituals were common.

• Their social structure was politically and culturally unified under a hereditary leader known as the "true man," but they never formed a single empire.

The Inca Empire

• Incas used quipus—knotted strings—for accounting; colors indicated different values (e.g., white for silver).

• They created a sophisticated calendar based on celestial observations, accurately marking solstices and equatorial zones.

• The Inti Watana was a solar clock carved in granite that helped track time through its four cardinal-facing sides.

• Their government was teocratic; the Inca was seen as a descendant of the sun god, leading both religious and civil matters.

The Aztec Society

• Aztecs recorded time using two calendars: one solar (365 days), composed of 18 months of 20 days plus five extra days, and another ritual calendar (260 days).

• The Sun Stone is crucial for understanding their calendrical system; it features depictions of cosmic cycles rather than serving purely as a calendar.

• Medicine intertwined with magic and religion; illnesses were viewed as disruptions caused by social transgressions requiring divine intervention for healing.

• Their social hierarchy included city-states led by military chiefs, priests, and royal families who managed state bureaucracy.

Commonalities Among Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs

• All three civilizations measured time cyclically and employed plants in medicinal practices linked closely to their religious beliefs.

• They practiced polytheism with governance often led by priest-kings or similar figures within noble classes.