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Change and Continuity Over Time Essay Topic: Mesoamerican political and cultural changes and continuities 600 - 1450_________________________________________________ Beginning · Mayans conducted warfare in order to acquire human labor and sacrifices. · Mayans were highly religious, they built temples to honor their gods and often conducted human sacrifices using captives from warfare. · Mayan civilization was a collection of citystates. · Mayan kings held absolute power. · They had a pyramidal social structure with warriors and priests at the top, and slaves and peasants on the bottom. ·Women held some power in Mayan society, there are two known female rulers and instances of matrilineal descent occurred. · Mayans made many advances in math and astronomy (concept of zero, developed calendars) and also had a writing system. Middle · Mayan civilization collapses for unknown reasons and other civilizations emerged to take its place, such as Aztec among others. · Toltec civilization was one of the civilizations to emerge. · Toltecs borrowed and maintained the culture from the Teotihuacan. They later passed on this culture to the Aztecs. · Toltecs had a warrior-based society; however the social structure remained pretty much the same. · Toltec culture also revolved around warriors, many lintels and paintings of warriors were made. · Special system of the Toltecs was that they ruled using a dual king system (two kings ruled simultaneously). End · Aztecs borrowed and adapted culture from the Toltecs. · Aztecs ruled as an empire. · Aztecs also conducted warfare, but they added onto the reasons for warfare. They introduced a tribute system, where they took tributes from the people they conquered. · Aztecs were also highly religious and built temples honoring their gods. Within the Aztec civilization an increase in human sacrifice can be seen. · Women did not have as much power compared to their Mayan counterparts. They were subordinate to men although they could inherit property. · Aztec kings didn’t hold as much power and were chosen by a group of nobles. Changes: Reasons for warfare changed; tribute system was added. Mayan civilization was a collection of city-states while Aztecs were an empire. Mayans were ruled by a king with absolute power, Toltecs were ruled by two kinds, and Aztecs were ruled by kings that held less power and were chosen by nobles. Women also lost power in Aztec society. Continuities: Warfare was conducted throughout Mesoamerica in order to gain human labor and sacrifices. Mesoamerican civilizations were highly religious, conducting many human sacrifices and building many temples to honor their gods. Social structure remained relatively the same with the king(s) at the top, followed by warriors and priests, commoners, and then slaves at the bottom. As civilizations rose and fell, culture was passed on. THESIS: Throughout this time period, many political practices were borrowed from neighboring and past civilizations and sometimes amended. The same was true for Mesoamerican culture, similarities are evident throughout Mesoamerica, but significant changes were also made to society.