Maya Economy
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The Maya did not use "money" : there was no accepted form of currency which could be used anywhere in the Maya region. Even valuable items, such as cacao seeds, salt, obsidian or gold tended to vary in value from one region or city-state to another, often rising in value the farther away these items were from their source. There were two kinds of goods commercialized by the Maya: prestige items and subsistence items. Prestige items were things like jade, gold, copper, highly decorated pottery, ritual items and any other less-practical item used as a status symbol by upper-class Maya. Subsistence items were those used on a daily basis: food, clothing, tools, basic pottery, salt, etc. Early Maya city-states tended to produce all of their own subsistence items. Basic agriculture - mostly production of corn, beans and squash - was the daily task of the majority of the Maya population. Who were the majority of the Mayan population? Well, people at the bottom of the social pyramid were. The top of the pyramid was filled by priests and kings who lived in the palaces. They were followed by wealthy nobles. The next level consisted of officers and commoners. As Mayans also seemed to have believed in the class which was destined to work, slaves and servants formed the bottom of the pyramid.
The art in the Mayan civilization was influenced by the customs and traditions of these people. Their jobs, clothing, and especially rituals were often recorded by an artist or carved to commemorate the ceremony. They also recorded ceremonies through art so future generations would not forget them.
The art in the Mayan civilization was influenced by the customs and traditions of these people. Their jobs, clothing, and especially rituals were often recorded by an artist or carved to commemorate the ceremony. They also recorded ceremonies through art so future generations would not forget them.
Inca Economy
The main resources available to the Inca Empire were agricultural land and labour, mines (producing precious and prestigious metals such as gold, silver or copper), and fresh water, abundant everywhere except along the desert coast. With careful manipulation of these resources, the Incas managed to keep things moving the way they wanted. Tribute in the form of service (mita-they made people work on building city projects for a certain amount of time every year) played a crucial role in maintaining the empire and getting people to build buildings and irrigation projects. Some of these projects were so awesome that they would have been impossible without the demanding whip of a totalitarian state.
The economy had two main sectors, though, the primary one was agriculture and in this the Incas made two major advances: large terracing projects which created the opportunity for agricultural specialists to experiment with new crops and methods of cultivation, and the transportation system which allowed a revolution in distribution.
Most of the work was done by the commoners. However, the Inca's had the least advanced class structure of their time. The Maya and Aztecs were more advanced. However, the Inca split their social structure up in to 3 classes. At the top was the emperor, who ruled the land. Next were the nobles who were highly ranked people that helped keep control of the vast empire with the emperor. Finally, there were the commoners, the every day Inca's. The warriors were also considered a class of their own, but did not fit in the social pyramid because of their unique jobs. Art was for the upper class who had more spare time to do it, but there were no patrons.
The economy had two main sectors, though, the primary one was agriculture and in this the Incas made two major advances: large terracing projects which created the opportunity for agricultural specialists to experiment with new crops and methods of cultivation, and the transportation system which allowed a revolution in distribution.
Most of the work was done by the commoners. However, the Inca's had the least advanced class structure of their time. The Maya and Aztecs were more advanced. However, the Inca split their social structure up in to 3 classes. At the top was the emperor, who ruled the land. Next were the nobles who were highly ranked people that helped keep control of the vast empire with the emperor. Finally, there were the commoners, the every day Inca's. The warriors were also considered a class of their own, but did not fit in the social pyramid because of their unique jobs. Art was for the upper class who had more spare time to do it, but there were no patrons.
Aztec Economy
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Aztec were very good farmers and agriculture was the foundation of their economy. The Aztecs used the Chinampa way of farming which enabled the people to make highly productive gardens that not only let them farm the land but also let them reclaim the water. They were able to plant and harvest lots of crops like sweet potatoes, maize, tomatoes, avocados, beans, squashes and other kinds of plants. While in the lowlands, tropical crops like papaya, cotton and cacao were planted and harvested. Chocolate, which is consumed both in liquid and solid form, made the Aztecs famous worldwide. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, they found out about chocolate and thus chocolate was discovered and spread across Europe. The crops that they planted and harvested were their main source of food since they rarely hunted animals as food, only eating turkey as some sort of special occasion food. The Aztecs were definitely an advanced people since they knew about the value of money. Several kinds of money were used by the Aztecs and the cacao bean was one of the regular money used by the Aztecs. For example, a small rabbit would cost a person around thirty cacao beans, but if a man were to sell his own child (especially a daughter), that man would gain about 600 cacao beans. As always, the lower class were the commoners.
Native Americans Economy (North American)
Native Americans in North America Economy
The Inuit, or Eskimo, prepared and buried large amounts of dried meat and fish. Pacific Northwest tribes crafted seafaring dugouts 40–50 feet (12–15 m) long for fishing. Farmers in the Eastern Woodlands tended fields of maize with hoes and digging sticks, while their neighbors in the Southeast grew tobacco as well as food crops. On the Plains, some tribes engaged in agriculture but also planned buffalo hunts in which herds were driven over bluffs.
People of the Southwest deserts hunted small animals and gathered acorns to grind into flour with which they baked wafer-thin bread on top of heated stones. Some groups on the region's mesas developed irrigation techniques, and filled storehouses with grain as protection against the area's frequent droughts.
In the early years, as these native peoples encountered European explorers and settlers and engaged in trade, they exchanged food, crafts, and furs for blankets, iron and steel implements, horses, trinkets, firearms, and alcoholic beverages.
The Inuit, or Eskimo, prepared and buried large amounts of dried meat and fish. Pacific Northwest tribes crafted seafaring dugouts 40–50 feet (12–15 m) long for fishing. Farmers in the Eastern Woodlands tended fields of maize with hoes and digging sticks, while their neighbors in the Southeast grew tobacco as well as food crops. On the Plains, some tribes engaged in agriculture but also planned buffalo hunts in which herds were driven over bluffs.
People of the Southwest deserts hunted small animals and gathered acorns to grind into flour with which they baked wafer-thin bread on top of heated stones. Some groups on the region's mesas developed irrigation techniques, and filled storehouses with grain as protection against the area's frequent droughts.
In the early years, as these native peoples encountered European explorers and settlers and engaged in trade, they exchanged food, crafts, and furs for blankets, iron and steel implements, horses, trinkets, firearms, and alcoholic beverages.