Assignment 3a

The Pre-Columbian era refers to the period in which the Americas were free of European infulence.  Some of the most recognized groups included the Toltec, teotihuacano, Zapotec, Mixtec, Aztec and the Maya) and the Andes (Inca,Moche, Chibcha, Cañaris).  Most think of the pre-columbian era as the time before Christopher Columbus.  The groups listed above developed many groundbreaking ideas.  The Aztecs contributed the number "0," to the number system.  The Mayans and Aztecs both had societal heiracrchies, which resembled modern day democracies.  The Aztecs also designed thier cities masterfully.  The city of Tenochtitlan is the site of Mexico City.  

Work Cited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Columbian.

The Tolecs are a mysterius group, which is what attracted me to do more research.  Many question if the Toltecs existed or if they were an Aztec myth.  The toltecs are believed to have ruled central Mexico from 10th century AD to 12th century AD.  The capital city of the Toltec empire was Teotihuacan.  The Toltecs dominated the postclassical Mayan civilization.  The Mayans are thought to have stemmed from the Toltecs.  Their are many similarities between the city of Tula, Hidalgo and Chichen Itza.  The video discusses what an efficient city Teotihuacan was and how passionate and dedicated the people were.  I used the youtube video and wikipedia for my research.

Little is known directly about the Toltecs because the Aztecs plundered the Tula ruins for building materials for their nearby capital, destroying most of the historical evidence that remained. Much of the information about the Toltecs comes from stories of other civilizations.

The greatest ruler of the Toltecs was Ce Acatl Topiltzin who was revered for being the leader and high priest of Quetzacoatl (the Toltec religion) at the time when Tula and the Empire were erected.

The Toltecs were the first to use a milateristic style to take over nearby cities and become an overbearing force.  The Aztecs used the same tactic.

I used youtube.com, wikipedia.com, and mnsu.edu/emuseum.  These are credible souces because I have used them before and they are trusted by many users.  Mnsu.edu is Minnesota State Unitversity's official website and features extensive information on ancient civilizations.