Americas
Required Concepts:
5 themes of history
8 features of civilizations
Contributions to modern society
Achievements
Calendar
Time
Mesoamerica
Aztec
Incas
Mayas
Mesoamerican Sites
Mesoweb
Features Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations, including a virtual tour of Chichén Itzá.
Balancing the Cosmos, a narrated video requiring the QuickTime plugin (available from the
site), shows how modern Maya preserve ancient traditions. (Mesoweb, Pre-Columbian Art
Research Institute, San Francisco, CA)
Latin American Prehistory Page
Describes specific early regional civilizations in South America and MesoAmerica. The
Technology & Society section examines calendars, writing, and social structure. (Minnesota
State University, Mankato, MN)
Journey Through Tikal
Features an interactive tour of the ruins of Tikal in Guatemala with extensive information on the
architecture, the arts, and the culture of the Maya. The site requires a QuickTime plug-in and the
necessary link is provided. The user can pan, zoom, and click on hot spots in order to get a
physical sense of the ruins. (Studio 360, Seattle, WA)
The Maya civilization and cities
Features text and visual displays of Mayan civilization with information ranging from the ancient
Mayans to the recent conflicts between the Mexican government and the Indians in Chiapas.
Maps, a Mayan timeline, and a discussion of the Mayan numbering system and calendar are
included. (Mexico Connect, Jalisco, Mexico)
Aztecs
Created for a 2003 exhibit, this site offers an overview of the Aztec civilization with information
on Aztec gods, belief systems, and art. (Royal Academy of the Arts, London, United Kingdom)
Civilizations in America: Mexica/Aztecs
Provides an overview of Aztec history, religion, agriculture, language, and social structure. The
page connects to similar sections on the Olmec, Toltec, and Maya civilizations. (Washington
State University, Pullman, WA)
Explore the MesoAmerican World
Provides maps, timelines, and art focusing on the Mesoamerican ballgame as the oldest
organized sport in history. An engaging combination of images, text, expert commentary, and
video explains the sport. (The Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC)
John Pohl's Mesoamerica
Provides an introduction to the history, geography, art, writing, and archaeology of
Mesoamerican civilizations with a discussion of the ancient codices and historical records
documenting the European conquests. The author, John Pohl, is an authority on native American
civilizations and has directed many archaeological excavations in Mexico and Central America.
(Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., Crystal River, FL)
Inca Sites
The Conquest of the Incas
Provides descriptions of Francisco Pizarro and his conquests in South America in conjunction
with historian Michael Wood's PBS documentary, The Conquistadors. (Public Broadcasting
Service, Alexandria, VA)
Peruvian Expedition: Ice Mummies
Materials to accompany the NOVA series "Ice Mummies," which followed the daily progress of
an expedition to uncover frozen sacrifices in Peru's Andes Mountains. (PBS Online, NOVA,
Boston, MA)
Civilizations in America: Incas
Provides an overview of Incan history, religion, agriculture, language, and social structure.
(Washington State University, Pullman, WA)
Andes Web Ring
Features a photo gallery of the Macchu-Picchu landscape and the surrounding ruins as well as a
information on Tupac Amaru, the last of the Incas. The site offers essays on Andean cosmology,
prehistory, and colonization and liberation. (James Q. Jacobs, Apache Junction, AZ)