From the Paper
"Mayan civilization rose and fell over the course of 2,000 years. By the time of the European invasion of Central America, many Mayan cities had long been abandoned. Though the last Mayan outpost was not taken by the Spaniards until 1697, Mayan high culture had ended centuries earlier. The Aztec civilization was of more recent origin and reached its height in only a few centuries. The Aztec decline was the direct result of the Spanish conquest. Mayans and Aztecs had many cultural similarities, but they differed in fundamental areas such as the structure of the state and their relations with other peoples. The primary difference between them, however, is that the term Mayan refers to a large number of Maya-speaking peoples whose cultural and political cohesion "was quite extraordinary for any time or place."1 Despite the general cohesion of Mayan culture ..."

Abstract
This paper will argue, through an examination of the role of human sacrifice in the religious practices of the Aztec civilization, that human sacrifice should be interpreted primarily as a cultural activity that is firmly integrated into the signification and value system of the community as a whole.

Abstract
This paper analyzes the disappearance of the Mayan civilization while focusing on the various theories surrounding its eventual collapse. The writer of this brief yet concise paper details the history of the Mayan culture which emerged in 2000 BC. The Mayan civilization gave birth to numerous cultural progresses such as the establishment of a writing system, an organized political council as well as the introduction of organized religion. This paper examines the theories surrounding the dispersal of the Mayan civilization, when at around 800 AD it was purported to have suddenly collapsed. There have been numerous arguments based on archaeological and anthropological evidence that attempted to explain the collapse of this particular civilization. This paper focuses on several theories which may explain the disappearance of the Mayan people which include climatic changes as well as socio-cultural collapse through the population's expansion.

From the Paper
"The theory that argued that a climatic collapse led to the disappearance of the Mayan civilization was based from scientific findings that were caused by a severe drought. As reported by History Today, "[d]rilling samples from the Cariaco Basin off the Venezuelan Coast show there were intensely dry periods between AD 810 and AD 910..." From this finding, it was found that because there had been scarce supply of the people's basic needs, such as water and food supply, Mayan society disappeared, supposedly due to deaths caused by these series of drought. A more specific version of this theory was presented in Kerr's journal article on the scientific evidence pointing at climate changes as the catalyst towards the disappearance of the civilization."

Tags:anthropology, archeology, history, climate, socio-economic

Abstract
This paper traces the origins and developments of the Aztec Empire from their humble roots in southern Mexico. The author traces their developments over some 1000 years.

From the Paper
"The Aztecs were Central American Indian people who invaded central and southern Mexico and took control. As they grew in political status, they became sophisticated and civilized, learning from established peoples who had been town dwellers for more than 1,000 years. There are many myths and legends concerning these people called the Aztecs (Mayo 49). Some people describe the pyramids they built, the wars they waged and the human sacrifices they made. It has been said that their Emperor Montezuma was terrible and savage in his deeds (49). The Aztecs had a great civilization with a wealthy and diverse history. Fortunately, much of this history was preserved and recorded for us by early priest, conquistadors, Spanish chroniclers, and the Aztec themselves (49). "

Tags:aztec, empire

From the Paper
"The Aztec Empire existed in a region of Mesoamerica which is now part of Mexico. In the early sixteenth century, Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernan Cortes, conquered the Aztec people and destroyed their culture as it existed at the time. One of the most shocking aspects of that culture to the Spaniards was the fact that the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice on a massive scale. The invaders were further shocked when they realized that the Aztec Indians also routinely engaged in cannibalism with the remains from their human sacrifices. In addition to the eyewitness accounts of the Spanish conquistadors, there is evidence of both human sacrifice and cannibalism to be found in the ancient writings of the Aztec people themselves. These writings show that the Aztecs had a religious motive in undertaking human sacrifices. They believed that if their gods were not periodically ... "

From the Paper
"The Mayan
This paper will discuss the origin of Mayan society, and how the Mayan civilization grew. The text will analyze how the Mayan society eventually fell apart as well as some of the factors which led to the eventual collapse of this civilization.

The rise and fall of the Mayan civilizations is divided into seven major time periods. The first period is when the earliest Mayan Chiefdoms were formed, in approximately 1500 B.C. This period, called the Early and Preclassic period, extended until 400 B.C. After this came the Late Preclassic period in which the earliest statutes were found carved by Mayans in the southern Maya area. During the Late Preclassic era, the earliest monuments with Long Count dates were erected and the beautiful city of Tikal was founded by a royal Mayan leader (Yax Moch Xoc) (Sharer, xi)."

Abstract
In this paper the writer discusses the Mayan and Aztec cultures in a comparative nature to reveal the similarities in their interrelation to each other. By understanding the connectedness of the two cultures, the writer shows why they are so closely related in their art. Further, the writer shows the way that they made their art for life and religion. The writer also demonstrates that through an understanding of the artistic history of these nations, there is a semblance of influence that can be found in both of them.

Abstract
This paper takes an in-depth look at the intense passion that the ancient Mayan civilization had for sporting activities. The author discusses how the ballgames of the times had many different levels of meaning, ranging from entertainment to ritual, as tributes to the gods. The paper details the rules and regulations of such ancient games as Poc-a-tok and Ollama, and how Mayans saw sports as public reenactments of warfare.

From the Paper:

"Through this ballgame one can learn a lot about Mayan culture. The never-ending love and devotion that they held for the Gods of their people is apparent in the fact that they organized these ballgames to please them. They played until they collapsed from exhaustion, in some instances, so that they could be sacrificed if they won. The Mayans were a people of respect and warfare. This is evident in the way that after each raid that they planned only with the specific alignment of the sun and the planets they always held the game at the Victor?s homeland, there was no straying from the tradition. They placed value in worship of their gods and honor to those brave players who opted to die for the game and in turn for their Gods."

Tags:ballgame, custom, mayan, ritual, sport, underworld, courts, soccer, ollama

Abstract
This paper begins with a summary of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The basic plot and the main characters detailed in the book are then identified and the decision-making process is analyzed. A background of the author and origins of the book are provided. A critical analysis of the book follows.

From the Paper
"Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis published in 1969, is Robert Kennedy's account of the major symbol (the Cuban missile crisis) of cold war confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the year 1962, after the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the USSR increased its support of Fidel Castro's Cuban regime. In the summer of the same year, Nikita Khrushchev, who was heading the Soviet Union, secretly decided to install ballistic missiles in Cuba. In October, the U.S. reconnaissance flights revealed the clandestine construction of missile launching sites,
["U-2 had just finished a photographic mission" (Kennedy: 1971, 19)]
Which led to President Kennedy publicly denouncing the Soviet actions. He imposed a naval blockade on Cuba and declared that any missile launched from Cuba would warrant a full-scale retaliatory attack by the United States against the Soviet Union. On October 24, Russian ships carrying missiles to Cuba turned back. On October 28 Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles and dismantle the missile sites. Consequently, the United States ended its blockade on November 20, and by the end of the year the missiles and bombers were altogether removed from Cuba."

Tags:Kennedy, USSR, Castro, Khrushchev, ballistic, first-strike, blockade

Abstract
This paper focuses on the various and varied sources used by Soustelle in his book in which the author provides a multi-perspective account into the daily life of the Aztecs. Soustelle draws upon original source documents from surviving texts and materials. He cites surviving Aztec documents such as the Codex Azcatitlan, Cronica Mexicayotl, and the Mapa Tlotzin; Soustelle also cites numerous Spanish sources written at the time of conquest.

From the Paper
"The Introduction to Daily Life of the Aztecs provides historical context and background to the ideas, issues, and facts Soustelle presents in the book. The author begins by reminding the reader that the Aztecs were only one of many Mexican civilizations that flowered since the third millennium, BCE. Furthermore, Soustelle notes that the Aztecs themselves conquered other cultures on Mexican soil to eventually attain dominance of the region. The area in question is Mexico-Tenochtitlan, or the valley now known as Mexico City. Because Aztec life during the fifteenth century was largely urban in nature, Soustelle is also able to hone in on the specifics of city life. This makes the material extremely accessible to modern readers, who can relate to many of the aspects of daily life depicted in Soustelle's book. The introduction also clarifies the source documents. The Aztecs were dedicated to chronicling their culture, as they were proud and self-conscious people. Their language was a sophisticated set of figurative and phonetic pictographs. Unfortunately, after conquest, most of the Aztec writings were destroyed. The Spaniards, when they first encountered the Aztec people, deemed them immoral savages incapable of producing anything of true worth. Soustelle does a great job of emphasizing the horrendous nature of the conquest, even as he is able to describe some of the more brutal activities the Aztecs themselves engaged in. Soustelle's account is honest but not without opinion"

Tags:Codex, Azcatitlan, Cronica, Mexicayotl, Mapa, Tlotzin