I think it is helpful to compare the Aztec and the Incas empires to other civilizations because it helps understand both empires in a familiar light. These two empires have recently been analyzed, and much information about the empires is not clear. Recently, new facts have been discovered by archeological finds, by anthropologist, and scientist. Thus, historians have to learn such data and then analyze the data. Moreover, new data has altered the way historians saw Mesoamerican and Andean empires. Until the twentieth century, there was no real emphasis on learning about Mesoamerican and Andean cultures and civilizations. Thus, there is not an extensive archive or information regarding these empires. Therefore, it helps to compare them to other civilizations historians are familiar. In addition, it helps readers to understand better these civilizations when they can make connections with more familiar civilizations. Therefore, it becomes easier for historians to teach about these civilizations.
Conrad and Demarest are comparing the Aztecs and Inca empires. They have made similarities about both empires. For example, the Aztec and Inca empires fell because of their religious ideologies, “these cultures changes were adaptive responses to the natural and social environments of fifteenth-century Mexico and Peru, in that the initial expansion brought benefits to the Mexica and Inca people” (180). Thus, Conrad and Demarest are comparing and analyzing facts about both empires. Conrad and Demarest have concluded that both empires started a similar hierarchical government, and that they both fell because there were flaws in their ideological government.
Going along the lines of what you said about only recently learning more about these two empires in the 20th century, the isolation of many locations had a big impact of information available for study. The isolation of ancient cities and other sites made recovering their hidden secrets a long process that could only start once it was found. Then once a site was actually found, there became the problem of getting equipment and resources out to the isolated sites.
ReplyDeleteSo the information slowly becomes available and because it is so slow of a process, new information slowly changes facts about the empires. Over time, the information available to teach to others changes things we once thought to be true