Write a summary on this passage
Modern day Mexico and the Central American countries of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador were home to several ancient civilizations. Historians refer to this geographical area as Mesoamerica. Featuring a varied climate and geographical terrain, this area of the world is home to volcanos, jungle, highlands, and mountains as well as hot, humid, coastal plains.
The region is known for its fertile soil that made it the perfect place for agriculture. In addition, this area is full of natural resources used by the ancient people such as jade, obsidian, seashells, and shark teeth. These natural resources served the civilizations in the creation of tools, weapons, and even jewelry. The combination of climate, fertile soil, and a wealth of natural resources, made this area the perfect place for civilizations to grow.
Three main civilizations flourished in Mesoamerica. They were: the Olmecs, Maya, and Aztecs. The Olmecs were the first civilization to exist in Mesoamerica. They centered their civilization along the Gulf of Mexico in modern day Mexico. After the collapse of the Olmec civilization, the Mayans rose up, creating their civilization in today's Southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. The Maya were known for cultivating cacao (seeds) and maize (corn). Cacao was used to make a chocolate drink. However, rather than sweet, it was spicy.
Corn was so important to this civilization that they even worshipped a God known as the Maize God, or Hun Hunahpu. Known for his headdress resembling an ear of corn, this god represented rebirth and the cycle of life.
Finally the Aztecs arrived in central Mexico, where they established their civilization. Known for their confrontation with the Spaniards when they arrived in 1521, the
Aztec civilization
was
destroyed during the conquest.
For all three of the civilizations, agriculture was important. Corn, or maize was an important crop for the Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs.
The Mayans used a unique technique called slash-and-burn agriculture to grow food. This means they chopped down trees and burned the brush, using the ash as the nutrient-rich soil for their food crops. The Aztecs were known for inventing floating gardens to grow food.
