Caption: The Aztec Sun Stone (Calendar Stone), a monumental basalt sculpture depicting the five eras of Aztec cosmology. The face of the sun god Tonatiuh appears at the center.
The Aztec Empire (c. 1325-1521)
Caption: Machu Picchu, the 15th-century Inca citadel perched at 7,970 feet in the Andes Mountains. Its precisely cut stone walls, terraced agriculture, and water systems showcase Inca engineering.
The Inca Empire (c. 1438-1533)
Maya civilization in the Postclassic period
Mississippian culture (c. 800-1600)
Other American societies
Agriculture and environment
Primary sources
Codex Mendoza (c. 1541, recording pre-conquest Aztec records)
Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala on the mit'a (c. 1615, describing Inca-era practices)
Key figures
Key events summary
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Vocabulary
Unit 1 topics
Unit 1 overview1.1Developments in East Asia from c. 1200 to c. 14501.2Developments in Dar al-Islam from c. 1200 to c. 14501.3Developments in South and Southeast Asia from c. 1200 to c. 14501.4Developments in the Americas from c. 1200 to c. 14501.5Developments in Africa from c. 1200 to c. 14501.6Developments in Europe from c. 1200 to c. 14501.7Comparison in the Period from c. 1200 to c. 1450