Historical Video
Nowadays, historians are aware of and have thoroughly explored many powerful civilizations distinguished by their distinct features, outstanding achievements, and lavish cultural heritage. Some of the most recognized nations inhabiting the American continents are Maya, Aztec, and Olmec, which are still shrouded by a deep mystery, and thus, immensely interested scientists. This paper aims at describing the most remarkable historical attainments of Maya, Aztec, and Olmec discussed in the video titled The Ancient Americans.
One-Year Contract
If I was Mayan, I would be primarily proud of the splendid city Tikal, replete with “exotic temples, palaces, and plazas” (42 Lavender, 2016, 07:46 – 07:48). According to the video, the city spread over 10 square miles and emerged “from the primitive rainforest” (42 Lavender, 2016, 07:56 – 07:57). Most of the buildings were dyed red, and their apexes were ornamented with intricate carvings. The most notable place is situated nearby the ancient tallest temple presumably designed for religious rites, which contains “lovely open courtyards” and huge palaces. (42 Lavender, 2016, 08:51).
If I was Olmec, perhaps the oldest American civilization, I would be particularly proud of their enormous carved heads that were “nine feet tall and weigh over 20 tonnes” (42 Lavender, 2016, 06:31 – 06:34). Besides, I would pride myself on extraordinary masks made from “pure jade, one of the hardest stones” (42 Lavender, 2016, 06:40 – 06:44). Craftsmen should have spent months or years carving, polishing, and bringing them to perfect condition. These remains also indicate that Olmec was incredibly artful in carving and building.
If I was Aztec, I would especially proud of the fabulous city named Tenochtitlan, meaning “The home of the Gods” (42 Lavender, 2016, 17:34). In this city, all the main constructions and places, including palaces, templates, plazas, and pyramids, were arranged in strict, harmonious order. Aztecs themselves are primarily known for their highly developed writing imprinted in their codices “fill with illustrations as well as these picture symbols” depicting ordinary Aztec life and traditional stories (42 Lavender, 2016, 22:38 – 22:41).
References
42 Lavender. (2016). The Maya, Aztec, Olmec, ancient Americans: Amazing history documentary [Video]. YouTube.