Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas
        
        
          How were the Incas like the ancient Egyptians?
        
        
          
            History of people
          
        
        
          
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            Aztec
          
        
        
          
            warrior
          
        
        
          
            headdress
          
        
        
          Three great civilizations grew up in
        
        
          the ancient Americas. They were
        
        
          called the Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas.
        
        
          These people built great cities and
        
        
          temples to their gods.
        
        
          
            Gods and farming
          
        
        
          The Aztecs prayed to the gods
        
        
          to make their crops grow. Most
        
        
          important was maize (corn). It
        
        
          was ground into flour for making
        
        
          flat breads called tortillas.
        
        
          
            Where did they live?
          
        
        
          The Aztecs and Mayas ruled
        
        
          large parts of Mexico and
        
        
          Central America. The Inca
        
        
          Empire stretched along the
        
        
          west coast of South America.
        
        
          
            Aztec temple
          
        
        
          Aztec temples looked like pyramids,
        
        
          with steps leading to a shrine on top.
        
        
          Here, the Aztecs killed people and
        
        
          offered their hearts to
        
        
          the god of the Sun.
        
        
          
            Aztecs
          
        
        
          
            Mayas
          
        
        
          This is Chicomecoatl, the
        
        
          Aztec goddess of maize.
        
        
          
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