Describe the rise of civilization in Mesoamerica and Andean South America. What does it have in common with the rise of civilization in Africa and Eurasia? In what ways was it different?

We can analyze one Mesoamerican civilization: the Aztecs, and one South American civilization: the Incas, and draw comparisons, find similarities and differences with Eurasian civilizations.

Similarities: the Aztecs and the Incas first became sedentary when the were able to obtain surpluses from the domestication of several crops like maize, tomatoes, and potatoes, and animals such as the turkey (Aztecs), and the Llama (Incas). This is the same pattern that Eurasian civilizations such as the Sumerians and the Ancient Egyptians followed.

Differences: unlike most Eurasian civilizations, which emerged on the shores of major rivers such as the Indus, the Nile, the Tigris, the Euphrates, and the Yellow River, neither the Aztecs nor the Incas established a territory on the shore of any major river.

The Aztecs developed in the Mexican plateau, a more or less flat area at high altitude, sorrounded by volcans, lakes, and deserts, and the Incas developed in the Peruvian Andes, a very mountainous region where communications were difficult and rivers scarce.

The Incas built a series of roads that carved throught the mountains, and kept the empire communicated from modern-day Ecuador to modern-day Chile.