Compare+the+Incas+and+Aztecs+in+terms+of+economic+exchanges

Thesis: The Incas and the Aztecs both flourished in their economy because they relied primarily on agriculture within their society, along with their advanced agricultural techniques, and with trade to different societies through land and water routes. The Incans flourished for only about 100 years, being conquered in 1532 by the Spanish, and the Aztecs established their homeland in the Valley of Mexico in the 1400s.

Incas
 * they were great farmers, believed to be the first to ever grow [|potatoes]
 * few other crops were cassava, Indian corn, cotton, and tobacco
 * mined bounties of gold and silver
 * key factor to success of economy was their [|highways]
 * did not use wheeled transport, but rather their gigantic llamas
 * also used runners to deliver important messages
 * some highways ran 5000 km, from Rio Ancasmayo to modern day Chile
 * high ranking nobles and architects built elaborate walls, some still standing today

A look into what the Incan Empire looked like. Click [|here].

Aztecs
 * economy based on agriculture and trade
 * advanced in agriculture, practicing crop rotation and [|chinampa] farming system
 * also did not trade by wheeled carried transport, but rather by [|canoes and slaves]
 * provided warriors to protect their caravans of trade
 * had no metal currency, but rather traded by what they thought to be rare and important at times
 * an example would be cocoa beans