Their homelands were located on both American continents. It is still not known exactly where this race came from, and only some clues are given by the artifacts found.
Only a few descendants of the ancient empire have survived, and the mystery of their existence still tickles the curiosity and romanticism of the Indian ethnos. They are called "redskins" because of the tradition of painting their faces with red paint, which symbolized danger in the jungle.
The appearance of the first colonies dates back to the 5-6th century BC, Columbus discovered the tribe and called it "Incas". He was delighted with some of the local customs, for example, pipe smoking became popular throughout the world. Since ancient times, the Indians have been collecting plants that have a hallucinogenic effect (cactus, coca leaves and some types of mushrooms).
The Indians were famous for their agility and dexterity, which was on the verge of superpowers, so they were called the owners of various magical powers. Waging an endless war with whites made the Indians very cunning, hardy and cruel.
It should be noted that the first to show how to "scalp" a defeated enemy were precisely the white conquerors from Europe. There are a very large number of Native American ethnic groups. The main ones are:
Indians of South America
The Incas. Archaeologists claim that this tribe is one of the most developed Indian states, which is also known as the "Land of Four Quarters". Their possessions were an area of 40 thousand km, which began near Colombia and ended near Chile, from the Atagama Desert to the Amazon jungle. The Incas had developed high engineering technologies.
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Their roads were much better than the roads of the Romans and Europeans, and this despite the fact that at that time they did not yet use wheels. The Incas also developed their own system of calculus, it is its methods that underlie modern mathematics. Moreover, the history of their existence was very sad - they were destroyed by European conquerors.
Mapuche (The Araucans are the only Indian group that no one was able to conquer. Even today these proud people continue to fight and do not recognize themselves as defeated. Previously, this people was considered very cunning and was known for their cruel reprisals in the victory between the clans.
Central American Indians - Aztecs
Aztecs. After the Mayan empire disappeared, the Aztec civilization arose. They were known not only for their remarkable hunting abilities, high level of technology, but also for their enormous cruelty. They were so angry with European oppression that they began to use the most sophisticated torture and cunning strategies.
Mayan
The Maya is the most popular Indian colony in Central America. Their main amazing feature is their high level of development, which still no one can guess. Some claim that they were assisted by aliens. The plots of their drawings reflect the scenes of meetings with unknown creatures in helmets who flew from the sky. Another proof of the connection of the Indians with aliens is the presence of high knowledge of the tribe in astronomy.
Whole Mayan cities were carved out of stone, so this confirms the presence of highly developed sculpture and architecture. They used writing extensively and also became very successful in this business. They created whole works of art, which included paintings, sculptures and ceramics. It was the Maya who first created the calendar.
The Indians of the countries of North America have preserved their tribe and culture to this day. It is in this part of the world that the largest organization for the protection of Indian rights and culture operates. Many stories about their exploits and customs colorfully describe romantic illustrations of works of art. Today, there are versions about the discoverers of these territories. The most noteworthy are the versions that these were Scandinavians, Australians, or expeditions from Siberia.
The Iroquois are the most warlike tribe of the Indians, which consisted of clans and were part of the Union of Tribes. They knew how to trade and traded even with Europeans. They lived in self-built dwellings that were designed for a large number of people, which helped them escape from the cold climate. Men were hunters and fishermen, and women were housewives, but they also had a say in political matters.
Mohicans
"The Last of the Mohicans" burst into the pages of literary books. They are also an ethnic group. It is interesting that it was the Mohicans who were the very first among all Indian tribes to adopt Christianity and began to adapt to life under the New World. Most likely, this was the main reason for their gradual disappearance.
The Mohicans lived on the banks of the Hudson River, and the name of the tribe is translated as "People of the Great River." In the 18th century, this tribe was finally deprived of all their rights to land. This was the disappearance of another ancient civilization.
Today there are festivals of Indian culture, which provide an opportunity for the national ethnic group to express itself. Here you can get acquainted with household items, costumes, weapons and amulets.