The people who lived in the pre-Columbian Americas were more advanced than they are often given credit for. Šprajc discusses how the Mayans focus on astronomy affected much of their culture, Emery-Wetherell explores the causes of the Pleistocene megafaunal extinction, Dartt-Newton analyzes how mission museums portray historical sites, Mithen explores the various methods the Incas used to transport water, and Nair describes the reasoning behind the Incas architecture. During the pre-Columbian period, architecture and buildings had spiritual connotations and were often used for environmental management which influences political power and visa versa. As Šprajc discusses the effects of astronomy on Mayan culture, he connects Mayan architecture…show more content… In her introduction she writes, “Human-driven extinction scenarios include illness introduced by humans and their commensals … , environmental perturbation by human-induced change in the trophic cycle … , cascading trophic interactions by humans placing slow strain on megafaunal populations … , and rapid overhunting as humans reached carrying capacity” (Emery-Wetherell 2). Humans caused changes in the environment during the Pleistocene era, possibly leading to the extinction of megafauna. During this time frame, societies lacked many aspects that make a society today. There may have been some form of social hierarchy, but these societies lacked official organizations and government entities that present themselves in the twenty-first century. For example, there is no evidence to show that they had an Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, World Wildlife Fund, or anything similar. In fact, the Pleistocene era took place during a time of migration, so any official organizations are unlikely. However, as interhuman interactions took place, there would have been at least a small amount of social hierarchy. During the Pleistocene era, this hierarchy can be considered their form of political power. Emery-Wetherell discusses a variety of reasons leading to the Pleistocene extinctions, including multiple ways humans could have been involved. For the small amount of political power that would have been present during this time period, the political power would have influenced how to manage the environment--either with the knowledge that the environment (including animals) needs protecting or that society should disrupt the populace of certain species. Either way, political power influenced environmental management, so they intersected during the pre-Columbian
