Chapter 11

Review and Discussion

Geography Geography

of the of the

AmericasAmericas

The Olmecs, 1400 B.C.E-1200 B.C.E

• Founded the first American Civilization

• Laid the political foundation of the Mesoamerican societies

Teotihuacan (450 – 600 CE)

• It was a religious, artistic, and trade center that had great influence on succeeding civilizations.

• Elites– Controlled the state bureaucracy, tax collection and

commerce – Powerful elites controlled the cities and the nearby

towns and rural peasantry. • Religion (animism)

– Enormous pyramids dedicated to the sun, moon, and other gods were built along the central avenue.

– Human sacrifice was carried out

THE MAYAN THE MAYAN CIVILIZATIONCIVILIZATIONTHE MAYAN THE MAYAN

CIVILIZATIONCIVILIZATION

Maya 300-900• The Maya established

city-states• Guatemala, Honduras,

Belize and Southern Mexico

• united by a common culture but not unified by a common political or military system

Mayan Government

• Each Mayan city had its local leaders, but all the city-states were ruled by one king

The Maya (300-900)

• Military• Primarily fought to secure military captives not

territory• Elite captives were mostly sacrificed• Commoners enslaved• Women• Elite - participated in bloodletting rituals and other

religious ceremonies• Common – agricultural and textile production

What was life like for the Maya?

• Mayan people were farmers • Priests were the highest

people in the society• The Maya worshipped

nature: animals, plants, water and the planets

Mayan architecture

• Relied solely on man power, stone tools, and levers for the building projects

Mayan Accomplishments

• Had a system of hieroglyphics • Practiced astrology-developed

a 365 day calendar • Developed a counting system

using 0 on a system based on 20

• Grew cotton, made cloth

The Mayan Ball Court Game: life or death with a little rubber ball…

• The Ball Court that was used for symbolic religious games.

Aztecs

• Lived in Modern Day Mexico

• Capital – Tenochtitlan (Mexico City today)

• Became an Empire and conquered other lands

• Spanish arrived in 16th century

The Aztecs• Society

– Clan based– Around 1325, a monarchial system is established

• Kings increased wealth and power by territorial conquest

• Supported population by– Land reclamation projects, constructing irrigated

fields, and chinampas

Aztec Society

Emperor- Chosen by Council of Nobles and Priests

Nobles and Priests

Warriors –

Common People

Slaves

Officials, governors, judges

could attain a noble social status If they killed an enemy

Farmers

- Mostly captives or criminals

(many were sacrificed to the Sun God)

The Aztecs• Trade

– No wheel vehicles, draft animals or money was used

– Barter economy– Benefited from the tributary system

• Religion– Worshipped gods and goddesses– Huitzilopochtli (sun god)

• Required a diet of human hearts– Sacrificed thousands of people every year

THE AZTECSTHE AZTECSTHE AZTECSTHE AZTECS

The Great Temple at The Great Temple at TenochtitlanTenochtitlan

Aztec Empire MapAztec Empire MapAztec Empire MapAztec Empire Map

Tenochtitlan

Tenochtitlan

• The city was made up of a central square surrounded by pyramid-temples, palaces, gardens, zoos, schools & markets. This city reveals all that was the best of the Aztecs!

Chinampas: Floating Gardens

• By 1500, the Aztec empire spread from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and numbered 30 million people.

• Conquered by the Spanish around 1519

Incas 1463 - 1532

• Located in current day Peru

• By the early 1500’s, the Incan empire stretched 2500 miles– Andes to Pacific Coast

(Ecuador to Chile)

Incas• Empire

– Built a huge empire in the Andes by 1525– Developed a strong and professional army – Prosperity and military strength depended on herds of llamas and

alpacas• Rule

– Generally left local rulers in place• Took heirs as hostage

– imperial bureaucracy led by a king • King was required to prove himself by conquering new territories

• Religion (Sun god most important)– Rituals, feasts, sacrifices of textiles, animals, and other tribute

goods, and occasional human• Accomplishments

– Construction of vast network of roads (13,000 miles)

Pachacuti, Ruled 1438-1471The Supreme Ruler

• Pachacuti was the first INCA, or “supreme ruler”

• The INCA was thought to be a descendant of the sun god “Inti”

Cuzco: The Imperial Capital

• From Cuzco, the emperor ruled more than 10 million people

• There was a system of roads, tunnels, and rope bridges that connected the cities of the empire

Incan Road System: The Heart of the Empire

• allowed armies and news to travel rapidly around the empire.

• prohibited ordinary people from using the roads at all.

The Incas…built a complex civilization

• They imposed their own language and religion on the people.

• that relied on order and absolute authority• The Incas strictly regulated the lives of

millions of people within their empire. • Government officials arranged marriages.

The Incas…built a complex civilization

• Community leaders assigned jobs to each family and organized the community to work the land.

– Mit’a• Farmers had to spend part of each year

working land for the emperor and the temples.

• Government officials controlled the harvest.

Chosen Women of the Sun

• Played a key role and honor role in Incan religious rituals

• Started at age 8 and trained until age 16 where her fate would be decided – Made garments for the Sapa Inca– Most remained in house of seclusion in service of

the Sun for most of their lives

CivilizatiCivilizationon

LocatioLocationn

Capital Capital CityCity

Good Good StuffStuff

YearsYears

MayaMaya The Maya The Maya were located were located mainly in the mainly in the Yucatan Yucatan Peninsula, Peninsula, and and stretched to stretched to Belize & Belize & Guatemala Guatemala

TikalTikal Hieroglyphics Hieroglyphics

365 day 365 day calendar calendar

counting counting system using system using 0-20 0-20

1000 BCE 1000 BCE to about to about 900 CE900 CE

AztecAztec The Aztecs The Aztecs were were located located throughout throughout MexicoMexico

The capital The capital city, city,

TenochtitlanTenochtitlan, now lies , now lies

below below Mexico cityMexico city

Built capital Built capital city over lake city over lake Texcoco Texcoco

Built Built aqueducts & aqueducts & causeways causeways

Had zoos, Had zoos, schools, etc..schools, etc..

1200 CE1200 CE

To To

1500’s1500’s

IncaInca Pacific Pacific Coast of Coast of Peru, in Peru, in South South

AmericaAmerica

Cuzco, the Cuzco, the Holy city Holy city

System of System of roads, roads, tunnels, & tunnels, & rope bridges rope bridges

Performed Performed brain surgerybrain surgery

1300 CE 1300 CE to to

Early Early 1500’s1500’s