Civilizations of Latin America

Mayans Incas and

Aztecs

Mayans• Mexico- Yucatan Peninsula and

Guatemala• 300 BC- 900 AD• Slash and Burn Farming and

raised fields• City-States that traded among

each other• Had a small ruling class-Nobles,

warriors, and the majority were farmers

• The king ruled all Mayans• There was a court system with

local judges• Well organized army who

conquered others and took them as slaves

Mayans

• Built temples, palaces, stone sculptures, and pyramids• Writing system, astronomy, mathematics, calendar

MAYANCALENDAR & CHICHEN ITZA

The Mayan calendar began in 3114BC. It has 13 cycles of 400 years each. Therefore, their calendar will end in December 2012. Some believe this is the end of the world, but actually a new calendar cycle will begin.

MAYANCHICHEN ITZA COMPLEX

CHICHEN ITZA

Mayan Religion and Decline• Religion plays a major

role in society & rule• They have been known to

sacrifice blood for the gods

• The king and queen had to do blood-letting to please the gods…if the blood was good then the gods will be happy

• The civilization just vanished…some say it was because the last king’s blood was not good enough

Mayan Quiz

• How did the Mayans solve their agriculture problem?

• How did the Mayans set up their civilization within the different areas of the empire?

• What Mayan cultural item has had the biggest impact on our culture?

Aztecs• Central Mexico• 1200 AD-1519 AD• Chinampas- channels used to

water cropland from below “Floating Gardens”

• King- each city had its own King (Tenochtitlan-Moctezuma)

• A lot like Feudal Europe• Culture was simple and they

were not powerful early on• No written records but told

stories instead• 1376 had first emperor and

used military force to take over others who had to pay them in food or other valuables

• By 1500s, Aztecs had large empire and a harsh military

MESOAMERICAN: AZTECPYRAMID OF THE SUN & PYRAMID OF THE MOON

AZTECLAKE TEXCOCO & STATUES OF

QUETZALCOATL

Chinampas• Polytheistic religion- leads to many cultural beliefs in Mexico•Also had human sacrifices in their religion•Calendar, education, and medicine

Tenochtitlan

End of the Aztecs• European conquerors called

conquistadors began taking advantage of the early civilizations

• These conquistadors wanted the gold and wealth for their own countries (God, Gold, Glory)

• Some also wanted to just explore and discover new places

• Hernando Cortes takes over the Aztecs for Spain

• He imprisons King Montezuma and kills him after 3 months of fighting

Aztecs Quiz

• How was the Aztec culture set up?

• Why would the Aztecs build a city like Tenochtitlan on a lake?

• Who came to Mexico to take over the Aztec Empire?

Incas• 100 AD- 1532 AD• Andes Mountains, Peru, Bolivia,

Chile, Argentina, Ecuador• Soil fertilization and irrigation

canals - Flat strips of land supported by walls that got water from rain

• Used land on the side of the mountain as farms called “terraces”

• Empire Structure with one King (Atahualupa-last emperor)

• Religion- Sun God• Communicated through runners

INCA TERRACES NEAR CUSCO &INCAN ROADS

Incas

• Metal work, medicine, and religion

• Building structures, stone building

Machu Picchu

INCANMACHU PICCHU & INCAN TRAIL

End of the Incas• Francisco Pizarro was a

Spanish conquistador who wanted the riches of the Incas

• He tricked and imprisoned Atahualpa (the Inca emperor)

• Pizarro made a deal to free Atahualpa if he was able to fill a huge room with gold…the Incas did it BUT…

• Pizarro disagreed saying that Atahualpa was going to attack, put the emperor on trial, and had him executed…Pizarro claimed Inca territory for Spain

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKeB82retLs (Spoof 3:09)

INCAS QUIZAnswer these on lined paper and turn in

• How did the Incas farm the land?

• How did the Incas communicate across their huge empire?

• What eventually happened to the Incas?