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Maya Lived in southern Mexico Cleared swamps Farmed Drained marshes and built terraces Produced extra for trade Used Cacao beans like money Master builders Had temples, stone palaces, and 1-room houses
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Empires of the South
Maya, Aztec, and Inca
Civilizations
Created large civilizationsGroup of people with an advance culture
Had writing, record keeping, organized gov’t, religion, cities, social classes, and specialized workers
Maya
Lived in southern MexicoCleared swampsFarmed
Drained marshes and built terracesProduced extra for trade
Used Cacao beans like moneyMaster builders
Had temples, stone palaces, and 1-room houses
Priests were the most importantConcerned about pleasing the godsStudied astronomy
Created a 365-day calendarSkilled in math
Developed numbers and the zero
Had a system of writing using hieroglyphs (pictures)
Cities became desertedPotential causes
Climate changesInfertile landInvasion
Maya descendents can still be found in the area
www.sacred-texts.com/nam/maya/index.htm
Aztec
Found in central MexicoHunter-gatherers until legend told them
to settleThey were to build where a eagle was
sitting on a cactusWas in the middle of a lake
Built causeways (raised highways over water) to connect the island to mainland
Cities had pyramids, markets, schools, parks, etc.
Grew food on floating mats anchored to the lake bottomTended by boat
Were war-likeConquered peopleRequired them to pay tribute- tax in good or
services
There was a strict social systemNobles- inherited
Gov’t officials, priests, warriorsCommoners
Could own landPeasant farmersSlaves
Children were free
All those but nobles had to pay tribute
Worshiped many godsMost important were sun and war
Priests were historians and teachers
www.jazzchicago.net/
Inca
Lived in the Andes of South AmericaVery well organizedPeaceful conquerors
Sent ambassadors before warriorsRuled from the capital of Cuzco
Ruler had great powerControlled all goods and services
Most were farmersFarmed hillsides and built irrigation systemsGov’t owned grown food
Most people worked on gov’t projectsIncluded a system of roads
Death of their leader created problems and weakness
www.kidspast.com/.../0285-inca-empire.php
Journal Question
How did agriculture fit into the lives of these three cultures? Explain yourself.