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Mesoamerican & Andean
Civilizations
Part 1 – The Olmec and Maya
Mesoamerica
• In what is now southern Mexico
and Central America
• Rain forests cover the region
• Fertile soil made this a good
area for farming
• Transition from hunter-gatherer tribes to
agricultural settlements as early as 7000 BC
• Maize (corn) first grown around 3500 BC in
Mexico and spread through the Americas
• Also domesticated beans, squash, turkeys
and dogs
The Olmec
• First urban civilization formed in
Mesoamerica – around 1200 BC
• Built the first pyramids in the
Americas
• Developed the first writing system
in the Americas
• Used a calendar and hieroglyphic
writing
The Olmec
• Most recognizable art was their
massive stone heads
• Other Mesoamerican firsts:
– Chocolate
– Ritual bloodletting
– Ball games
• Traded with others in the region
• Civilization ended around 400 BC
The Maya
• The Maya are an indigenous people
of Mexico and Central America
• Originated around 2600 BC
• Region was mainly composed of
tropical rain forests
• Mayan civilization reached
its peak from 250-900 AD
(the “Classic Age”)
Mayan Developments
• Developed astronomy, mathematics,
art, architecture, calendars, and
hieroglyphic writing.
• Also skilled farmers, weavers,
potters, and traders.
• Developed a sophisticated number
system which gave a symbol to the
number zero
The Mayan Calendar
Mayan Cities
• During the Classic Age, Maya
civilization grew to include more
than 40 cities of 5,000 to 50,000
people each
• Cities included large pyramids,
temples, and plazas for public
events
• Canals were built to control the
flow of water through cities
• One of the largest and most
important cities was Chichen Itza
Mayan Cities
Mayan Society
• Complex class structure
• Upper class included kings, priests,
warriors, and merchants
• Lower class included most of the Maya
• Farmers had to give crops to ruler and
serve in the army
• Slaves held the lowest position in
society
• Mayans played or watched ball games
in large stone arenas – losers were
sometimes killed
Mayan Religion
• Worshipped many gods
• The most important god was the
creator
• Other gods included a sun god, moon
goddess, and maize god
• People believed they had to please
the gods by offering human blood
Mayan Religion
• When more blood was needed, the Mayans practiced human
sacrifice – usually involving ritual decapitation or the removal of a
person’s heart
Mayan Warfare
• Mayan cities usually battled each other
to gain power
• Warfare very bloody
• Fought hand-to-hand using spears, flint
knives, and wooden clubs
• Often killed enemy prisoners
• Burned enemy towns and villages
• Warfare may have led to the destruction
of the Mayan civilization
Decline of the Mayan Civilization
•
•
•
•
Began to collapse around 900 AD
The cause of the collapse is unknown
Warfare may have contributed
Kings made demands of people and
they may have rebelled
• A long period of dry weather may have
made it hard to grow crops
• A mix of events probably led to the
decline
The Maya Today
• There are about seven million Maya
today living in Mexico, Guatemala,
and Belize
• Some are quite integrated into the
majority cultures of the nations in
which they live
• Others continue a more traditional,
culturally distinct way of life