Download civilizations of mesoamerica

CIVILIZATIONS OF
MESOAMERICA
CHAPTER 6.1
FIRST SETTLERS
• Started nomadic (neolithic)
• Eventually moved into sedentary farming
– @ between 8500 & 2000 B.C.E.
– Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Peppers, Squash, Tomatoes,
Maize
– Domesticated llamas
MULTIPLE SEDENTARY FARMERS WOULD MAKE UP THE
FIRST VILLAGES IN THE AMERICAS
OLMECS
Olmec Civilization
• Emerged from tropical forests
along gulf coast
• Little is known, but believed to
have high class of priests and
rulers
• Olmec art – stone
• Engaged in trade & influenced
a wide area
• Olmec calendar was precursor
to todays
• Considered “mother culture of
Mesoamerica”
MAYA
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•
•
Maya culture becomes wide spread
Grows in Mexican Yucutan Peninsula, Guatemala, and other areas of Central
America
Strengths –
– AGRICULTURE THRIVES
– POWERFUL CITY-STATES EMERGE
• Ruled over people in and near borders
• Set up strong trade network and economic exchange
– Honey, salt, cotton, jaguar, jade, feathers.
– SOCIETAL STRUCTURE
• Strong ruler
• Women or men could rule
• Other levels similar to Europe
– Military, Priests, Scribes, Nobles, Etc.
– Nobles held multiple functions to help the ruler
– To support the cities, farmers paid taxes on food and worked
construction projects…also slaves present
MAYA – CULTURAL LIFE
• Much of the Mayan culture was recorded on stone
– STELA – stone monuments that told cultural stories
– Often built by scribes
– Used hieroglyphic system recently translated
• Priests develop astronomy and mathematics
– Needed accurate time and calendars for rituals
– 365 day lunar/260 ritual
– Numbering system with place values and “zero”
• Decline of Mayan civilization
– Began to abandon cities in 900’s
– Mostly farmers by 1500’s on arrival of Spanish
– Why? Frequent warfare? Inner turmoil? Remoteness of
location?
AZTEC CIVILIZATION
• @ 1200 – bands of nomads
migrate into the VALLEY OF
MEXICO
• Believed to be separate
tribes
• All spoke same language
(NAHUATL)
• All believed they came from
same place – Aztlan
• Formed the name AZTECS
Aztecs settle in Valley of Mexico
• 1325 – found the Aztec
capitol of TENOCHTITLAN
– Current Mexico City
– Lake Texcoco
• Built on a
farmland/swamp area
– Used method called
CHINAMPAS to create
more farmland
• Artificial islands of mud
built on floating reed mats
• Expanded the empire
through conquests
• 1500’s – empire consisted
of most of Mexico & 30
million people
Aztec Society
• War brought immense treasure for Aztecs
– TRIBUTE brought $$$ = GORGEOUS CITY
• Government structure – single ruler for Empire
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–
–
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Council of priests/nobles/military elected leader
Powerful middle class included long distance traders
Majority were commoners/farmers
Bottom were criminals/slaves/prisoners
Religion and Mythology
Religion
• POLYTHEISTIC
– Huitzlopochtli – god of the
people
– Quetzalcoatl – feathered
serpent who reigned over
earth and water
– Tialoc – rain god
Mythology
• TEOITHUACAN
– Believed to be the location
the Aztec gods created the
Aztec world
• Gods sacrificed themselves
for the good of the people
– Nanahuatzin – sacrificed
himself to become the sun
– HUMAN SACRIFICES wee
offered in return.
Aztec knowledge expands
• Priests were the keepers of Aztec knowledge.
– Recorded laws in ancient hieroglyphics
– Ran schools for kids of nobles
– “Fortold” the future with astronomy and
mathematics
– 260 day ritual/365 social day calendar
– Illness – punishment from the gods
• Doctors – natural medicines, set bones, dental, steam
baths