Download Section 1 PowerPoint "Civilizations of Mesoamerica"

Section 1
Civilizations of Mesoamerica

Mesoamerican Ball Game

 A modern player of the game Ulama. The game is
often 
likened
to netless
volleyball,
and the ball is hit
A
Ballcourt
A ball
court
goalin
(tlatchtemalacatl)
Monte Albán
off of the hip.
Settlement

 Mesoamerica consisted of
 Mexico
 Central America
 Theories of Migration
 People migrated from Siberia
through Alaska by way of
 Land bridge
 Humans followed herds of
animals across the bridge
 Others believe people came along
the coast using small boats

Adaptation

 Had to adapt to different climates
 rainforests, deserts, treeless lands, mts.
 Neolithic people learned to farm
 populations grew > cities developed
Olmecs
 Located tropical rainforests on the Gulf Coast of
Mexico
 Not much known about them
 Priests and nobles > top of society
 Most Olmec art is carved stone
 Known as “mother culture”
Mayans

 250 A.D. Mayan Golden Age
> Classical Period
 Developed two farming
methods in rainforest
 Burned forest and cleared the
area for farming
 Built raised fields to counter
annual floods
 Never built an empire instead
had powerful city-states
 Smaller city-states governed by
larger ones
 City-states connected through
economic exchange
Mayan Society
 Ruler
 Nobles
 Supported ruler

military leaders
 Scribes, painters, and
sculptors
 Highly respected
 Merchants > middle class
 Majority were farmers
 Some slaves
Mayan Culture
 Made advances in learning & arts
 Art is evident in their towering
temples
 Stela > sculpted tall stone
monument
 Developed writing system
 Developed accurate 365 day solar
calendar
 Also created a number system >
concept of 0
Mayan Decline

 Mayans abandoned their cities
 Theories
 Frequent warfare
 Overpopulation > exhausted soil
 Remoteness allowed them to survive encounter
with Spanish
 Millions of Maya people today
Aztecs Settle
 Nomadic people from the north migrated to the Valley of
Mexico
 Aztec name comes from birthplace Aztlan
 Capital city > Tenochtitlan (area of Mexico City)
Aztec Farming
 Farm on lake environment > chinampas?
 “floating gardens”
Aztecs

 Aztecs expand empire
 Fierce conquests & shrewd alliances
 Tribute made empire rich
 Government
 Aztecs had a single ruler
 Many social classes






Nobles
Warriors
Priests
Middle Class > Traders
Commoners > farmers > majority of pop.
Serfs and slaves
Aztec Religion
 Polytheistic
Teotihuacan > important religious city
 Sacrifices to the sun to make it rise
 Usually prisoners of war
Aztec Knowledge

 Priests recorded laws and
historical events
 365 day solar calendar
 Made advances in astronomy,
math, and medicine
 Example > steam bath to cure
certain illnesses
 Still use today