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Essential Ideas: Mayan civilization was grouped by city-states. The Aztecs controlled their empire through one central government (Tenochtitlan). The Incans built a road system to connect their empire. Essential Question: How were Mayan Civilizations grouped? Mesoamerica – ancient region including most of Mexico and Central America Farming expanded populations & formed great cities and religious centers The Maya and Aztec are the most well-known Mesoamerican civilizations included Yucatan Peninsula and northern Central America city states-served as religious centers Each city state had its own ruler or King The Maya abandoned many of their cities around 900 A.D. Archaeologists DO NOT KNOW WHY Maya civilizations declined ◦ Theories exist but real cause is unknown ◦ Popular theory: rebellions against priest and nobles ◦ Maya ancestors killed by crop failures, war, disease, drought and famine More than 2 million Maya people live in Guatemala and southern Mexico today One of the Seven Wonders of the World Located in the Yucatan Peninsula One of the largest Maya cities Largest ball court in ancient MesoamericaPg. 584 text El Castillo The Lost Temples Maize or corn: most important crop Temples decorated with Hieroglyphics ◦ System of writing using signs or symbols All carving done with stone tools ◦ No metal used in Mayan times Developed a 365-day calendar to keep track of the sky Invented the concept of Zero Considered their greatest invention Developed a system of counting based on 20 Created a set of numerals ◦ No single digit for 20 ◦ After 19, numbers go vertical Essential Question: How did the Aztecs control their empire? The Aztecs lived in what is known as the Valley of Mexico in Central Mexico. Wandered looking for a permanent home until 1325 ◦ Found the site promised by their gods ◦ Told to look for an Eagle holding a snake in its beak perched atop a cactus. Found on an island on Lake Texcoco ◦ Swampy marsh Island way too small for all the Aztecs ◦ Thought to be around 200,000 at the time of the conquest ◦ More than double any European city at that time Had to expand the island ◦ How in the world does that happen? Aztecs built floating islands by piling soil from the bottom of the lake on top of rafts ◦ Roots from trees and grass grew down to the bottom of the lake ◦ This made the “homemade” islands stay put Hernán Cortés led the Spanish invasion of the Aztec empire Aztecs feared Cortés was their god ◦ Quetzalcoatl returning home ◦ Did not attack the Spanish right away Hernán Cortés – Spanish conquistador Smallpox weakened the Aztec Spanish took control in 1521 Essential Question: How did the Inca Civilization connect their empire? Home in the Andes mountains of South America ◦ Centered in present-day Peru Capital city, Cuzcocenter of the empire Became the largest ancient empire in the Americas Incans required to learn Quechua: Incan language System of roads covered the empire ◦ travel and trade ◦ 14,000 miles of roads Developed tax system Quipu : rope with knotted cords of different lengths and colors-used to keep records Aqueducts ◦ A pipe or channel to carry water from a distant source ◦ Allowed them to irrigate land that normally would have been too dry to farm “Old Peak” 7,000 ft. above sea level Eastern slope of the Andes Mountains New Seven Wonders of the World http://www.peru-machupicchu.com/ Inca ruins Francisco Pizarro set out to find an empire filled with gold for Spain Invited the last Incan emperor, Atahualpa, to a meeting and took him hostage Pizarro had conquered most of the Incas by 1535 Conquest of Incan lands in Peru led to Spanish rule over most of South America Francisco Pizarro
