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Chapter 6 Lesson 1 Geography of Mesoamerica Land of Rugged Mountains Mesoamerica extends from about the middle of present-day Mexico to the central part of Central America Northern Mesoamerica has two main mountain ranges o Sierra Madre Occidental o Sierra Madre Oriental Plateau of Mexico – a high, flat area o At the center of this plateau is the Central Plateau Volcanoes are also located in this area and provide o Basalt o Obsidian o Fertile soil for farming Highlands lie to the south o Rugged land of steep ridges and gorges(deep, narrow valleys) Lack of rain =desert conditions in some areas Some areas get enough rain to grow crops o Maize(corn) o Beans o Squash Cenotes (natural wells) provide drinking water o Some believe these wells were gifts from the gods The differences in the landscapes helped these people develop unique cultures Chapter 6 Lesson 2 The Olmec and the Maya Olmec The Olmecs were divided into social classes based on wealth and power Their government was a theocracy – the leader and the ruling classes are believed to represent the will of the gods Priests and government officials were the most powerful classes in Olmec civilization. Olmec civilization is often called the “Mother Culture” or “Mother Civilization” of Mesoamerica o The Olmec directly influenced all of the Mesoamerican civilizations that followed Maya Mayans are different from the Olmec because their civilization reached its peak about A.D. 250 Calendars were very important o Recorded birth dates o Recorded marriage dates o Recorded military victories o Made sure they were honoring their gods on the right dates Chapter 6 Lesson 3 The Aztecs At one time, the Aztecs were just one of many Mesoamerican peoples and they called themselves the Mexica The Mexica started a city—all the good land was taken so they settled on two swampy islands in Lake Texcoco – they called their city Tenochtitlan after an ancestor Tenoch As their population grew and the island became overcrowded they built more islands called chinampas for people to live on The Mexica formed alliances or agreements to work with other city-states, this helped their power grow far and wide In 1502 Moctezuma II became emperor and the Aztecs(Mexica) enjoyed their greatest period of power and wealth In 1519 Hernando Cortes marched in and took over – the Aztec Empire was over Essays: 1. What were three crops the Mesoamericans grew? 2. Why were so many artifacts found at the bottom of the cenotes? 3. Why was the Olmec culture called a “Mother Civilization”? 4. How were the Olmec, Maya, and Aztecs alike and different? 5. Describe how the Aztec empire came to an end.