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Mesoamerican Cultures The people who inhabited Central America formed a number of advanced civilizations between 1500 B.C. and 1200 A.D. As one civilization faded in the region, another developed to take its place. Later civilizations borrowed many aspects of culture from earlier civilizations, as well as creating their own unique traditions. Historians call these civilizations the Mesoamerican cultures. The word ‘meso’ means ‘middle.’ These peoples all lived in Middle America. The Olmecs The first civilization to evolve in Mesoamerica was that of the Olmecs. Around 1500 B.C., villages in Mesoamerica became more complex and specialized. These people formed a nation which they called Olmec. The Olmecs built huge religious stone emblems of their gods and rulers. Some of these emblems were more than nine feet tall, and weighed more than 40 tons. These massive figures were transported miles across the terrain without the use of wheels or the aid of animals. The Olmec villages were organized, with a market square in the center where trade and business could take place. They worshipped a variety of gods and deities. Their chief god was believed to be a being with a human body and a jaguar face. The Olmecs were expert farmers and practiced a type of farming known as slash-and-burn farming. They would cut the trees of a forest down and wait a period of several months as the trees dried out. They would then light the trees on fire, burning them all into ashes. These ashes acted as a fertilizer, making the soil more fertile. These farmers then farmed the land a few years until it was no longer fertile, at which point they moved on to the next forest. The Mayans Around 900 B.C., a group of people known as the Mayans begin to settle the territory around the Yucatan Peninsula. By 300 A.D., the Mayan culture had become quite advanced. The Mayans were not ruled by a central government. They shared the same language, traditions and culture, but they were led by small local governments. Mayan Religion The Mayans believed that the universe was made up of two separate worlds. The everyday world and the otherworld. The everyday world was the world in which they lived. The otherworld, they believed, was where gods, spirits, and their dead ancestors lived. The village chief acted as the leader of political life as well as the priest. He was responsible for standing between his people and the otherworld. He performed important religious ceremonies that the Mayans believed would earn the favor of those in the otherworld and bring about their blessings. These ceremonies included the sacrifice of humans as well as the blood letting of the priest. Mayan Sports The goal of this game was to hit the ball into a stone hoop. The ball could not be picked up, however. It had to be bounced off of leather shields that were attached to the players' arms, legs and chest. Mayan Science The Mayans became excellent scientists in many different fields, including medicine, astronomy and mathematics. They tracked the movement of the stars and planets across the sky, and were able to accurately predict celestial events such as eclipses. They also developed an accurate calendar of 360 days, which they used to plan their harvests and religious ceremonies. Mayan Writings The Mayans are one of the first peoples to develop and play professional sports. One of the most important sports played by the Mayans was called Pok-a-tok. One of the most important advancements developed by the Mayans was written language. The Mayans developed a complex system of writing, which consisted of both an alphabet, as well as symbols, which represented whole words or thoughts. Using a solid rubber ball, which was about the size of a basketball, teams battled one another in a way that reminded the people of ancient Mayan battles and legends. To protect themselves from injury, these players wore protective padding. These writings were recorded in books made out of bark and plaster, as well as carved into monuments, bones and stone. Many of these writings have survived to the present, and help give us an accurate look at the Mayan's history and culture. The Mayans Decline The Toltecs By 900 A.D., the Mayan culture began to decline. It is not entirely clear as to why, however, many historians believe that war broke out between different members of royal families. This civil war made farming difficult, and as a result, many people died from hunger and disease. By the late 900s A.D., almost all signs of this once great civilization were gone. Around 750 A.D., a new empire began to form in Mesoamerica. Using their powerful armies, the Toltecs began to conquer much of the territory in the region. Their capital city was called Tula. The Toltecs were expert miners and effective traders. These efforts brought significant wealth to their empire.In 1170 A.D., invaders attacked the capital of Tula and were able to conquer it. As a result, the empire itself collapsed. The Teotihuacanos Just outside of present day Mexico City, a civilization developed known as the Teotihuacanos. This people built a massive capital city that at its height had more than 200,000 inhabitants. This city was expertly laid out, with wide streets, town squares, markets and plazas. This massive city had over 600 pyramids, which were believed to be used for religious purposes. It also had well over 2000 apartment buildings where many of the people of this civilization lived. The Teotihuacanos thrived for nearly 750 years. Then, in 750 A.D., invaders from the north, known as the Toltecs, conquered and destroyed them. The Aztecs In 1200 A.D., a group of nomadic hunters called the Aztecs migrated into Mesoamerica in search of food and wild game. By 1325 A.D., the Aztecs had settled in present day Mexico City, and had built a large, beautiful and powerful city on a small island which they called Tenochtitlan. Aztec City As the population of Tenochtitlan grew, the island became too small. Their innovative solution was to make the island bigger. They built large wooden rafts, which they covered with mud and secured to the lakebed with stakes. Many people lived and farmed on these floating parcels of land. The Aztec Empire The Inca Empire By 1500 A.D., the Aztecs had used both their military strength as well as political ties to conquer almost all of the territory in and around their capital city. Their empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. In the Andes Mountains around A.D. 1200 a civilization developed independently from the civilizations of Mesoamerica. This civilization would become known as the Incas. This emperor appointed various authorities to rule different regions of his empire. These leaders swore allegiance to the emperor himself. The emperor maintained his control over the empire through the use of his vast and powerful army. The Aztec Empire Falls In 1521 A.D., the peoples who were ruled by the Aztecs grew tired of the treatment they received at their taskmasters' hands. The Aztecs required all conquered peoples to pay heavy and burdensome taxes. They also often sacrificed their men to the Aztec gods as part of their religious practices. In this year, these people joined forces with the Spanish explorers, who had arrived in the region, and attacked the Aztec capital. They were quickly able to overthrow the Aztec Empire. By the late 1200s A.D., the Incas had settled in the city of Cuzco, which would eventually become their capital. In 1438 A.D., Pachacuti became the king of the Incas. He and his son Topa began a great period of expansion, creating what would be the largest empire in the New World, and one of the largest empires in the entire world. The Incas formed a powerful central government. Pachacuti allowed local leaders to continue governing the people so long as they remained loyal to him. If they did not, he relocated the people to distant parts of his kingdom where they would not pose a threat. He passed and recorded laws that were consistent throughout the empire, and founded courts, trade routes, and initiated many building projects that strengthened his empire.In order to further unite the people, Pachacuti required all his subjects to learn and speak a common language. This language was called Quechua. There are still many people in these regions who speak Quechua to this day. The Incas Fall In 1533 A.D., the Spanish arrived in South America. Hungry for territory and for converts to Christianity, the Spanish overwhelmed the Incan Empire. Their armies were no match for the far superior Spanish technologies. While the Incan Empire disappeared completely, the Incan people remained in the region. To this day, many descendants of the Incas still inhabit the nations of Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. These people still speak Quechua, the official Incan language, and still practice Incan culture.