Download Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations

+
Bell Ringer 12/4
In
complete sentences,
explain 5 different ways
Europe changed during the
Renaissance & Reformation
+
Americas & New
Global
Connections
+ People Settle in the America
Somewhere
between 12,000 & 10,000
years ago, people first arrived in the
Americas
•
Probably using a land bridge between
Siberia & Alaska.
• People eventually
adapted when they
learned to domesticate
plants & animals
+ Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica =Central Mexico south to
the northern part of Central America
+
Olmecs
•
The earliest American civilization was
1500bc – 400bc
the Olmecs
•
We know little about them but it is
believed that the 14 40-ton stones
heads were portraits of their rulers
+
The Mayans
The
Mayans settled
on the Yucatan
Peninsula in
Mexico.
 The
Mayans were influenced by the Olmecs
 Never
had a strong empire, but had independent
city-states
Cities
were most known for their temples
and palaces
+ Mayan
Religion
 The
Mayans believed in many
gods
 Practiced
human sacrifices
 believed
gods needed blood to
prevent disasters or the end of
the world
+
Ball Game
Stone
court—shaped like
capital I
Used
heads, shoulders or
hips
Bounce
heavy rubber ball
through stone ring
Winners
received jewels
and clothes
Losers
often sacrificed
+
Advances in learning
•
Built observatories to watch the stars
•
The Maya developed two calendars:
One with 365 days guided farming
activities
One with 260 days
was used for
religious events
+
What happened to the Maya?
•
The Maya abandoned many of their cities around
900 A.D.
•
Archaeologists DO NOT KNOW WHY Maya
civilization declined
•
Theories:
•
There was a severe drought. Many died due to
starvation others migrated away
•
Weakened soil due to overuse
Increased warfare
People rebelled against rulers
•
•
+
Maya today
…more than 2 million Maya people live in
Guatemala and southern Mexico today.
+
Aztecs
 The
Aztecs lived in
the Valley of Mexico
in Central Mexico.
 Unlike
Mayan citystates, Aztecs had an
empire with a single
ruler
+
Legend of Tenochtitlan
The gods told the Aztecs to
search for an eagle holding a
snake in its mouth sitting on top of
a cactus. This is where they were
to build their capital city. The
Aztecs saw this sign in a swampy
island in the middle of Lake
Texcoco.
•
+Tenochtitlan
A.D. 1325, Aztecs founded their capital city
•
Tenochtitlan was built on an island
•
It was connected to the mainland by
causeways leading north, south, and west of
the city
•
The city was interlaced with a series of canals,
so that all sections of the city could be visited
either on foot or by canoe
•They created chinampas,
floating gardens, to create
more farmland
+
Tenochtitlan

Today, Tenochtitlan is Mexico
City
+
Aztec Society
 The
Aztecs created an empire through
conquest—warfare most important to them
 Conquered
people and local rulers had to pay
tribute to the Aztecs—food, feathers, gold,
cotton were some

Besides getting tribute, the Aztecs
added more conquered lands to
their empire
Aztec
Society
+
Emperor
Served as officials,
judges, & governors
Nobles
Warriors
Powerful
Elected by Nobles,
priests, & military
leaders
Could rise to
nobility in battle
Middle
Class
Commoners &
Slaves
Most were farmers;
Slaves had rights &
could own land &
buy their freedom
+ Aztec Religion & Mythology
•
Aztecs believed in many
gods
•
Dedicated palaces &
temples to them
•
Aztec priests regularly
made
human sacrifices to please
the gods
•
Cut out hearts to feed the
gods
•
Often went to war for people
to sacrifice
Teotihuacan:
City where the gods
created the world
+ Aztec Achievements
Aztecs
created a huge trade network—
Merchants carried products to and from all
parts of the empire
Built beautiful stone temples and pyramids
Created jewelry and masks using gold,
gems and feathers
Wove beautiful cloth
Used cacao beans to make
chocolate
+ Aztec Achievements
 The
 The
Aztecs studied astronomy
Aztecs developed a Calendar similar to
the Mayans. It had 365 days a year
+
What happened to the Aztecs?
•
Spanish conquistadors led by Hernan
Cortes conquered Tenochtitlan and
defeated the Aztecs in 1521.
•
They came to find gold,
claim land and convert
the native people to
Christianity.
+ What happened to the Aztecs?
•
Quetzalcoatl was a god worshipped by the Aztec
peoples.
•
Was believed that Quetzalcoatl had traveled east
across the sea and would one day return, bringing
peace
•
When Hernan Cortes arrived
in 1519 Moctezuma believed
that it might be the return of
Quetzalcoatl and allowed the
Spanish easy entry into
Aztec lands.
+
What happened to the Aztecs?
 Moctezuma gave
 Cortes took
the Spanish gold and gifts.
Moctezuma captive wanting more.
 The Aztecs attacked the Spanish and drove them out,
Moctezuma was killed in the fighting.
but
 In
a year, Cortes came back with help from the conquered
people of the Aztecs who resented the Aztecs.
 The Spanish had better weapons—cannons, swords and body
armor as well as horses.
 Diseases like smallpox weakened or
 In
killed thousands of Aztecs.
1521, the Aztec empire came to an end.
+ Inca
 The
Inca controlled an empire in the
Andes Mountain region of South
America.
 Started
in 1100s, first emperor (Sapa
Inca) in 1438
 Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui
 Sapa
Inca had absolute power &
claimed to be the son of the sun
People had no personal property since
Sapa Inca owned everything
 Little need for trade
Inca
Society
+
•
Two main social classes.
•
Emperor, government officials and priests made up the
upper class. Enjoyed many privileges.
•
Farmers, artisans and servants were in the lower class.
There were no slaves.
•
No written records-everything was told by
runners who carried messages throughout the empire.
•
Incas passed down history through songs and stories.
•
Quipus-record keeping with
knotted cords. Knots stood for
numbers. Different colors stood for
crops or other topics.
+
Inca Farming
 Farmers
grew maize and peanuts in the
warm valleys.
 In
the cooler mountains, they carved
terraces into the hillsides to grow potatoes.
 High
in the Andes people raised llamas for
wool and meat.
•
Uniting the Empire
+
The Inca built a massive road network through
mountains and across rivers and valleys. All roads lead
through the capital, Cuzco
+
Fall of the Inca
 Ultimately, it
was Spanish conquistadors led
by Francisco Pizarro that brought about
the fall of the Inca Empire.