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MESOAMERICAN EMPIRES
Olmecs, Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas- The Great Native
American Civilizations
Map
Geography
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The Americas are made up of two continents: North
and South America.
Historians call the meeting of these two regionsMiddle America.
Middle America or Mesoamerica includes Mexico and
Central America.
Many civilizations came about in Mesoamerica.
Geography of the Americas
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On your map. Label the following locations:
 North
America
 South America
 Mexico
 Central America
 Draw a circle around Mesoamerica
Geography of The Americas
North America
MEXICO
Central America
South America
Stop and Think
1.
Create a list of things you know about
the people from this area based on
our first two days in this unit, think back
to our stations we saw on the wall and
your readings with the sub
THE OLMEC
Olmecs
This is one of the earliest American
Civilization that emerged along the
Mexican Gulf Coast.
 The Olmec Civilization lasted from about 1400
B.C to 500 B.C.
 The Olmecs did not build true cities. Instead
they built ceremonial centers made up of
pyramid-shaped temples and other buildings.
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Olmecs
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The most dramatic remains of the Olmec
Civilization are the giant carved stone heads
found in the ruins of a religious center.
Stop and Think
1. One of the mysteries of the Olmecs is that the huge
heads were found in the middle of the jungle, far
away from areas that would have rocks that large.
How do you think the Olmecs moved these huge
pieces of rock without the technology of carts, or cars
that we have today?
The important influences of the Olmecs are:
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Trade- maybe as extensive as to Nicaragua
A calendar
Carved inscriptions as writing
Priestly worship system
Ball games
Drinking Chocolate
Pyramid Building
Polished Mirrors
Cave paintings
The Olmec’s influence
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Many believe that the later and more famous
Mesoamerica civilizations can be traced back to the
Olmecs
We see traces of their culture in their gods,
buildings, and goods traded
THE MAYANS
World of the Mayas
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The Mayans were among
some of the people that
were influenced by the
Olmecs.
Between A.D 300 and 900,
Mayan city-states flourished
from the Yucatan in southern
Mexico through much of
Central America.
Maya Farming
Mayan farming methods
were very advanced
 Farmers cleared dense rain forests
and built raised fields that caught
and held rain water
 The Mayan’s complex farming
system produced enough corn or
maize, and other crops to support
the growing city.
 Mayan crops included: Corn,
beans, and squash
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Maya Temples and Palaces
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The Mayans built large temples and palaces for
social and religious purposes.
There were towering palaces and temples in the
largest Mayan city of Tikal.
The temples were places of worship where priests
performed religious ceremonies, sacrifices and some
were used as burial places for nobles and priests.
Mayan temples and Palaces
Mayan Advances in Learning
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Mayans developed
hieroglyphics writing
system, which has only
been recently
deciphered
(understood).
The scribes kept their
sacred knowledge in
books made of a bark.
It is said that they
made over 15,000
books, only have 4
survived
Maya Hieroglyphs Video
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W29gIkGIQNc
Mayan Advances in Learning
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Mayan priests needed to measure time accurately
in order to hold ceremonies at the correct moment.
So priests became expert mathematicians and
astronomers.
They developed an accurate 365 –day solar
calendar.
Mayan priests also invented a numbering system
and understood the concept of 0.
Mayan Calendar
Maya Math
Stop and Think
1.
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5.
6.
7.
8.
How would you write the following
numbers in Mayan math?
5
1
17
22
37
40
29
Mayan decline
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About A.D 900, the Mayans abandoned their cities,
leaving their great stone palaces and temples to be
swallowed up by the Jungle.
Not until modern times have these “lost cities”
rediscovered.
No one knows for sure why Mayan civilization declined.
Possibly, frequent warfare forced them to abandon
their traditional agricultural methods or overpopulation
may have led to over farming, which exhausted the soil.
Still, some of Mayan culture has survived and is carried
on by the people of Mexico
Stop and Think
1. What impresses you about the Mayan
civilization?
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Complete your warm up- then take our your notes
from last class- write these 3 questions on the back
of your note packet:
1. What would people think about our culture if all
that was left behind were just our words? What
would they think we valued?
2. What were some of the things the Mayans
valued as shown by their writings?
3. What is Mayan culture like today?
THE AZTECS
The Aztecs
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The Aztecs were an advanced Mesoamerica Empire
who lived from the 13th century to the 15th century
According to Aztec legend, the gods had told them
to search for an eagle perched atop a cactus
holding a snake in its beak.
They finally saw the sign on a swampy land Island,
known as Lake Texcoco in Central Mexico
Aztecs
Once settled, the Aztecs
shifted from hunting and
farming.
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Slowly they built the city Tenochtitlan, on the site
of present-day Mexico City.
As the population grew, the Aztecs found creative
ways to create more farmland.
A visitor describes seeing the city
for the first time
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And when we saw all those cities and villages built in the
water, and other great towns on dry land, and that
straight and level causeway leading to Tenochtitlán, we
were astounded. These great towns and temples and
buildings rising from the water, all made of stone,
seemed like an enchanted vision. Indeed, some of our
soldiers asked whether it was not all a dream. It was all
so wonderful that I do not know how to describe this first
glimpse of things never heard of, seen or dreamed of
before. . . .
Tenochtitlan
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Some advancements of the city included:
A
population of over 140,000 people
 Large and complex temples painted in red and blue
 Canals
 Large marketplace visited by 50,000 outsiders on
market days
 Ball Courts
 Schools for educating priests
 Zoos
Aztec Farming
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They built Chinampas, artificial Islands made of
earth piled on reed mats that were anchored to the
shallow lake beds. On these floating gardens, they
raised corn, squash and beans.
Today in the Middle East the
country of Dubai is creating its own
fake land as a symbol of their
wealth
Aztec Religious Beliefs
Aztec Religious Beliefs
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They performed rituals they believed pleased the
Aztec gods and prevented droughts or other
disasters.
The chief Aztec god was Huitzilopochtli, the sun
god.
Huitzilopochtli, the Aztecs believed, battles the
forces of darkness each night and was re-born each
morning.
Aztec Religious Beliefs
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To give the sun strength to rise each day, the Aztecs
offered the hearts of tens of thousands of victims to
the sun god. Most of the victims were prisoners of
war.
The Aztecs waged war to use the captured soldiers
as a regular source of sacrifice.
Stop and Think
1.
2.
What shocked you most about the
Aztec civilization?
Why would they believe that human
sacrifice would please the gods?
THE INCAS
The Incas
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Pachacuti, a skilled warrior and
leader, was the founder of the
Incan empire. In 1438, he
proclaimed himself Sapa Inca, or
emperor, and set out on a policy
of conquest. He was also the chief
religious leader.
From a small kingdom in Cuzco, he
came to dominate a large empire.
Inca Government
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The Inca Emperor had absolute power over the
empire. He was like a god-king who claimed to be
descendant of the sun-god.
The Inca ran a very organized government with a
chain of command reaching into every village.
To unite the empire, the Incas imposed their own
language, Quecha and a religion on its people.
Inca Government
They also created one of the
great road systems in history.
 The roads allowed armies and
news to move quickly throughout
the empire.
 At regular stations, runners
waited to carry messages
throughout the empire.
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Incan Technology
To carry messages
along their great road
system, The Incas
developed a system of
writing using a series of
knots on string.
 This system was called
Quipu
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Stop and Think
1. Why do you think the Incans used rope
instead of another form of writing like stone or
wood?
Incan Technology
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The Inca lived in the mountains of Peru which made
farming difficult on the step slopes
The Incas developed a system of farming called
terraced farming where they dug into the sides of
the mountains to create farmable land
More images of Terraced Farming
Incan Ruins Today
Write this question on the back of your
packet and answer as we watch the video
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Write down 4 examples of why Tenochtitlan was an
advanced city