Download File - Mr. Bowers Classroom

Early Human Migrations
Early
Civilizations
of the
Americas
Olmecs
(3000 BCE to 600 BCE)
•
First American civilization
•
Power based on agriculture (corn cultivation)
•
Religion blended human images with those of animals
•
Disappeared without
a clear trace
Teotihuacan
(200 BCE to 750 CE)
• The “first” great city (80,000+ people, 600+ pyramids, 500+ workshops,
2000+ apartment complexes
•
One of many settlements in the Highlands
•
Sacrificed humans, constantly at war
•
Was destroyed and burned by unknown group
Toltecs
(850 CE to 1200 CE)
•
Capital of Tula had 45,000+ people
•
Peaceful early history
•
Turned militaristic and began to sacrifice humans
Quetzalcoatl
(1168 CE to 1521 CE)
The Founding
of
Tenochtitlan
The Aztecs gained control of the
important Lake Texcoco and made it
their capital, Tenochtitlan.
It became the basis of their power
Aztec View of Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan: The “Venice” of the Americas
Tenochtitlan - Chinampas
beds of aquatic weeds, mud, and earth that had been
placed in frames made of cane and rooted to the lake
floor
Aztec Chinampa or Floating Garden:
15ft. to 30ft. wide
The Aztecs were
fierce warriors that created an empire of
confederated groups.
The Aztec state was dominated by the king who
represented civil power and served as a
representative of the gods on earth.
Each city-state was ruled by a speaker chosen
from the nobility. These city-states were
often left unchanged if they recognized Aztec
supremacy and met their obligations.
Religion and Human Sacrifice
The cult of human sacrifice and conquest
was united with the political power of
the ruler and the nobility.
Aztec religion, which incorporated many
traditional Mesoamerican elements, was
a vast, uniting and sometimes, oppresive
force in which little distinction was
made between the world of the gods
and the natural world.
Aztecs Sacrifice Neighboring
Tribes to the Sun God
Religion and Human Sacrifice
The cult of human sacrifice and
conquest was united with the
political power of the ruler and the
nobility.
Aztec religion, which incorporated
many traditional Mesoamerican
elements, was a vast, uniting and
sometimes, oppresive force in
which little distinction was made
between the world of the gods and
the natural world.
Sacrificial Statue, Tenochtitlan
Religion and Human Sacrifice
The cult of human sacrifice and conquest
was united with the political power of
the ruler and the nobility.
Aztec religion, which incorporated many
traditional Mesoamerican elements, was
a vast, uniting and sometimes, oppresive
force in which little distinction was
made between the world of the gods
and the natural world.
Wall of Skulls,
Tenochtitlan
Religion and Human Sacrifice
The cult of human sacrifice and conquest
was united with the political power of
the ruler and the nobility.
Aztec religion, which incorporated many
traditional Mesoamerican elements, was
a vast, uniting and sometimes, oppresive
force in which little distinction was
made between the world of the gods
and the natural world.
Heart Sacrifice on an Aztec
Temple Pyramid
Aztec Society in Transition
As the empire grew, a new social hierarchy replaced the old
calpulli (kinship- based clan) system of social organization.
A special merchant class, the pochteca, regulated markets, and
the state oversaw a vast tribute network.
The rights of Aztec women seem to have been fully
recognized, but in political and social life their role, though
complementary to that of men, remained sub-ordinate. Lack
of technology meant women were required to spend
significant time hand-grinding maize, a staple crop.
The area controlled by the Aztecs may have included 20
million people.
Aztec Sun Calander
Aztecs developed a 365 day
calander with 18 months of 20
days plus 5 extra days
Aztec Gold
Aztec Writing
Aztec Math
Aztec Codex
(15c Manuscript)
(2500 BCE to 1600 CE)
Lands of the Mayans
The Yucatan
Peninsula
Mayan Government
Not unified in one empire but a patchwork of city-states and kingdoms linked
by culture, political ties, and trade.
Chichen-Itza - Pyramid
Mayan Economy
Economy was based on agriculture and trade. Surplus goods were brought to
open air markets
to trade. Mayan merchants participated in
long-distance trade throughout Mexico and
Central America using small canoes,
animals, and wheeled carts.
Mayan granaries
Mayan Science
Like the Greeks, the Mayans believed that the movements of the sun, moon,
and planets were journeys of gods across the sky. Charting these
movements were essential to appeasing the gods.
Chichen-Itza
Observatory
Mayan Glyphs
Mayans were one of the first American groups to develop a writing system.
sky
king
house
child
city
Mayan Mathematics
Mayans were one of the first groups to develop the concept of zero for
mathematics.
Mayan Glyphs
A break-through in
translating Mayan
writing just
occurred about 30
years ago.
Mayan Religion
Religion was the center of life. They believed in two levels of existence.
One level was the daily physical life they lived. The second was the
Otherworld, a spiritual world with gods, souls of ancestors, and other
creatures. Both levels were closely intertwined.
Chichen-Itza - Ball
Court
Tikal
Overview of Tikal
(Guatemala)
Jungle View at Sunset
Main Court
Tikal - Temple of the
Masks
Tikal - Wall Mask of
the Rain God
(1000 CE to 1535 CE)
Lands of the Incas
Incan Government
With a genius for state organization and bureaucratic
control over peoples of different cultures and languages,
the Incas achieved a level of integration and domination
previously unknown in the Americas.
Cuzco: Ancient
Capital of the Inca
(11,000 ft. above
sea level)
Incan Government
The Incas developed a state
bureaucracy, headed by an incan
and four regional governors (who,
in turn, divided their realms).
The Incas adopted the practice of
royal split inheritance, which
required new land and wealth.This
may have caused the empire’s
growth.
The Incan Empire spreads from
modern-day Columbia to northern
Argentina.
Machu Picchu
Incan Society
They used colonists and
built extensive road
networks (dotted with way
stations) to encourage
unity.The empire also
demanded mandatory labor
on church and state lands.
Incan Suspension Bridges
Incan Terrace Farming
Mountainous environment provided a challenge with agriculture that was
solved by terracing the land.
Incan Economy
Despite the mountainous terrain, the Incan economy was
based on agriculture and trade.
Over 100 Different Types of Potatoes Cultivated by the
Incans
Incan Digging Sticks
Incan Cultural Achievements
included beautiful pottery, art, and metalworking,
Maize in Incan Pottery
& Gold Work
The Quipu
- A system of knotted strings for recording numerical
information
Incan Mummies
In 1995, archaeologist
discovered a frozen,
preserved body of a
teenage Inca girl. Food
and pottery remains
seemed to indicate that
she was a sacrificial
victim.
Aztec and Inca Comparison
The Incan and Aztec empires are best viewed as variations
of similar patterns and processes, of which sedentary
agriculture is the most important, with little differences.
Basic similarities underlying the variations can also be seen
in systems of belief and cosmology and in social structure.
They both were successful imperial and military
organizations. The Social hierarchy was dominated by the
landed nobility who also dominated the government. They
both allowed other groups in their realm to continue as long
as they followed imperial rule and paid tribute. The greatest
difference was the advanced development of Aztec trade and
markets.