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Early Civilizations in Mesoamerica Objectives Student will demonstrate knowledge of major civilizations of the Western Hemisphere, including the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan by Describing the geographic relationship, with emphasis on patterns of development in terms of climate and physical features Describing cultural patterns and political and economic structures Essential Questions What were the characteristics of Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilizations Olmec Appeared in Mesoamerica around 1200 B.C.E. Located in the hot, swampy lowlands of Gulf of Mexico Mesoamerica’s “mother culture” 1st advanced civilization Farmed along muddy riverbanks Had large cities, center of religious rituals Oldest city was San Lorenzo, 1150 B.C.E. Had earthen mounds, courtyards, and pyramids Large stone monuments La Venta, 900 B.C.E. Used mounds as tombs Center of Olmec religion Culture and Decline Culture Planned ceremonial centers Ritual ball games Elite ruling class Religion Carved colossal stone heads, represent their gods Polytheistic Worshiped Jaguar spirit Trade Represented a powerful rain god Large trading network Traded iron ore and stones Decline around 300 B.C.E. No real answers as to why Maya On Yucatan Peninsula Stretched from southern Mexico into Northern Central America Included dry scrub forest, jungle, and mountains Civilization growing at same time as Olmec Classic Period (250-900 C.E) Spectacular cities Tikal, Copan, Palenque, Chichen Itza Sophisticated civilization Most advanced of all Mesoamerican civilizations Built temples and pyramids Complicated calendar Civilization included Central America and Southern Mexico Unknown decline Mayan Political Structure Composed of city-states Ruled by god-king Served as centers of religious ceremonies and trade Cities Featured pyramids, temples, palaces, stone carvings Ball court Hereditary rule Often claimed to be descended from the Sun God playing game would maintain cycles of sun and moon and bring life giving rains City-states often at war with each other Captured soldiers became slaves Nobles were used for human sacrifice Agriculture and Trade Independent city-states that were linked through trade and alliances Very few “outside” trading partners Agriculture Exchanged local products Salt, flint, feathers, shells, honey Cotton textiles, jade ornaments Currency: Cacao beans Maize, beans, squash Slash-n-burn farming as well as sophisticated farming like on terraces Successful farming led to accumulation of wealth and development of social classes Mayan Social Structure Rulers Nobles: Leading warriors, priests Townspeople: descended from gods Passed rule onto eldest son (hereditary) skilled artisans, officials, merchants Farmers most people lived on tiny plots Men: fighting and hunting Women: homemaking and raising children Mayan Religion Life was in the hands of divine powers Each day was a living god whose behavior could be predicted with the help of a system of calendars Polytheistic Gods of corn, death, rain, war Associated with four directions and different colors Supreme God: Itzamna Good and Evil (ex. Jaguar of the night) Practices Mayans worshipped Gods in various ways Offerings of food, flowers, and incense Practiced human sacrifice Believed it kept the world in balance At Chichen Itza threw people into a deep sinkhole lake along with gold and jade Calendar Mayan religious beliefs led to the development of the calendar, mathematics, and astronomy. Believed time was a burden carried on the back of a god Accurate calendar needed to know which god was in charge of what day Calendar 260-day religious calendar 365-day solar calendar Consisted of twenty13-day months Consisted of eighteen 20-day months Used both solar calendar and sacred calendar Only trained priests could use read Used it to foretell the future Helped identify best times to plant crops, attack enemies, and crown new rulers Indicated sophisticated mathematics and astronomy Based calendar on observation of the planets, sun, and moon Math system included concept of zero Writings Writing Most advanced system in ancient Americas Consisted of 800 hieroglyphic symbols Stood for whole words and syllables Wrote on a bark-paper book called codex Spanish assumed they were evil and destroyed many of the codexes Only three remain Disappearance What happened to the Maya? In 800 C.E. the Maya suddenly abandoned several cities, while other cities continued to thrive Invaders (Toltec) arrived Most historians now believe disappearance was due to increased city-state warfare, overpopulation, disease, and drought/famine. Mayan Civilization Traits of Civilization Strength leading to power Weakness leading to decline Religious beliefs and theocracy United culture Loyalty to the king Many physical and human resources funneled into religious activities Independent city-states Wealthy and prosperous culture Frequent warfare occurs between kingdoms Intensive agriculture Production of more food feeds a larger population Soil depletion and population growth creates need for more land Teotihuacán First major city in Central Mexico Located near Mexico City “place of the gods” Built during 1st century C.E. 125,000 residents at its height Pyramids of the Sun and Moon At center was avenue of the dead, lined with 20 pyramids Pyramid of the Sun was the largest Over 200 ft tall and 3,000 ft wide People lived in apartmentblock buildings around avenue Most residents were farmers Center of trading network Obsidian was most valuable item City was abandoned by 750 C.E. Toltec Dominated central Mexico from9001200 C.E. Center of empire at Tula War-like people Worshiped a fierce war god Demanded blood and human sacrifice Characteristics Built pyramids and palaces Carved tall pillars in shapes of warriors Legend of Quetzalocoatl Through trade and conquest, the Toltec ruled as far as the Yucatan peninsula Greatly influenced late- Mayan culture Aztec Migrated to Valley of Mexico in 12th century C.E. Mountain basin Several large, shallow lakes Accessible resources and fertile soil 1365 C.E. built capital at Tenochtitlan on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco Took conquering spirit of Toltec to the extreme War at center of government and religion Rule until 1500s when conquered by Spanish Rise of Aztec Sign would come from their god of war and of the sun. God would tell them when they saw an eagle perched on a cactus growing on a rock, their journey would end. 1325, attack from other peoples drove them into the swamps where they would see the sign and build Tenochtitlan Took 100 years to build city While they were building capital, their warriors conquered modern Mexico Collection of semi-independent territories governed by local lords Were tributary states Tenochtitlan By early 1500s was an extraordinary urban city Connected to mainland by three raised roads, or causeways Smaller cities ringed the lake Streets and avenues connected the city center with residential areas Canals intersected the roadways allowing canoes into the center of the city Tlateloco: huge market at center of the city Population between 200,000400,000 Larger than London Market had agricultural produce Avocados, beans, chili peppers, corn, squash, tomatoes Massive, walled complex at center Main structure was Great Temple, a giant pyramid with twin temples on the top Aztec Political Structure By 1500, 4 million lived in Valley of Mexico Monarch had the power, claimed was descended from gods Ruler assisted by council of lords and government officials Formed Triple Alliance with other leading city states Power was based on military conquest and tribute states Let local rulers rule tribute states Demanded tributes of gold, maize, cacao beans, cotton, jade, and other products Destroyed rebellious villages or captured slaves if they didn’t pay their tribute At time of Spanish conquest, ruled over 38 provinces Empire stretched from Central Mexico to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts Estimated population between 5 and 15 million Aztec Social Structure Monarch/ Emperor Nobles: Farmers (most people) Warriors Craftspeople Merchants (elite) Indentured workers Council of lords Government officials Military Leaders Religious leaders Commoners Had absolute power Landless laborers Slaves Captured in war Aztec Social Structure Boys Men were warriors from moment of birth Girls Not equal to men Could inherit property Could enter into contracts Most worked at home Raised children, weave textiles priestess Trade and Agriculture Trade Network Huge market at the heart of the city Products brought in from all over Mesoamerica Larger than most in Europe at the time Agriculture Produce grown on chinampas Farm plots built on marshy fringes of the lake Religion and Culture Religion an important part of Aztec life Religious practice centered on elaborate public ceremonies Adopted many beliefs from Toltec Meant to communicate with the Gods and win their favor Polytheistic Over 1000 gods Most important rituals involved Sun God, Huitzilopochtli Had to be nourished with human blood to make the sun rise everyday Human sacrifice carried out on a massive scale Believed day of reckoning was coming, so human sacrifice would delay it Thousands led to altar atop the Great Temple Priests carved out hearts using obsidian knives Required lots of captured slaves and different battle tactics to capture live prisoners Feathered serpent: Quetzalcoatl Legend about a Toltec prince whose return from exile would be proceeded by sign of an arrow in a sapling When Aztec saw the sign, the cross, on the Spanish they thought it was Quetzalcoatl returned Aztec Calendar Derived from Mayan System Two main calendars Sacred Agricultural/solar Had 5 unlucky day period known as the nemontemi Both calendars started on same day, was marked by a great ceremony of fire Sunstones Calendar was a huge stone Measures 13 feet and weighs 24 tons Contained information about days and gods Destruction of the Aztec 1502 Montezuma II crowned Emperor 1519: Spanish forces under Hernan Cortes landed in Veracruz Arrived at Tenochtitlan received warm welcome from Monarch Montezuma Montezuma, thinking they were their god resurrected, gave the Spanish gifts of gold Spanish took Montezuma hostage and pillaged the city in 1520 Aztec Empire began to weaken Overpopulation Too many sacrifices Provinces rose up against Aztec oppression Aztec revolted and fought Spanish Natural disasters such as smallpox, brought by the Spanish, ravaged the Aztecs Cortes leveled pyramids, filled in canals and rivers and built on top of Tenochtitlan Aztec Civilization Traits of Civilization Strength leading to Power Weakness leading to decline Religious beliefs and theocracy United culture Loyalty to the king Many physical and human resources funneled into religious activities Powerful army Adds land, power, and prisoners for religious sacrifice Need for prisoners changes warfare style to less deadly and less aggressive Empire of tribute states Provides wealth and power and prisoners for religious sacrifice Tribute states are rebellious and need to be controlled Objectives Student will demonstrate knowledge of major civilizations of the Western Hemisphere, including the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan by Describing the geographic relationship, with emphasis on patterns of development in terms of climate and physical features Describing cultural patterns and political and economic structures Essential Questions What were the characteristics of Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilizations
