Download Lesson 57 Instructional Resource 1 (1)

American
civilizations
American Civilizations

Climate and geography contributed to the
rise of several powerful civilizations in Middle
America:

Mayan
Aztec
Incan


Migration

Small groups of Paleolithic
hunters and gatherers
reached North America from
Asia (through the Bering
Strait).

This great migration took
place during the last ice age.
Geography
► These
nomadic huntergatherers slowly
migrated eastward and
southward across
Americas.
► The
first Americans
adapted to a variety of
climates and
resources.
Agricultural Revolution

In Americas, as elsewhere, the greatest change
occurred when people learned to cultivate plants
and domesticate animals.
– Farming people settled into villages.
– Populations expanded.

Villages grew into larger religious centers and
then into the great cities of the first American
civilizations.
Mayan Civilization

Located in the
Mexican and Central
American rain forest.


Between 300 and 900
A.D., Mayan city-states
flourished.
Mayan farming
methods allowed them
to thrive in the
tropical environment.
Economy of the mayas

Mayan economy was based on agriculture
and trade.

Mayan farmers cleared the dense forests
and then built raised fields that caught
and held rainwater.

They also built channels that could be opened
to drain excess water.
Government

Mayan civilization
consisted of a group of
city-states ruled by a
king.

Ruling kings, or chiefs, were
surrounded by nobles who served
as military leaders, and officials
who collected taxes and enforced
laws.

Rulers were usually men, but
Mayan records show that women
occasionally ruled on their own.

Most Mayas were farmers.
Religion

Polytheism

Priests held great power

Towering pyramid temples
dominated the largest Mayan
city of Tikal (present-day
Guatemala).

The Mayan pyramids remained
the tallest structures in the
Americas until 1903 (Flariton
Building was built).
Chichen Itza – represents
Mayan civilization
The Mayas

Long-thought to have been
peaceful worshippers of the
gods, it is now known that the
elaborate Mayan rituals
included blood-letting.


Their celebrations involved
dance and sacrificial offering to
win the favor of their gods.
Also, they were almost
constantly in a state of war
with one or another of their
neighbors.
Mayan Achievements

The Maya's knowledge of astronomy and mathematics was
immense.

Some of their calculations have proved not only to be well
in advance of heir time, but more accurate than those that
we use today.

They include a calendar and the calculation of lunar cycles
and the accurate prediction of eclipses.
Aztec Civilization

Located in arid valley in central
Mexico.

In the late 1200s, bands of nomadic
people (ancestors of Aztecs) migrated
into the Valley of Mexico from the
north.

They built the city of Tenochtitlán
(on the site of Mexico City).

Once settled, the shifted from
hunting to farming.


To create more farmlands, the Aztecs built chinampas,
artificial islands made of earth piled on reed mats that
were anchored to the shallow lake bed.
On these “floating gardens,” they grew corn, beans, and
squash.
An Example of Chinampas

Aztec economy was based on agriculture.
Government and Society



Unlike the Mayan citystates, each of which had
its own king, the Aztecs
had a single ruler.
The emperor was chosen
by a council of nobles and
priests to lead in war.
Aztecs had the most
advanced civilization in
the Western Hemisphere.
The Highest Status
Emperor
Nobles
(served as officials, judges,
governors)
Warriors
Commoners
Slaves
(farmers)
(criminals and POWs)
Montezuma

1410 AD - 1469 AD
The Great Aztec Emperor

Montezuma I, became the Aztec
Emperor in 1440 AD.
He won fame as a military leader
who expanded the boundaries of
the Aztec Empire to the Gulf of
Mexico.

His military campaigns forced several tribes
in Mexico into a united state.

He built an aqueduct to bring fresh
water to his capital Tenochtitlan.

Spaniards took over Mexico on
1521.
Religion

Polytheism – based
on warfare.

They made
sacrifices to the
war god.

Pyramids – centers
of worship.
Incan Civilization

Located in the Andes
Mountains of South America –
modern day Peru.

The capital city of the Incas
was Cuzco.

Pachacuti, a warrior and
leader, was the founder of the
Incan empire.
Government

People of the Incan empire lived in one of the most
highly ordered societies in history.

The Incan empire was ruled by an emperor, who
exercised absolute power.
– Emperor was also the chief religious leader – like the pharaohs of
ancient Egypt, the Incan god-kings owned all the land, herds, mines,
and people.
The carved head of an Inca
king juts out over the road to
Bolivia. This head is about
8-10 feet high.
Economy

Incan economy was based on high-altitude
agriculture.

On steep hillside, they carved out strips of land
to be held in place by stone walls (kept rain from
washing away the soil).
Roads

Like the Romans, the
Incas were inventive
road builders.

The rugged terrain
made it necessary for
the Incas to develop
new bridge-building
technology.
Religion
 Polytheism:
– The Inca were a deeply religious people. They
feared that evil would befall at any time.
– Sorcerers held high positions in society as
protectors from the spirits.
– They also believed in reincarnation, saving
their nail clippings, hair cuttings and teeth in
case the returning spirit needed them.
Sun
In the Andean
mythology it was
considered that Incas
were descendants of
the Sun, therefore,
they had to worship it
annually with a
sumptuous
celebration.
Machu Picchu – represents Incan
Civilization
• Built by the Incas on the summit of "Machu
Picchu" (Old Peak) at 7,000 feet above sea
level.
• Machu Picchu was probably the most
amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at
its height, with its giant walls, terraces and
ramps, which appear as though they have
been cut naturally in the continuous rock
escarpments.
Achievement of Mayan, Aztec and Incan
civilizations



Calendars
Mathematics
Writing system
Geography Review