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The Americas: A Separate World,
40,000 B.C.–A.D. 700
Although early
American civilizations
remain mysterious, we
know that the earliest
Americans most likely
migrated from Asia and
that complex cultures
arose in Mesoamerica
and in the Andes.
Olmec head. Replicated statue, Chankanaab
National Park, Cozumel, Mexico.
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The Americas: A Separate World,
40,000 B.C.–A.D. 700
SECTION 1
The Earliest Americans
SECTION 2
Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
SECTION 3
Early Civilizations of the Andes
Map
Chart
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Section 1
The Earliest Americans
The cultures of the first Americans, including
social organization, develop in ways similar to
other early cultures.
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SECTION
1
The Earliest Americans
A Land Bridge
Map
The American Continents
• American continents of North and South America
stretch 9,000 miles
• The first Americans come from Asia over
Beringia—a land bridge
Peopling the Americas
• During Ice Ages, glaciers extend over much of
North America
• Sea levels drop; a land corridor is created between
Asia and Alaska
• First Americans arrive in last Ice Age, 1.9 million to
10,000 B.C.
• Siberian hunters follow animals from Asia to
Continued . . .
Americas
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SECTION
1
Agriculture Creates a New Way of Life
The Development of Farming
• Around 7000 B.C. people in Mexico begin to raise
crops from seeds
• By 3400 B.C. maize—corn—becomes the staple
crop there
• People in the Tehuacan Valley develop advanced
farming methods
• Agriculture spreads throughout Americas
Farming Brings Great Change
• Agriculture increases food supply, leads to
population growth
• Larger communities develop, specialized skills in
arts, trades
Compare this phenomenon to Mesopotamia
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SECTION
Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
2
The Olmec
Olmec Beginnings
•
•
•
•
Map
Civilization begins in Mesoamerica around 1200 B.C.
Mesoamerica—central Mexico to northern Honduras
Olmecs are the “mother culture” of Mesoamerica
Olmecs—people who create earliest civilization in
southern Mexico
The Rise of Olmec
Civilization
• First sign of Olmec
culture: massive sculpture of
head found in 1860
• Olmec live along the Gulf
Coast of Mexico until 400
B.C.
Continued . . .
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SECTION
2
continued The
Olmec
Olmec Society
• Olmec probably worship nature gods, including
jaguar spirit
Gulf Coast Geography
• Area has resources: salt, tar, clay for pottery,
wood, rubber, stone
• Rivers provide transportation, fertile land for
farming.
Trade and Commerce
• Olmec trade spans north and south
• Trade spreads Olmec influence
Decline of the Olmec
• Reasons for Olmec collapse—by 400 B.C.—not
known
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2
The Early Mesoamericans’ Legacy
The Olmec Leave Their Mark
• Olmec art and construction affect future cultures
like the Maya
• Olmec develop ceremonial centers, ritual ball
games, and ruling class
• Later cultures in Mesoamerica adopt Olmec ways
Teotihuacan – first major city in Mesoamerica
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Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
The Maya
Mayan Beginnings
• Civilization thrives between 300-900 C.E.
• Yucatán Peninsula—central Mexico to northern
• Built splendid temples and developed a complicated
calendar.
• Most extravagant temples at Tikal
• City-state structured government, constantly at war
with each other. Ordinary citizens taken as slaves
while nobles were sacrificed.
Map
Games & Calendar
• Developed deadly game
• Calendar states the world was created in 3114
B.C.E., and that it will end on December 23, 2012
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2
Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
The Maya
Mayan Downfall
• Could have been invasion, volcano, or overuse of
land.
• Cities were abandoned and not rediscovered until
the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Map
Continued . . .
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2
Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
The Aztec
Aztec Beginnings
• Migrated until they saw a sign from god.
• Tenochtitlan—central Mexico to northern
• Up to 4 million Aztecs by 1500
Map
Organization
• Monarchy
• Men were warriors while women were limited to
housework.
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Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
The Aztec
Aztec Downfall
• Hernan Cortes – Spanish explorer
• Welcomed into Tenochtitlan by the leader
Montezuma who believed Cortes was a representative
of a god.
• Many Aztecs killed in battle and by new germs
• Temples disassembled and stones used to build
Spanish churches.
Continued . . .
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Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
The Inca
Inca Beginnings
• 1300 C.E., small community in Cuzco (11,000 feet
high) in southern Peru.
• Pachacuti – leader of the Inca who united all Incans
• Quechua language
• Nobles were sent out to regulate villages. Land was
divided into quarters (with governors) then divided
further into provinces (ruled by lesser governors). Each
province contained 10,000 residents.
Map
Builders
• Great builders, built Machu Picchu
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SECTION
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Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
The Inca
Inca Downfall
• Francisco Pizarro – Spanish explorer brought an
army and smallpox. Because the Inca had no
immunity, many died.
Continued . . .
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Exit Ticket
1.
What was the land bridge called that allowed peoples to
migrate out of Asia and to the Americas?
a) Beringia
b) Babylon
c) Olmec
d) Mesoamerica
2.
This became a staple crop in the Americas, today we
call it corn.
a) Rice
b) Maize
c) Sugar
d) Cereal Grains
3.
The most extravagant Mayan temple was found at this
city.
a) Mexico City
b) Yucatan Pennsula
c) Tikal
d) Machu Pichu
4.
This explorer is credited with the downfall of the Aztec
a) Cortes
b) Smith
c) Pizarro
d) Montezuma
5.
These early Americans created a calendar that predicted
the end of the world to occur on December 23, 2012
a) Inca
b) Mayan
c) Aztec
d) Olmec
6. How is agriculture important to civilization?
a) It allows people to devote time to activities unrelated to food.
b) It provides a chance to develop respect for nature and
seasons.
c) It provides food for religious observances and celebrations.
d) It provides the army with enough food for long, hard travels.
7. Which of the following shows that the Maya were fascinated with
the concept of time?
a) They used four different calendars, one for each season.
b) They believed that religious ceremonies should happen
regularly.
c) They recorded the cycles of the moon and could predict lunar
eclipses.
d) They punished those who did not use their time in a
productive way.
8. The Maya and Aztec civilizations had identical social
organizations.
a) true
b) false
9. Which of the following illustrates the violence of the Aztecs?
a) They ransomed their prisoners.
b)They ate the cactus of their enemies.
c) They tortured their prisoners with dogs.
d)They sacrificed their captured enemies.
10. What is the most probable reason the Aztecs became
violent?
a) They were surrounded by enemies.
b)They were instructed to be so by their king.
c) They could not raise the food they needed to live.
d)The Aztec rulers argued and competed for power.