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Maya, Aztec, Inca
Meso-America
• Meso-America was home to 3 major
civilizations in Pre-Columbian times.
• Pre-Columbian means before the time of
exploration (think before Columbus)
• The 3 highly developed civilizations were:
1. Mayans
2. Aztecs
3. Incas
Mayans
• The Mayans were a powerful civilization from
1500BCE-1548CE
• Their economy was based on Farming, Trade, and
Artisans
• Their religion was polytheistic
• That meant they believed in more than one god
• The priests did human sacrifices to please these
gods.
Mayans
• Their capital city was Tikal
• The Mayans had many important achievements:
Hieroglyphics, a writing system “glyphs”
An accurate calendar of 365 days to plan
agriculture
A number system that included the idea of zero
Chichen Itza was an observatory:
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/chichen-itza/
Yucatán Peninsula
-Maya were found in the Yucatan Peninsula
and Part of Guatemala
Maya: Between 300 and 900 A.D.
-Flourished during this time. We do not know
why it fell into decline. The Maya abandoned
their cities, we do not know why.
Political and Social Structure
Cities-Were built around a central pyramid
Pyramid-Was topped with a shrine to the gods.
City-States-Each governed by a hereditary ruling
class
Tikal, Guatemala
Mayan Kings
-Ruled the Mayan Kingdom
They claimed they were divine
Were assisted by nobles and a class of scribes
Made special blood sacrifices to maintain the kingdom.
People
-Included townspeople, skilled artisans, and, officials, and
merchants.
Many people were peasant farmers who worked on
terraced hillsides farming.
Men did the fighting and hunting, women made cornmeal
and were responsible for homemaking and raising
children.
Religion
The Maya were Polytheistic.
They believed that all of life was in the hands of
a divine power.
They were responsible for pleasing the gods.
Their gods were ranked in order of importance, the Jaguar was the
god of night and was seen as evil.
The Maya practiced human sacrifice to appease their gods.
Human sacrifice was also used to mark special occasions.
When a king ascended to the throne war
captives were tortured and beheaded
to mark the occasion.
Accomplishments
Language
The Maya developed an independent
Hieroglyphic language.
The Spanish destroyed most of the Mayan
writings. They were not seen as having any
value. Their language was not translated
until the 20th century.
Calendar
The Maya developed a calendar
that had two different parts.
It had a solar calendar with 365
days, divided into 18 months with
20 days each with 5 extra days at
the end.
A Lunar calendar and a Calendar
based on the movement of the
Planet Venus. This was a sacred
calendar with 260 days and 13
weeks of 20 days each.
The Mayan calendar says our
present world was created in 3114
B.C. and the current calendar
restarted on December 23 2012
A.D.
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Mayan civilization
Located in the Mexican and Central American
rain forest
Represented by Chichen Itza
Groups of city-states ruled by kings
Economy based on agriculture and trade
Polytheistic religion: Pyramids
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Aztec Civilization
Located in arid valley in central Mexico
Represented by Tenochtitlan
Ruled by an emperor
Economy based on agriculture and tribute
from conquered peoples
Polytheistic religion: pyramids, rituals
Aztecs
• The Aztecs were a powerful civilization from
1400-1520CE
• Their economy was based on agriculture and
warriors expanding the empire by capturing
goods and prisoners
• Their religion was polytheistic
Aztecs
• Their capital city was Tenochtitlan. It was built on
islands and floating rafts (current day Mexico
City)
• The Aztecs had many important achievements:
Strict legal system, they used the death penalty
Education for Aztec children
Gold and silver jewelry
Aztecs
• The Aztecs were unpopular with their neighbors
• Why? They kidnapped them for human sacrifices
• The EFFECT of this was: neighboring people led
explorers and conquistadors to Aztecs
• Conquered by the Spanish conquistador Cortez
The Aztec began c. 12th century A.D.
Began a long migration that brought
them into the Valley of Mexico.
They established their capital
city at Tenochtitlán.
Tenochtitlán- means the Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus.
An Aztec legend said that when the people found their
new home they would see an eagle perched on a cactus
holding a snake. They saw this in lake Texcoco.
Their city was built up on rafts made from reeds and
covered with dirt. They were called chinampas. PresentDay Mexico-City is built on top of this city. The original
was destroyed by the Spanish.
Political and Social Structure
By 1500 there were about 4 million people in the Aztec Empire.
Aztec Emperor
Ruled over the Aztec Empire.
Was the supreme leader of the people.
He claimed that he was divine.
People
Made up of commoners, indentured workers, and slaves.
Most people were farmers, but they also traded with people in the
surrounding areas.
Men were to be the warriors, while a woman’s role was to be in the
home. Women were allowed to own and inherit property and enter
contracts. Women wove textiles and raised children. They could
also be priestesses.
Religion
Had a polytheistic religion based on warfare.
Huitzilopochtli
Their chief god. He was the god of the sun. The Aztec
offered him human sacrifice to give him strength to battle the
forces of darkness each night so that he could rise each morning.
Quetzalcoatl
The feathered Serpent
He believed he had left the valley of
Mexico and promised to return in triumph.
Human Sacrifice
Each Aztec city contained a pyramid where they
practiced human sacrifice as a way to postpone
the end of the world.
Destruction of the Aztec
The subjugation of the people of the Aztec
Empire bred hatred and discontent among the
people. When the Spanish arrived they did
not have a difficult time finding allies to fight
the Aztec.
Hernán Cortés 1519
Spanish Conquistador who came to the valley of Mexico in 1519
with 550 soldiers and 16 horses. He was at first greeted by the
Aztec Emperor Montezuma (Moctezuma). The Spanish later
kidnapped the Emperor and made him a puppet. The people
rebelled and the Emperor was killed. The Spanish barely escaped.
The Spanish returned several months later. Many of the natives had
fallen ill with Smallpox. Cortés and his allies destroyed the Aztec
capital and subjugated the Aztec people.
Tenochtitlan: The “Venice”
of the Americas
Aztec Chinampa or
Floating Garden:
15ft. to 30ft. wide
Tenochtitlan - Chinampas
Aztec Sun Stone -- Calendar
Aztecs Sacrifice Neighboring Tribes
to the Sun God
Incas
• The Incas were a powerful civilization from
1200-1535CE
• Their economy was based on agriculture, and
silver/gold jewelry trade
• Their religion was polytheistic
Incas
• Their capital city was Cuzco
• Machu Picchu was high in the Andes Mts (terrace
farming)
• The Incas had many important achievements:
Stone covered roads to connect empire (bridges)
Architecture included stone palaces, temples,
fortress
Advanced medicine, example: brain surgery
Late 1300's Inca
The Inca started as a small group that were located
in Cuzco. They did not begin to become powerful
until after the fall of the Moche of Peru.
Pachacuti
Unified the Inca and established the Inca Empire.
Organization of the Empire
Incan state was built on war.
The conquered peoples were all taught the
same language.
Each region was appointed a governor who
answered to the Emperor.
Road System: 24, 800 miles of Road
The Inca built roads to unify their people.
Roads made travel and communication
throughout the empire more efficient.
There were rest houses and storage depots
along with bridges to span ravines and
waterways.
Culture
Were required to marry from within their own social group.
Women were expected to live at home, the only alternative was to
be a priestess.
Most people were farmers, they also herded llamas and alpacas.
Quipu-A system of knotted strings used by the Inca to keep
records.
Great Builders
They had great buildings made of
stone held without mortar. Their
roads also show their ability as
great builders.
Machu Picchu
City built at 8,000 ft above sea
level.
Urubamba River
River below Machu Picchu
Inca Gold & Silver
Incan Terrace Farming
Defeat
The Spanish arrived in 1531
1531: Francisco Pizarro
Spanish Conquistador led a band of 180 men with
superior weapons.
The Inca, like the Aztec, were devastated by disease.
Smallpox
Devastated the Population
Civil War
After the death of the Inca Emperor a civil war broke out, Pizarro took
advantage and defeated the people.
Pizarro and his men established Lima as the new capital of the Spanish
Colony in 1535.
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Incan Civilization
Located in the Andes Mountains of South
America
Represented by Machu Picchu
Ruled by an emperor
Economy based on high-altitude agriculture
Polytheistic religion
Road System
Achievements of Mayan, Aztec, and Incan
civilizations
• Calendars
• Mathematics
• Writing system and other record-keeping systems