Download Ch.21 Post-Classical Mesoamerican and Andean South America

Post-Classical Mesoamerican and
Andean South America
600 to 1450 C.E.
The Civilizations: Blood of Kings
 The oldest civilization in Mesoamerica was the Olmecs (called
the rubber people)which acted as “parent” society for those
that came after. Agriculture became very important…squash,
beans, chile peppers, tomatoes and MAIZE. Began trade of
jade and obsidian. Trade with the Anasazi in North America
on the Turquoise Road.
 Mayans: Honduras, El Salvador, Guatamala as far as north as
Central Mexico (2400 B.C.E.-900 C.E.)
 Aztecs: Mexico (1427-1519 C.E.)
 Incas: Peru and some parts of Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and
Argentina (1200-1532 C.E.)
Mayans: In Search of More Slaves
Mayan Life
 The Mayans had a
sophisticated writing system
 They had the most accurate
calendar based off the stars
in the world at the time
 War was typically not to
conquer territory but to
aquire slaves to work in
agriculture because they had
no large animals for work
 Religion was important in all
aspects of life
Chichen Itza
Extent of Mayan Empire
Where did the Mayans Go?
DROUGHT
RAPID POPULATION
GROWTH
 They had a long-term
 Rapid population growth
drought in 840 C.E.
and it caused the
population to drop by
85 % in the Yucatan
 Famine and fraticidial
warfare
outstripped available
resources
 Results are deforestation
and erosion
 Warfare became more
frequent as scarce land
for cultivation became
sharper
MAYAN TRADE
2012
Legacy of the Mayans
 The Mayan calendar
ends on December 21,
2012
 There are many
predictions of it as
doomsday and many
say it will be a new
beginning
 WHO KNOWS???
Mayan Calendar
AZTEC WORLD
MEXICA’S EMPIRE

The Aztec empire
 Military campaigns
 Empire ruled 12 million people
and most of Mesoamerica
 Tribute obligations
 Empire had no bureaucracy

Mexica gods

Quetzalcóatl: supporter of
arts, crafts, and
agriculture
Huitzilopochtli: the war god

Human sacrifice
encouraged by devotion to
Huitzilopochtli

Large temple at the center
of Tenochtitlan

Hundreds of thousands
sacrificed to this war god

MEXICA RELIGION
THE
INCA
WORLD
THE INCA
 The Inca empire
Built a huge empire stretching 2000 miles from north
to south
 Ruled the empire with military and administrative
elite
 Inca bureaucrats relied on quipu
 Mnemonic aid made of an array of small cords to
keep track of information
 Cuzco and Machu Picchu
 Capital of the Inca: had 300,000 people in the late
15th century
 Machu Picchu hidden in mountain, jungles: last
retreat of Inca
 Inca roads
 Two major roads linked the south and north
 Runners carried messages across empire

INCA RELIGION
 Inca gods: Inti and
Viracocha
Venerated sun god
called Inti
 Also honored the
creator god, Viracocha
 Sacrifices of animals,
agricultural products,
not humans

SPEC Charts over Mayans,
Aztecs and Incas
Social
Political
Economic
Cultural
Prompt: Compare the Aztec and Inca Empires
Paragraph Structure:
Thesis:
Aztecs
Incas
[Both]