1. MAYA ENVIRONMENT – forest of Yucatan, dense jungles of southwest Mexico & northern Guatemala URBAN CENTERS – city-states, each ruled by a god-king, central city with giant pyramids, temples, palaces, stone carvings, religious ceremonies & trade ECONOMY – based on trade & farming, terrace farming grew maize, beans & squash

2. MAYA SOCIAL STRUCTURE – 3 social classes – SOCIAL STRUCTURE – 3 social classes – nobles, consisting of priests & warriors; nobles, consisting of priests & warriors; middle class of merchants & artisans & lower class peasants headed by a Maya middle class of merchants & artisans & lower class peasants headed by a Maya king seen as a holy figure king seen as a holy figure RELIGION – Polytheistic, prayed & offered gods food, blood & human sacrifice ACHIEVEMENTS – developed calendar, math, astronomy & writing system

3. AZTECS 1. THE AZTECS FIRST WORKED FOR RULERS AS SOLDIERS-FOR-HIRE In order to succeed, these poor nomads had to adapt to the war like ways of the city-states 2. THE AZTECS JOINED TWO OTHER CITY-STATES TO FORM A TRIPLE ALLIANCE They waged war to gain control over neighboring regions

4. AZTECS 3. IN TENOCHTITLAN, THE AZTEC CAPITAL, THE AZTECS BUILT HUNDREDS OF TEMPLES & RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES DEDICATED TO THE GODS They worshiped many gods because religion played a major role in their society 4. AZTEC ENGINEERS BUILT 3 CAUSEWAYS OVER WATER & MARSHLAND They needed to connect the island site to the mainland

6. AZTEC 5. AZTEC PRIESTS SACRIFICED HUMANS ATOP THE GREAT TEMPLE They believed that without regular offerings of blood, the sun god would not make the sun rise & all life would end 6. THE AZTECS BUILT A CALENDAR IN THE MAIN CEREMONIAL PLAZA OF TENOCHTITLAN They needed to keep track of when they had to perform the religious ceremonies for the gods

8. AZTEC 7. SOME OF THE CONQUERED PROVINCES REBELLED AGAINST AZTEC RULE They needed more sacrificial victims & were taking them from these provinces to meet the demand 8. MONTEZUMA II REDUCED THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS He tried to reduce pressure on the provinces that had been forced to pay higher tributes