1. Pre-classic Maya El Mirador: 400 BCE to 400 CE
Peak population: 100,000 to 250,000
Massive stone buildings:
La Danta 230 Ft. tall
Large Urban Center supported by suburban areas outside of the city
The pilots who first flew over the Mirador basin in the 1930s, among them Charles Lindbergh, were startled to see what they thought were volcanoes rising out of the limestone lowlands. In fact, they were pyramids built more than two millennia ago, and what we were circling was the largest of them all, the crown of the La Danta complex. Read more:

2. Classic Maya Tikal 200 to 900 CE 300 people per square mile
Stories of alliances and wars with surrounding city-states
Ruled by Teotihuacan leaders around 400 CE
Tikal Temple: 154 Ft High

3. Maya Commonalities
Separate city states shared a common culture, political system, writing system, and similar languages.
Political:
Monarchy lived in the city center
Used elites as administrators: collecting agriculture from outer areas, collecting taxes, facilitating trade and tribute
Class of Scribe-priests who were in charge of calendar calculations and history
Self mutilation rituals
Human sacrifice rituals

4. Maya Commonalities
Separate city states shared a common culture, political system, writing system, and similar languages.
Cultural
Popul Vuh: Origin story of earth
Many deities controlled everything on earth
Dualistic views: Male/Female, good/evil, day/night
Worship through sport: The Ball Game

5. Calendar The Maya developed a sophisticated calendar.
The ritual calendar that developed in Mesoamerica used a count of 260 days.
There were 20 day names, each represented by a unique symbol.
The 260-day or sacred count calendar was in use throughout Mesoamerica for centuries, probably before the beginning of writing.

6. Mayan Numbers:

7. Maya Writing
Over 800 different images were used to record their history
Some are logographs
Some are syllabic
Multiple spellings were
acceptable
king
sky
house
child

8. Teotihuancan ‘ Peak population: 200,000
600 CE ‘
200 BCE
Peak population: 200,000
Pyramid of the Sun: 216 Ft. tall
One of the largest cities in the world at this time
Diverse city with foreign centers
System of Alliances and war

9. Norte Chico Developed 3000 BCE Some signs of specialization
Established trade networks to survive along coast
Influenced: Chavin, Moche, Wari, and Incan

10. Chavin de Huantar ‘ Cultivated Maize and potatoes
400 BCE
1200 BCE
Cultivated Maize and potatoes
(High and Low altitude crops)
Domesticated Llamas in high altitude areas to carry heavy loads
Religious/Cultural Spread: Art, temples, ceremonial centers, language

11. Moche
700 BCE
200 CE

12. Moche

13. Bantu Migrations Climate changes in the Sahara started the migration
6000 BCE
100 CE
Climate changes in the Sahara started the migration
The development of agriculture and iron gave the Bantu the advantage over hunter-gatherers living in the region
Exceptions: Batwa
Agriculture and Population growth

14. Bantu Migrations Alternatives to Empire: Rarely built large cities
Exception: Zimbabwe
Mostly practiced ancestor worship
Established trade and marriage within Bantu culture
Left no written records

15. Bantu Migrations So how do we know? Diffusion
Archaeology: artifacts show a shared culture
Language study: Glottochronology

16. Overall Effects of Bantu Migrations
“Bantu migrations had an enormous impact on Africa’s economic, cultural, and political practices.”
Influenced skills: growing crops (adapting and spreading crops), metallurgy for tools and weapons
Influenced culture: ancestor worship, ideas of states, and language
Influenced environment: land cultivation, domestication