Mayans, Aztecs and Incans

Download the Mayan, Aztec and Inca Chart Split into 3 groups – Maya, Aztec and Inca In a Google Presentation tell us about your group: Capital, Location, Type of Government, Class structure, Economy, Religion, etc

Mayan Empire 2000 BCE – 900 CE Located in Mexico and Central America Yucatan Peninsula Economy based on agriculture (including irrigation) and trade.

City States ruled by Kings - Upper Class: Priests, “Nobles” and Warriors - Lower Class: Peasants who paid “Corn” Taxes - No rights for women - Chichen Itza and Tikal two great cities

Religion a major part of life. Polytheistic – Each day of the calendar had a different god that ruled over it The Maya worshipped in various ways often through Human Sacrifice

End of the Maya – 850 to 1000CE the cities were completely abandoned. Achievements Hieroglyphics Complex 365 day Calendar system Astronomy Number system End of the Maya – 850 to 1000CE the cities were completely abandoned. No one is entirely sure why.

Aztec Empire Aztec – 1200 CE Located in Central Mexico Crash Course :50 Tenochtitlan (Tee-noch-teet-lan) Capital City A manmade island Emperor had absolute rule Nobles – Gov officials, Priests and Military leaders Commoners and Slaves

Economy based on Agriculture Chinampas - farmland made from drained lake beds Conquest, slaves and sacrifices Trade with conquered groups Aqueducts and Canals

Polytheistic – Main God was the Sun God Priests were in charge of schools and were astronomers Daily rituals and practiced human sacrifice Decline – over expansion and Spanish explorers in 1521 New World 28:49

Conquest of the Spanish 1492 – Christopher Columbus crosses the Atlantic He believes he has found a new route to India New World 33:56 Soon realize it is a new undiscovered world New peoples, lands and trade goods Food, Gold and Silver Columbian Exchange – Trade of new world goods for European goods Europeans begin to conquer the Aztec and Inca looking for valuable minerals Guns, Germs and Steel New World 38:50

Centralized Government and built a road system from the capital Cuzco Inca Empire Andes Mountains of South America 1438 CE – 1533CE Centralized Government and built a road system from the capital Cuzco Calendar system and advanced bureaucracy Polytheistic – Nature Gods Machu Picchu – City built on a mountaintop to escape the Spanish Decline – Civil war, Spanish Crash Course 2:54