Mesoamerica

The First People in the Americas A) Land Bridge Theory: During the last ice age ocean levels were lower. Siberia and Alaska were connected by land. B) Clovis points (a type of spear point) have been found in North America that date from 11,500 to 11,000 BCE. -*This fits in with the Land Bridge Theory. C) But there is not 100% proof of an ice free passage -oldest archaeological site in the Americas is Monte Verde in South America -Therefore, it is possible that people from Asia also came to the Americas by boat.

New Theory on How the First Americans Came Here: Multiple Migrations

Early Mesoamerican Societies, 1200 B.C.E.-1100 C.E.

The Olmecs 1775 – 400 BCE “Olmec” has been translated to mean “rubber people” or “mouth of the jaguar”. They were the first major civilization in Mesoamerica, and therefore often referred to as the “mother civilization” of later pre-Columbian civilizations. They lived in the Gulf Coast area.

Olmec Government & Economy Olmec Culture, Religion, & Society City-states ruled by priest-kings. 3 main cities: La Venta in Tabasco, Laguna de los Cerros in Veracruz, and San Lorenzo in Tenochtitlan. Maize Herding – Turkey? No draft animals, wheels Art with images of jaguars Carved giant stone heads possibly to revere rulers. Wore helmets for the Mesoamerican ballgame. First civilization in Mesoamerica to build step pyramids Created a calendar No writing system Large conscripted class

Olmec Heads

Pyramid of the Sun Teotihuacan, Mexico  Mysterious Decline of Olmecs Ceremonial centers destroyed No evidence of warfare Revolution? Civil war?

Maya Huge cities discovered in nineteenth century 300 B.C.E.-900 C.E. Terrace farming Maize Cotton Cacao beans Chocolate Currency City of Teotihuacan Most important center Trade networks

Maya Warfare Warfare for purposes of capturing enemy soldiers Ritual sacrifice of enemies Enslavement Small kingdoms engage in constant conflict until Chichén Itzá begins to absorb captives

Maya Ritual Calendar Complex math Invention of “zero” Calendar of 365.242 days (17 seconds off) Solar calendar of 365 days Ritual calendar of 260 days Management of calendar lends authority to priesthood Timing of auspicious moments for agriculture

Maya Language and Religion Ideographs and a syllable alphabet Most destroyed by Spanish conquerors Agricultural cycle maintained in exchange for honors and sacrifices Bloodletting rituals Human sacrifices follow after removal of fingers, piercing to allow blood flow

The Maya Ball Game Ritual game Betting Large crowds High-ranking captives, prisoners of war could be contestants Winners treated well Execution of losers immediately follows the match Bloodletting ritual for the gods

Andean Societies Largely independent from Mesoamerica Highly individualized due to geography

Chavín Cult New religion in central Andes, 900-300 B.C.E. Little known about particulars of religion Intricate stone carvings Cult may have arisen when maize became an important crop During this era Andean society became increasingly complex

Chavin Civilization 1200 BCE – 200 CE Government & Economy Culture, Religion, & Society Ruled by Priest-Kings Economy based on hunting, fishing, and irrigation used to farm Weaving Llamas, alpaca Polytheistic, with a pantheon of Gods First distinctive art style in Peru made from metals, including gold Most famous archaeological structure was the complex at Chavin de Huantar

Chavin de Huantar

Chavin Art