EARLY SOCIETIES OF MESOAMERICA (And Oceania) Chapter 5

THE OLMECS Olmecs: The "rubber people" -1st society of Mesoamerica Earliest center, on the coast of Mexico Gulf, 1200 B.C.E.Earliest ceremonial center at San Lorenzo The other two later centers: La Venta and Tres Zapotes Olmec society Authoritarian in nature Colossal human heads - possibly likenesses of rulers Rulers' power as shown in construction of huge pyramids Commoners labored regularly for the authoritarian elite. Traded in art, jade, obsidian, animal skins Decline and fall of Olmec society The cause remains a mystery Olmecs systematically destroyed their ceremonial centers Most likely, civil conflict ruined their society Influence of Olmec traditions Maize, ceremonial centers were common to later societies Other legacies: Calendar(used by others), rituals of human sacrifice, ballgame Olmecs did not leave written records Domestication of small animals-turkeys, dogs. Used for food and protection. Use of Ceremonial centers. For elite only and people came during ceremonies only. Rubber tree plants around them gave rise to nickname of Rubber people. Technological advancements: drainage systems to divert water; colossal human heads 20 tons moved by human labor. Spread through military and trade. Lacked metal so used obsidian. Ceremonial pyramids, calendar, human sacrifice, and ball game survived after decline. Civil conflict may have been cause of decline.

OLMEC ART

THE MAYA The Maya Tikal Chichén Itzá Maya decline highlands of Guatemala Teotihuacan became dominant during the 4th century C.E. Besides maize, also cultivated cotton and cacao Tikal Most important Maya political center, 300 to 900 C.E. Maya warfare Victorious warriors won enormous prestige War captives became slaves or sacrificial victims to gods Chichén Itzá Rose as a power by 9th century CE. Organized a loose empire in the northern Yucatan Tried to base society on assimilation of captives. Maya decline Began in 800 C.E., the Mayas (except in Chichén Itzá) deserted their cities Causes of decline remain unclear –Invasion; dissension;civil war; water problems; natural disasters??????? A bustling city of 40,000 people Enormous plazas, scores of temples, pyramids, palaces Use of terracing to help with soil Temple of the Giant Jaguar 154 ft tall City kingdoms which fought constantly to get captives which led to prestige. Torture and human sacrifice

MAYAN SOCIETY Maya society Kings, priests, and hereditary nobility at the top Merchants were from the ruling class, served also as ambassadors Professional architects and artisans were important Peasants and slaves were majority of population Maya Science Maya priests understood planetary cycles and could predict eclipses Besides the solar year of 365 days, also had ceremonialcalendar of 260 days and 20 months Zero-invented by Maya Use of terraces to to trap silt for agriculture Maya writing Maya scribes used writing extensively Only four books survived the destruction by Spanish conquerors The Maya ballgame Played by two individuals or two teams Very popular, every ceremonial center had stone-paved courts

MAYAN RELIGION Religious thought Bloodletting rituals Popol Vuh, a Maya creation myth Gods created humans out of maize and water 1st ceremonial city was Kaminaljuyu Bloodletting rituals The most important rituals, to honor the gods for rains Sacrificing captives ledto many wars for victims Also voluntary bloodshedding

MAYAN TRADE

TEOTIHUACAN The city of Teotihuacan Teotihuacan society Built in the highlands of Mexico Colossal pyramids of sun and moon dominated the skyline Between 400 and 600 C.E., the city had 200,000 inhabitants Paintings and murals reflect the importance of priests Teotihuacan society Rulers and priests dominated society Two-thirds of the city inhabitants worked in fields during daytime Artisans were famous for their obsidian tools and orange pottery Professional merchants traded extensively throughout Mesoamerica No sign of military organization or conquest Cultural traditions Inherited Olmecs' culture Honored an earth god and a rain god Decline of Teotihuacan Military pressure from other peoples since 500 C.E. Began to decline 650 C.E.; Invaders sacked city, mid-8th century

Norte Chico 3000 B.C.E. to 1800 B.C.E. 1st complex society of Americas. Fishing based No pottery or writing found. Lacked defensive walls. Self contained. Difficult to know what government or life was like for this group of Andean Peoples.

CHAVIN AND MOCHE The Chavín Cult Complexity of Andean society Very popular around 900 to 800 B.C.E. Vanished completely by about 300 B.C.E. Cult was probably related to introduction of maize Cult left large temple complexes and elaborate art works Complexity of Andean society Techniques of producing cotton textiles and fishing nets Discovered gold, silver, and copper metallurgy Early Andeans did not make use of writing Mochica (300-700 C.E.) One of several early Andean states, located in northern Peru Mochica ceramics: lives of different social classes Mochica did not integrate the whole Andean region

ANDEAN GEOGRAPHY

Oceania Early Societies in Australia and New Guinea Early migrations Human migrants arrived in Australia and New Guinea at least 60,000 years ago By the mid-centuries of the first millennium C.E., human communities in all habitable islands of the Pacific Ocean About 10,000 years ago, rising seas separated Australia and New Guinea Australia: hunting and gathering until the 19th and 20th centuries C.E. New Guinea: Turned to agriculture about 3000 B.C.E. Early hunting and gathering societies in Australia Small communities, seasonal migrations for food Plant-based diet of the Australian peoples Animals and fish were also in their diet

Austronesian Society Austronesian peoples From southeast Asia, spoke Austronesian languages seafaring skills Settled in north New Guinea, 3000 B.C.E. Early agriculture in New Guinea Austronesians introduced root crops and herding animals Indigenous peoples soon began to cultivate crops and keep animals Agriculture brought population growth and specialization