Ancient Civilizations of Latin America

The Olmec

 Ancient Mexico along Caribbean coast  1300 BC – 400 BC  Considered the “mother culture” of later Mesoamerican civilizations.  Built pyramids and huge sculptures  (40 ton, 10 ft. heads, carried 50 miles)  Overshadowed by the Mayans

Olmec Statues

The Maya

 Southern Mexico – Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala  300 A.D. to 900 A.D.  Capital City = Tikal

Mayan Achievements  Developed a symbol for “0”  Played Mayan futbol (soccer)

Mayan Futbol

What Happened to the Mayan Civilization?  Mysteriously declined after 900 AD, later conquered by Spanish in 16 th century. Ancient Maya Video

The Aztec

 Between 1300 A.D. and 1500 A.D.  Central Mexico  Capital City = Tenochtitlan (Mexico City)  “Chinampas” – floating islands  Developed a calendar  Conquered by Hernando Cortes (Spain) in 1521

Tenochtitlan

The Inca The Inca

The Inca  About 1300 A.D. to 1500 A.D.  Ecuador, Peru, Chile  Capital City = Cuzco (Peru)  Conquered by Francisco Pizzarro (Spain) in 1531

Inca Achievements  Medicine  Trepanation - Skull Surgery Skull SurgerySkull Surgery  Developed “Quipu” for record keeping  Built cities in the Andes Mountains with terraces for farming  Famous “Machu Pichu” ruins (Peru)

Machu Pichu Engineering

Wright's excavation revealed a vast underground drainage system with layers of topsoil, sandy gravel, and granite waste rock. Photo credit: © 2009 NGHT, Inc. and WGBH Educational Foundation

Roughly 700 terraces carved into the mountain and fortified by granite walls help keep Machu Picchu stable. Photo credit: © Ricardo Preve/National Geographic Television

Another Inca marvel: On the morning of the summer solstice, light pours into a window of the Temple of the Sun to illuminate a sacred rock. Photo credit: © Ricardo Preve/National Geographic Television

The canal and fountain system, designed to provide a steady flow of fresh water, shows remarkable planning and foresight. Photo credit: © Ricardo Preve/National Geographic Television

Inca - Quipu