Chapter 2, Section 3

 Mayan cities flourished for over 1,500 years.  Civilizations: an advanced culture which usually includes cities, well organized government, complex religion, social classes, specialized skills and jobs.  Mayan civilization emerged roughly 3,000 years ago in the rain forests of present day Mexico and Guatemala

 Most Mayas lived in simple homes made of mud walls.  Wealth and powerful Mayas lived in stone palaces in great cities like Tikal and Copan.  Mayan cities rose in many parts of Mexico and Central America.  Each city controlled its surrounding area and had its own ruler.

 Rival cities sometime fought but also enjoyed times of peace.  Roads cut through the jungle.  Cities had huge pyramids with temples on top.  In theses temples priests performed elaborate ceremonies to please Mayan gods.

1. Priests 2. Nobles, government officials, and warriors 3.Peasant farmers 4. Slaves, generally war prisoners.

 Studied the heavens and tried to predict the future to honor gods who they believed controlled events such as harvesting, trade, and hunts.  They created an accurate 365 day calendar  They developed an advanced number system which included the number zero.  Hieroglyphics: writing that used pictures to represent words and ideas  Mayan priests used hieroglyphics to record their findings.

 About 850, Mayans abandoned their cities and the jungle took over their land.  Historians are unsure why the Mayans left their cities 1. Peasants may have rebelled againt rulers 2. Farming may have wore out the soil.  Today more than 2 million people speak Mayan languages.

 North of the Mayan cities the Aztecs built a powerful empire.  Until 1300s the Aztecs were wanders moving in search of food.  Legend states that a god told the Aztecs to look for an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its mouth and build their capital.

 Tenochtitlan: Aztec capital built on an island in Lake Texcoco.  Built causeways or roads to connect the island to the mainland.  Farmers built canals and filled in parts to create farmland.  Created floating gardens which harvested as many as seven crops a year.

 In the 1400’s Aztecs expanded their power by conquering neighboring people.  Riches from trade and conquers turned Tenochtitlan into a bustling city.  Marketplaces offered an abundance of food.  Drawbridges were created to raise in case the city was attacked.

 Religion was central to Aztec life.  Men and women went to school to train to become priests and priestesses  Like the Mayas Aztec priests studied the heavens and created calendars.  Divided the year into 18 months.  Calendars were used to predict when to plant and harvest.

 Worship the sun god.  Called themselves “warrior of the sun”  Aztecs believed the sun required human sacrifice to ensure a successful journey across the sky.  Sacrificed tens of thousands prisoners of war to please the gods.

 By 1500 the Aztecs ruled millions of people from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.  Emperor had absolute power and was treated like a god.  Servants carried him from place to place and when he did walk flower petals were thrown at his path.  Heavy taxes and human sacrifice fueled revolts among neighboring people.  Enemies of the Aztecs helped bring about their defeat in the 1520’s.

 Far south from the Aztecs, the Incas united the largest empire in the Americas.  Cuzco: the Inca’s capital high in the Andes Mountains.  Incas ruled more than 10 million people.

 Incas carved terraces into the steep mountain sides.  Huge stone walls kept rainfall from washing soil away.

 Incas perfected highly advanced building techniques.  Incas made elaborate building using masonary skills and human labor.  Their buildings have survived hundreds of earthquakes.  Some Inca building remain standing today

 To unit their huge empire, Incas built complex road networks.  19,000 miles of roads united their empire.  Teams of runners carried royal commands and messages to nearby villages where the next runner would carry the message to next village.

 Treated malaria with quinine  Performed successful brain surgery.  Discovered medicines to lessen pain

 Also worshipped the sun  To honor the sun Incas lined the temples and palace walls with sheets of gold.  They called gold the “sweat of the gods”  Very little Inca gold has survived.  In the 1530’s Spanish invaded the Incas and melted down their gold to send back to Europe.