1. Civilizations of Early America

2. - Migration during last Ice Age - Beringia land bridge Global Warming
Middle America
Geography
- 30,000 years ago
- Migration during last Ice Age
- Beringia land bridge
Global Warming
Earth warmed
Killed off large animals (mammoth)

3. Agricultural Revolution
Cultivate land
Domesticate Animals
Farmed since large animals died
Corn, beans, tomatoes, squash
South America - llama
Farms led to villages and cities
(Civilization)

4. Olmecs Oldest known civilization Lead by priests, very religious
Calendar, writing, temples

5. Maya Temples and Palaces Largest City - Tikal
Huge Pyramids for burial or sacrifice
Covered in carvings = historical record

6. Social Classes Ruling Chief in each city
Nobles – military, government officials
Priests – great power, elaborate ceremonies
Farmers

7. Advances in Learning hieroglyphic writing system, books
accurate calendars, numbers, zero
Astronomy

8. Decline 900 A.D. – left cities No known reason for leaving
Still exist in Central America

9. The Mayans Video

10. Aztec Culture Teotihuacán large, well planned city in Mexico Valley
temples, wide roads, apartment buildings

11. Arrival of the Aztecs
“Eagle perched atop a cactus holding a snake in its beak”
Built Tenochtitlan in middle of a lake, present Mexico City
Chinampas – floating garden
Filled in lake and built canals
Conquering an Empire
War and Alliances – 30 million people in 1500
Tribute – payment from conquered people

12. The World of the Aztecs Government and Society
One ruler of whole empire
Nobles, Warriors, Commoners, Slaves
Ruler
Nobles
Warriors
Commoners
Slaves

14. Religious Beliefs Chief God Huitzilopochtli
battled each night, reborn in the morning
No guarantee the sun would rise so–
Sacrifice 1000s, mostly prisoners
Always at war = more sacrifices
Rebellion and discontentment

15. Education and Learning
Priests wrote all history
Taught noble’s children
Medical advancements – herbs and steam

16. The World of the Incas Early People of Peru Western South America
Andes, Jungle
200 kinds of potatoes

17. Chavin
850 BC – earliest culture
Stone carvings and pottery
Fierce god – Jaguar/Human
Mochica
North coast of Peru
Skilled Farmers
Artistic – cloth, pottery, gold
Nazca
Glyph – pictograph carved in to a surface
Huge pictures from the air
No idea what purpose was

19. The Incan Empire Government Pachacuti – founder of Incas
Hierarchy of rule
Quipu – set of colored, knotted strings for keeping records

20. Roads and Runners Quechua – language 12,000 miles of road
bridges and steps
Runners delivered messages all over empire
Regular people couldn’t use roads

21. Daily Life Farming Metalworking Step terraces
All land belonged to Emperor
Took food and divided among population
Metalworking
best metalworkers in the Americas
Alloy – blend of metals

22. Daily Life Medical Advances Religion Surgery on Skull
could put people to sleep
Religion
polytheistic
Inti – sun god, most important god
“Chosen Women” served the gods
Many festivals

24. Peoples of North America
The Desert Southwest
Hohokams = “Vanished Ones”
Gila River, Arizona
Temple mounds, ball courts, irrigation

25. Anasazi Four corners region Cliff Dwellings Pueblos – large villages
Crescent-shaped compounds raising 5 stories
Kiva – large underground chamber.
Anasazi
Cliff Dwellings
built into side of canyon wall
Up to 200 rooms
Left due to drought

27. The Mound Builders - Mississippi and Ohio Valley
Adena and Hopewell Indians
Great Serpent Mounds – ¼ mile

28. Cahokia
40,000 people
60 mounds
Houses of rulers and temples on top
Heirs of the Mound Builders
Mississippians didn’t leave a record
Disappeared by the time Europeans came

29. Diverse Regional Cultures
10 Culture areas based on environment
Artic, Subartic, Northwest Coast, California, Great Basin, Plateau, Southwest, Great Plains, Eastern Woodlands, Southeast
Adapted to region

30. A Frozen World
Inuits
Sea animals, kayaks, igloos

31. A Land of Plenty
Northwest coast hunters
Potlatch – Trading ceremony

32. The Iroquois League Eastern Woodlands
Constant warfare lead to an alliance
Five nations
Started just as Europeans showed up