1. Cultures of Middle America
Latin America
Cultures of Middle America
Chapter 12, Section 2

2. The Olmec and maya
Olmecs were the first known civilization to develop in Latin America.
Lived along the Golf Coast in what is now southern Mexico.
Maya were another civilization to develop in the area.
Lived in the Yucatán Peninsula, Guatemala, and northern Belize.

3. The Olmec and maya
Both civilizations built well-laid-out cities and complex civilizations.
Both were farmers, artists, and architects.

4. The Olmec and maya The Olmecs were traders.
Olmec cities included plazas, housing areas, and ceremonial centers.
Known for their huge stone sculptures of heads.

5. The Olmec and maya Olmecs began to abandon their cities in 600 BC.
Was considered a cultural hearth.
Place of origin of a major culture.

6. The Olmec and maya
Maya lived in southern Mexico and northern Central America.
As early as 1500 BC.
Height of their civilization was about AD.
Cities consisted of plazas, palaces, pyramids, stone temples, and ball courts.
The game they played was called pok-ta-tok.

7. The Olmec and maya Maya were advanced in science and technology.
Created a 365 day calendar.
Developed a counting system up to 20.
First civilization to use zero (0).
Developed a writing system called hieroglyphics.
Carved symbols that stood for syllables or words.

8. The Olmec and maya The Mayans used a process called slash-and-burn.
First they would clear the land by cutting down the trees.
Then they would burn the tree stumps.
They saved the ash for fertilizer.
Finally, they planted seeds.
The land would only be good for a few years.

9. The Olmec and maya The Mayans grew a number of crops.
Beans, squash, peppers, papayas, and avacados.
Corn was their most common crop.
Also known as Maize.
So important they had a god of corn. Also had gods of sun and rain.

10. The Olmec and maya
Mayan cities were the center of religion and government.
Each city had a different ruler.
Had celebrations in the cities.
Some included human sacrifice.

11. The Olmec and maya
About 900 AD, the Maya started to abandon their cities.
Many possible reasons.
Included are crop failures, war, disease, or overuse of natural resources may have altered the way of life.
Mayan descendants still live in Middle America

12. The aztecs The Aztecs created vast empires.
Empire – political system in which people or lands are controlled by one ruler.
The Aztecs moved from northern Mexico into the Valley of Mexico around 1300 AD.
Based upon the legend of the Eagle on the Prickly Pear.

13. Mexican Flag

14. The aztecs
The Aztecs empire stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.
A single, powerful leader ruled the empire.
Conquered people were forced to pay taxes.

15. The Aztecs City included houses and causeways (roads made of earth).
At height of the empire, they had around 300,000 people.
Used the watery environment to create chinampas (island gardens)

16. The Aztecs Farmers would use the waterways to transport their goods.
Aztec priests would have ceremonies to win the favor of their gods.

17. The Aztecs The sun god was the most important.
Belief was the sun would not have the strength to rise and cross the sky without human blood.
Prisoners captured served as human sacrifices.
Tenochtitlan had schools and a university that boys from noble families would attend.

18. The Aztecs Aztec society had a strict class structure.
In order, the royal family, nobles, priests, and military leaders.
Artisans were next, merchants, and then farmers.
Farmers made the largest class.

20. Homework Read p. 344-349 Answer #1-2, all parts Read p. 350-351
Answer the two assessment questions.