1. Maya, Aztec, & Inca

2. The Maya (250-900 CE) Geography
Settle in the Yucatan Peninsula 900 BCE
Dense, steamy rain forests in the north
Cool, highlands in the south
Stretched from Southern Mexico to northern Central America

5. City-States Influenced by the Olmec Built spectacular cities
Chichen Itza
Tikal
Each city-state ruled by its own god-king & was a center for religion & trade
City-states were linked through military alliances & trade
Built giant pyramids, temples, palaces, stone carvings

6. Mayan Economy
Trade items: salt, flint, feathers, shells, honey, cotton, jade
No uniform currency, often used cacao (chocolate) beans
Agriculture was basis for life
Maize, beans, squash
Traded goods from one city-state to another

7. Mayan Social Structure
Successful farming led to accumulation of wealth
Social classes formed
Mayan king
Holy figure who inherited power
Noble class
Priests & warriors
Merchants & Artisans
Peasant Majority

8. Religion Polytheistic Religion Many Gods
Based on War, Death, Rain, & Corn
Gods can be good or evil
Believed each day was a living god & the behavior could be predicted using calendars
bloodletting- cut & pierced skin to nourish the gods
practiced human sacrifices
built temples & pyramids
Holy Book- Popol Vuh: story of creation

11. Mayan Achievements Highly skilled mathematicians & astronomers
Observed sun, moon, & planet
Two Calendars
one solar (365 days) & one religious (260 days)
Written Language- Glyphs
800 different hieroglyphic symbols
Used base-20 system with zero
Played a ball game to support natural cycles

12. Chichen Itza

13. Tikal

14. Mayan Observatory

15. Mayan Calendar

16. Mayan Glyph

17. Mayan Codex

19. Mayan Decline 800s CE: Mayans abandon their cities
Invaders from north, Toltecs, moved onto land
Not sure what happened
Assorted theories:
Warfare among Mayan city-states
Increased warfare disrupted trade & hurt economy
Population growth & over production of food damaged environment
Famine, disease

20. Mayan Ball Game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlqNYhkSaF4&NR=1

21. Aztecs

23. Rise of the Aztec
Aztecs- Warlike nomads roamed the harsh deserts of Northern Mexico in the 1200s
Became mercenaries to local rulers
Aztec War & Sun God told them to establish their own city
Told to look for the place where an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its mouth
Found Tenochtitlan (Mexico City_ on an island on Lake Texcoco
Unified neighboring city-states into an empire

25. Tenochtitlan By 1500 CE- population is 200,000 to 400,000
Chinampas- floating artificial islands in the lake
Became gardens- allowed population to grow
Causeways- 3 raised roads to connect island to outside world
Small cities ringed the lake- dense population
Heart of City- Palaces, Temples, & Government Buildings

26. Tenochtitlan

27. A Planned City

28. Aztec Growth Form Triple Alliance with Texcoco & Tlacopan
Aztecs grow in strength & number
By Aztec control empire over 80,000 square miles
Divided into 38 provinces
5-15 million people in the Empire
Military conquests & tributes from conquered peoples
Loose control over conquered people as long as they get tribute
Slaughter those who refuse

29. Social Classes Emperor is at the top of hierarchy
Levels of social class:
Nobility- military leaders, priests, & government officials
Land Owners
Commoners- merchants, artisans, farmers, soldiers
Slaves- Conquered peoples

30. Religion Polytheistic- Worshipped approximately 1,000 gods
Built Pyramids to worship the gods
Public ceremonies to communicate with gods
Humans sacrificed to the Sun God
Sacrifices held at Great Temple
Thousands sacrificed each year
Ripped out the hearts of victims- criminals, prisoners of war, & people offered as tribute
Went to war in an effort to capture prisoners

31. Great Temple of Sun & Rain

35. Advancements Science/Technology derived from Maya Calendars- Two Types
360 day solar/agricultural calendar(18 months of 20 days, plus 5 unlucky extra days)
Holy calendar (13 months of 20 days)
Medicine
Math
Artists adorned pyramids with statues and sculptures glorifying gods and leaders
Writers discussed victories at battle in their works

37. Quetzalcoatl
Before Aztecs- Toltec ruler told his people to worship a Feathered Serpent God known as Quetzalcoatl
Followers rebelled and forced ruler & followers into exile
Aztecs took on Quetzalcoatl as one of their gods
Legend says that Quetzalcoatl will return one day to bring peace
Some say that Quetzalcoatl took the form of a pale-skinned, bearded man…

39. Decline 1502 – Montezuma II comes to power
Prophets predict terrible things were going to happen
Aztecs call for more human sacrifice to please the Gods
Revolts in outlying areas of empire weakened Aztec control
People were resentful of paying tribute
1521- Spanish conquistadors arrive in Mexico led by Hernan Cortez… a white man with a beard

40. The End of the Aztecs
Cortez & his conquistadors brought ruin to the Aztec through warfare & disease

41. The Inca
1200 CE- Inca settle in the fertile Valley of Cuzco and establish a kingdom
Capital City- Cuzco
Included the Temple of the Sun
Decorated in gold & silver
Other important city- Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu may have been a religious center or a retreat for the emperor & nobles

44. Government Government style was similar to modern socialism
Government had control over economic life
Regulated production & distribution of goods
Ayllu (family group) participated in community cooperation to build irrigation ditches or agricultural terraces
Mita- labor tribute paid to the government by all able-bodied citizens
Government would collect & store portions of crops to be used in time of famine or to feed sick & old

45. Social System 1. Emperor 2. High Priest & Army Commander
3. Four Regional Commanders/Governors
4. Priests, Administrators, Army Officers
5. Artisans
6. Farmers, Merchants, Soldiers

46. Culture Quecha- common spoken language united the people
Did not have a written language but kept records using the quipu
Quipu- series of knotted strings
Built schools

48. Religion Polytheistic- Many Gods Believed in nature spirits
Sun, moon, stars, thunder, etc.
Used both men & women in religious rituals
Sacrifice- Animal (Llamas) & sometimes humans were sacrificed
Sometimes children were sacrificed

49. Technology Excellent architects & stone masons
Terrace farming- cut into the hillside to give crops level ground to collect water & grow
Economy is based on high altitude terrace farming
Roads- More than 25,000 miles
Cut through mountains & valleys
All roads led to Capital City of Cuzco
Created a postal service system that used the roads
Calendars- tell what God will rule that day

50. Terrace Farms

53. Decline Inca Empire reached its height under Huayna Capac
When he died, the Empire was divided between his two sons
Civil War occurred between the sons & Atahualpa eventually won

54. Decline Conquered by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1532
Pizarro & his men invaded the Andes Mountains
Kidnapped Emperor Atahualpa
Pizarro promised his release if paid a room full of gold but murdered him instead in 1533
War & disease wiped out the rest of the Inca

55. Machu Picchu