1. Mesoamerican Civilizations
Chapter 9 section 2

2. Area that stretches from south from central Mexico to northern Honduras.
Story of Americas civilizations start here.
Mesoamerica

4. Olmec Civilization First known civilization
800 – 400 B.C. in southern Mexico
Known as the “mother culture”
Lived along Gulf Coast
Known for their gigantic stone carvings of heads.
Olmec Civilization

5. San Lorenzo
La Venta

6. Impact of Geography Good Bad Hot & humid Swamps Jungles Thick canopy
Abundant salt & tar deposits.
Fine clay for pottery
Wood & rubber
Extensive river system
Flood plains of rivers provided fertile land for farming.
Mountains where rock was used to make tools/weapons
Hot & humid
Swamps
Jungles
Thick canopy
Over 100 inches of rain fell each year.
Impact of Geography

7. Olmec Society San Lorenzo is oldest site of Olmec Civilization.
La Venta is another ceremonial/trade site.
Olmec Society

9. Olmec Government & Religion
Lead by one ruler.
Many Gods based on nature.
Major was Jaguar god
Half human/half jaguar
Olmec Government & Religion

11. Olmec goods traveled as far north as Mexico City & South to Honduras
Large trading network brought in:
Iron ore
Various stones
Helped boost Olmec economy & influence
Olmec Trade & Commerce

12. Reasons are not known why they disappeared: some ideas are……
Outside invaders
Olmecs may have destroyed their own monuments at the death of their rulers.
Decline of the Olmec

13. Zapotec Civilization

14. Olmecs had collapsed----Zapotec were developing their society located:
Southwest in the current Mexican state of Oaxaca.
Zapotec

16. Geography of Oaxaca Good Bad Oaxaca Valley:
Fertile soil
Mild climate
Rainfall to support agriculture
Zapotecs settled this valley
Rugged mountainous region
Numerous valleys.
Geography of Oaxaca

17. Small beginnings Lived in scattered villages. 1000 B.C.
Temple building
Sculptures of stone
Early form of writing and calendar
Small beginnings

19. 500 B.C. first real urban center in the Americas was Monte Alban
At height it was home to 25,000 people.
Bustling trade center
Giant plazas, pyramids & palaces
Observatory; established a calendar
Zapotec Flourishes

21. Decline of Zapotec 600 A.D.---not sure why Guesses are:
Suffered a loss of trade
Another economic crisis.
Decline of Zapotec

22. Legacy of Olmecs & Zapotec
Influenced the Maya
Arty & pottery w/ jaguar symbol.
Future societies copied pattern of urban design
Ceremonial centers
Ritual ball games
Carved stone symbols influenced future glyph writing.
Hieroglyphic writing system.
Calendar based on movement of sun.
First city builders
Urban centers
Ceremonial grandeur w/ living space
Legacy of Olmecs & Zapotec

23. People and Empires in the Americas
Chapter 16 Sections 1,2 &3

24. Maya Kings and Cities

25. Homeland of the Maya stretched from southern Mexico into northern Central America.
Were influenced by the Olmec.
By 250 C.E. was a flourishing civilization
Location of the Maya

27. Maya Urban Centers Tikal
Major center in northern Guatemala was built
All major cities were independent city- states with these common characteristics:
Ruled by god-king
Served as religious center
Maya Urban Centers

29. Features of a Maya City-State
Giant pyramids, temples & palaces
Population of cities was large (at least 10,000)
Lived around city-state
Ball court
Playing would maintain cycles of sun and moon
Bring rain.
Features of a Maya City-State

30. Trade & Agriculture City-states were linked through alliances & trade.
Exchanged local produce
No local currency
Agriculture:
Basis for everyday life.
Used Slash and burn
Raised beds above swamps
Terrace farming.
Trade & Agriculture

32. Social Structure Development of social classes: King was holy figure
Nobles ( priest & warriors)
Merchants
Peasants
King was holy figure
Position was hereditary
Social Structure

33. Religious Practices Influenced most aspects of life.
Believed in many gods.
Each day a living god
Used system of calendars to predict behavior of gods.
Prayed
Made offering
Blood offering ( some human sacrifice)
Religious Practices

34. God of Maize

35. Math & Sciences Created a 260-day religious calendar Astronomy:
365-day solar calendar
Two were linked to identify best time to
Plant crops
Attack enemies
Crown new rulers
Astronomy:
Calculated the solar year
Use of zero
Math & Sciences

37. Writing System Most advance in the ancient Americas. GLYPHS: CODEX:
800 hieroglyphic symbols
Stood for whole words or syllables
Used to record events
CODEX:
bark-paper book
Writing System

39. Decline of the Maya Ended in mystery Theories:
Late 800s Maya abandoned their cities.
Occupied by Toltec invaders
Theories:
Warfare
Trade disruption
Over-farming
Over population
Decline of the Maya

40. Aztecs control Central Mexico

41. Trace ancestry to the Olmecs & Zapotecs.
Beginnings

42. Valley of Mexico Several large, shallow lakes Fertile soil
Accessible resources
Attracted people to settle the area.
Valley of Mexico

44. Early city-state Teotihuacan Center of thriving trade network
150,000 to 200,000 population
Pyramids
Grand avenues
Apartment complexes
Center of thriving trade network
Obsidian:
Most valuable trade item
Green or black volcanic glass
Abrupt decline of city-state
Early city-state

46. Toltecs take over 900—rose to power Warlike people Topiltzin:
Ruled over central Mexico for 300 years.
Warlike people
Demanded blood & human sacrifice
Topiltzin:
Ruler tried to change religion
Worship new god: Quetzalcoatl
Was exiled
Toltecs take over

47. Cortez as Quetzalcoatl

48. Beginning of Aztec Empire
1200 A.D.
Poor, nomadic people
Ambitious
Found own city: look for a place where an eagle perched on a cactus, holding a snake in its mouth.
1325 founded their city: Tenochtitlan
Beginning of Aztec Empire

50. Aztec Power 1428 joined two other city-states Triple Alliance:
leading power in the Valley of Mexico
80,000 square miles
5 to 15 million people
Power based on military conquest and tribute.
Aztec Power

51. Aztec Rule Loose control
Allowed local rulers to govern their own regions
Brutally destroyed any resistance
Aztec Rule

52. Aztec Society Emperor Noble class made up of: Merchants Commoners
Military leaders
Priests
Government officials.
Ruled Aztec society
Merchants
Commoners
Enslaved people
Aztec Society

53. Tenochtitlan Capital city 200,000 to 400,000 population
Planned
Island connected by raised roads.
200,000 to 400,000 population
Canals, board avenues
Most food was grown on chinampas or “floating gardens”
Tenochtitlan

55. Religious Practices Played a major role in Aztec society.
Worshipped Quetzalcoatl in many forms.
Elaborate public ceremonies
Communicate w/ the gods.
Win favor
Priest made offerings
Song, dance, dramas
Religious Practices

57. Problems in the Aztec Empire
1502:
Montezuma II was crowned emperor.
Empire weakens due to:
Demanded increase in tribute & sacrificial victims
Provinces rose up against the oppression.
After some time he tried to decrease the demands----did not help!
Problems in the Aztec Empire

59. Many Aztec believed that the fair skinned, bearded faced Spaniards was the return of Quetzalcoatl.
Spanish Arrival

60. The Inca Create a Mountain Empire

61. Inca settled in the fertile lands of the Valley of Cuzco.
1200s—estalbished their own small kingdom.
Many customs and traditions of the empire began during this time.
The beginning

63. Inca Government Controls all Levels
Economic
Social
Regulated production and distribution of goods
Extensive road system for trade
One language
Groups were identified by the patterns on clothing
Allyu:
Extended Family group
Cooperative
Chief led each group
Chain of command that led straight to king.
Inca Government Controls all Levels

64. Pachacuti Conquered all of Peru
1500—Inca ruled 2,500 miles of west coast of South America
“Land of the Four Quarters”
80 to 16 million people
Diplomacy was used as well to gain land.
Surrender and would be allowed to practice own customs.
Exchange----be loyal to the emperor
Pachacuti

66. Incan state placed on its subjects a tribute in the form of labor.
Required ALL able-bodied citizens to work for the state a certain # of days a year.
Mita

67. Record-keeping Never developed a writing system.
History & literature were memorized.
Oral storytelling.
Numerical system:
Quipu:
a set of knotted strings that was used to record data.
Record-keeping

69. Religion Worshipped fewer gods than the Aztec.
Moon, stars and thunder
Creator God & A Sun God
Ceremonies to the sun god
Led by young, unmarried women
Llamas were sacrificed
Religion

70. Thunder God
Sun God: Inti
Goddess of the Moon

71. Major Incan Cities Cuzco was the religious capital Machu Picchu
Temple of the Sun
Machu Picchu
Large temples
Public buildings
Central plaza
Major Incan Cities

72. Cuzco

73. Machu Picchu

74. Decline of the Inca Height was early 1500s
Last ruler died of a disease
Empire was split b/t his sons
Sons began to fight
Spain came in and took advantage of the weak empire & conquered it.
Decline of the Inca