1. Unit 2 – Early Civilizations of America
SWBAT: analyze the existence, culture, and civilizations of early people of the Americas before the arrival of Europeans:
Mesoamerican cultures: Olmec, Maya, Aztec
South American cultures: Inca
North American cultures: Tribes of the Northeast US, Tribes of the Southeast US, Tribes of the Northwest US, Tribes of the Southwest US , Tribes of the Midwest – cultures
GLEs: 2.3A /DOK: 2-4/ Content Standards SS 6&7/ Process Standards 1.4, 1.9, 2.7

2. Day 1- The Olmec
SWBAT: analyze the existence, culture, and civilization of the Olmec GLE’s: 2.3A --- DOK 2 Vocabulary: Migrate: To move from one region to another Society: A group of people with common interests, customs, and ways of life Civilization: Complex societies in which people share important characteristics such as language, religion, art, dress, and political structure

3. Bering Strait Around 35,000 Years Ago
During the coldest point of the last Ice Age, ca. 35,000 to 10,000 B.C., ice covered a large portion of Europe. A drop of more than 330 feet in sea level exposed dry land around the world's coastlines and uncovered bridges between land masses that had been separated by water. The Bering land bridge between Siberia and Alaska was approximately 1000 miles wide; Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea were one continent; Britain was joined to Europe and Indonesia was part of mainland Southeast Asia.
For decades, most scientists believed the first Americans were big-game hunters who crossed a land bridge across the Bering Strait from Siberia about 11,500 years ago. New discoveries, such as those found at the Topper Site in rural Allendale County, 85 miles southwest of Columbia, SC, are part of a growing body of evidence that could overturn that theory. Topper may provide evidence of human habitation in the southeastern United States as early as 18,000 years ago. It is believed that the first Americans crossed over this frozen land (between Siberia and Alaska) around 35,000 years ago -- Why would they do this??? Perhaps they were in search of food or shelter. These early Americans spread throughout the Americas – Different groups split off and to form civilizations and then societies.

4. Why Develop Civilizations?
Help meet peoples needs – easier to work together than
apart
* Make groups more powerful
* Advance human kind
Ingredients for a Civilization
Settlements: cities or towns
Food production – enough to sustain a given population
(so some inhabitants can do other things than grow food)
Large enough population so that groups may
specialize in activities
(such as creation of buildings, art, practice warfare or etc.
Must have a bureaucracy capable of running the community
Many different elements must come together before a human community develops to the level of sophistication commonly referred to as civilization. The first is the existence of settlements classifiable as towns or cities. This requires food production to be efficient enough for a large minority of the community to be engaged in more specialized activities - such as the creation of imposing buildings or works of art, the practice of skilled warfare, and above all the administration of a centralized bureaucracy capable of running the machinery of state. Read more:

5. Types of Societies Sedentary: created permanent towns or villages
Semisedentary: built towns or villages, but moved them every few years in search of migrating animals and new land for farming
Nonsedentary: did not construct permanent villages or towns but created small, temporary camps that could be moved easily in search of large game, fish, and edible plants
Based on what you know so far….. How do you think societies arrived in Mesoamerica – (or modern day Mexico – Nicaragua)

6. Characteristics of Societies
NONSEDENTARY
Hunters-gatherers, wandered from
Place to place
No permanent settlements or farms
No political leaders, laws, or taxes
SEMISEDENTARY
Combination of farming and hunting
Small village; people moved frequently to follow food supply
Some political leadership to enforce laws and taxes
Populations number in 100 and 1,000
SEDENTARY
Large scale farming was basis of life
Permanent cities with roads, markets, and many dwellings
Populations number in the millions
Political leaders create laws and enforce taxes
Go over types of societies and explain how societies grow into civilizations (complex societies where people share important characteristics such as language, religion, art, dress, and political structure)

7. Mesoamerica Meso = Middle
The first great American civilizations emerged in the Mesoamerica (modern day Mexico to Nicaragua- Pull Down Map) – 1200BC – 400BC. The Olmec was the first known civilization of this area. It is theorized that other civilizations grew out of the Omlec – of these are the Maya, the Inca, and the Aztec
Meso = Middle

8. 1st Known Great Civilization of the Americas
Olmec “Rubber People”
1200BC – 400 BC
1st Known Great Civilization of the Americas
Heart of the Mesoamerican population
Among the various Mesoamerican Pre-Classic period (1200 BCE-400 BCE) groups, the Olmec are the most well-known. The Olmec heartland was centered in La Venta in Tabasco, and San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan and Laguna de los Cerros in Veracruz. The Olmec were a highly developed and well organized group with a complex calendar and hieroglyphic writing system. They also created unique art objects.
Olmec cities were constructed around a central raised mound, which was used for religious ceremonies. Around 900 BCE, these raised mounds were replaced with pyramid-shaped structures. Society began to separate into divisions arranged in a hierarchy, as is shown in the change in residential patterns. The houses were made of wooden walls with clay and palm roof tops.
An irrigation system that ran through the city supplied water for crop production. Crops were supplemented by fishing and hunting. The Olmecs had access to many waterways which were used for fishing and the transportation of people and trade goods. Basalt, found in the distant Tuxtla Mountains, was used to construct plazas, religious pyramid structures, and the large stone heads the Olmecs are known for carving. As it came from other areas, basalt likely was a traded commodity that demonstrates links with other cultures in the surrounding areas.
Olmec religion strongly featured animals and animal symbolism; they likely practiced shamanism. Hallucinogenic drugs from a  marine toad and/or several mushroom species may have been used by the shamans to enter trances. The Temple of the Feathered Serpent in Teotihuacan is an example of an Olmec ceremonial site.
Olmecs are most well-known for their colossal head statues. The heads were possibly modeled after notable citizens, probably leaders. Most of the colossal heads were defaced or destroyed in some way. They were likely altered after the regional center in which it is affiliated with lost prominence, by a conquering group, or the Olmecs did this themselves after a ruler died as a sacrifice to the gods or animal spirits. The facial features of the heads were people with slanted eyes and large lips. Many have argued over whether the Olmecs were of African or Asia descent, because of these facial features. Others believe that this is just an overgeneralization. Most of the heads were deformed, which was likely done at birth for noble children, as the Mayan culture did.
Other motifs in Olmec art consist of jaguars, serpents and monkeys. Many of the art objects show a transition between human and animal figures, which demonstrates a connection between the two. Most sculptures were made of jade, which was also not found in the Olmec region. This must have been traded from an outside location.

9. Art
The most well known form of art of the Olmec were the large stone heads. These sculptures were made of basalt rock formed from lava rock that enters the ocean as it rapidly cools and stand between 8 to 12 feet tall. This stone was not native to the Olmec territory, but found up to 80 miles away. Archeologists believe the Olmec built these sculptures to honor their political, religious, and sports figures.
- Thought to be sculptures of religious, political, or sports figures
- Made of Basalt rock from quarries – up to 80 miles away from Olmec territory

10. Calendar - Writing
* Most accurate calendar known to date – used 360 days a year
First known civilization to use the 0
1st Civilization in the Western Hemisphere to use writing – hieroglyphics
Epic Olmec

11. Religion
Polytheism
The jaguar-monster, fire god, or maize god A god with a maize symbol on his head A bird god The jaguar-baby A being with a human-feline face A figure representing Xipe Totec The Plumed Serpent A death god A bearded figure God X

12. Jaguar-the various gods centered around the jaguar
Religion Continued
Jaguar-the various gods centered around the jaguar
Shamanism : All things have and animal spirit’
Built huge centers
Dark ceremonies of sacrifice
Religion united the Olmec civilization, as people would gather together to build huge centers. Their cities would revolve around these centers, where the Olmec would hold rituals in which they would offer blood sacrifices to the jaguar, among other gods. These ceremonies would include singing and rhythmic dancing, possibly to accompany the beating of drums. As they danced, men would wear masks and "crack whips to imitate the sound of thunder." 4 They were led by the shaman, who would communicate to their gods through witchcraft. 5 The shaman would chant an incantation to the jaguar deity, hoping that their god would be pleased with the performed rituals. Because he acted as the medium between the people and their gods, people treated the shaman with sincere reverence, as if he were a living god. In several Olmec statues, the shaman is shown posing in complicated positions. Over years, Olmec myths developed and eventually it was said that the shaman would somehow obtain supernatural powers from the jaguar. -- side note – it is believed the Olmec may have discovered a rubber like substance from which they designed a crude ball – and played a game where they bounced it off their head, elbows, etc…. And some believe the losers were sacrificed -- It is believed that prisoners of war with other societies were also used as human sacrifices

13. Characteristics of the Society
Hierarchy -- Priests and political figures at the top Imported jade and basalt Exported ceramic works of art Elite could specialize – astronomy, art, math Elaborate farming system with irrigation systems

14. Statues were broken and buried, monuments defaced, and capitals burned
Decline of the Olmec
Olmecs ultimately destroyed their ceremonial centers at both San Lorenzo and La Venta and then deserted the sites
Statues were broken and buried, monuments defaced, and capitals burned
No one knows why,
Some speculate reasons involving civil conflicts or doubts about the effectiveness or legitimacy of the ruling classes
By about 400 B.C., Olmec society had fallen on hard times and other societies soon eclipsed it

15. Overview Quiz – 4 Corners
Overview – Wrap UP
BrainPOP | Social Studies
Overview Quiz – 4 Corners
What can you conclude about Mesoamerica from its name?
It’s political structure B. The types of Languages Spoke thereC. It’s location D. Culture
Where would you go if wanted to visit ancient Olmec ruins?
Peru B. Guatemala C. Texas D. South America
The Olmec civilization practiced ….
Monotheism B. Polytheism C. Atheism D. Christianity
The Olmec calendar had how many days?
360 days B days C days D. 320
One theory of how early civilizations arrived in North America is….
Early Europeans crossed a frozen Bering Strait in search of food and shelter
Early African societies migrated north from South America
Christopher Columbus sailed from Portugal to settle a new land
Early African Americans wondered north
Students will hold note cards up - A, B, C to answer the following questions

16. References

17. References Cont.