1. A Proper Tribute to a Long-Gone Civilization
Mesoamerica
A Proper Tribute to a
Long-Gone Civilization

2. Mesoamerica

3. Mesoamerican Timeline
PRE-CLASSIC ( BC)
CLASSIC (100 BC-900 AD)
POST-CLASSIC (900 AD-Present Day)
This lecture will be dealing with only the Pre-Classic Period
Rise of Mayan Culture
Giant Statues of Olmec Kings
Daily Life in Mesoamerica

4. First “American” Civilization
The OLMEC precede later Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Toltec, Maya, and Aztec
The name "Olmec" means "rubber people" in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec people
Later accounts seem to refer to their ancient name as "Tamoanchan"

5. Giant Olmec Statues
The heads range in size from the Rancho La Corbata head, at 3.4m high, to the pair at Tres Zapotes, at 1.47m
Almost all of these colossal heads bear the same features - flattened nose, wide lips, and capping headpiece

6. The Calendar Round
Variously known as the tzolkin or tonalamatl, a period of 52 years would elapse before the 260-day calendar would come back into phase with the 365-day calendar

7. Glyphic Writing
GLYPHIC writing refers specifically to the letters or characters within a writing system and may or may not be attached to particular sounds
Most Mesoamerican glyphics are only pictographic symbols used to express ideas

8. The Ballgame
The “ball” was made from hardened rubber from the sap of a fig tree, used specifically for its ability to bounce
There were versions played only with the hands, others which used the hips and the elbows, and another in which a bat was used

9. A World of Indifference
French word for it is Caoutchouc and it comes from a South American Indian word meaning “the wood that weeps”
Juice is found in the bark of the hevea brasiliensis tree, the source of most of the world’s natural rubber

10. Mayan Traditions
The Maya developed a complex, hierarchical society divided into classes and professions headed by kings who ruled territories with clearly defined boundaries in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador

11. Old-Time Religion
The name Popol Vuh means "The Collection of Written Leaves“
The book begins with the Maya civilization's creation myth followed by the history of the Quiché kingdom
It was composed in the form in which we now possess it by a Christianized native of Guatemala

12. Xocolatl of the Gods
The word chocolate is derived from the Nahuatl language of Mexico
xocolli (bitter)
atl (water)
Chocolate is made from the fermented, roasted, and ground beans taken from the pod of the Theobroma cacao tree

13. Teotihuacan
The name is from the Nahuatl language and means “place of becoming gods”
The Avenue of the Dead was the main street of Teotihuacan and ran for more than 2.5 km
The avenue divided the city into two sections, with pyramids on both sides of the avenue

14. Decline of Mayan Culture
The decline and disappearance of the Mayan culture of Mesoamerica makes them difficult to understand
Mayans believed that the world has been created five times and destroyed four times
This description became the fundamental basis of Mesoamerican religion from 900 AD onwards when it was adopted by the Toltecs