Section 1- Civilizations of Middle America
Section 2- The World of the Incas
Section 3- Peoples of North America
The Aztecs had a complex system of religious beliefs. But like many
other religions they believed that the world would one day come to a
fiery end.
According to the Aztec legend of the Five Suns the universe had
been created and destroyed five times in the past.
People living under the first sun had been destroyed by jaguars
People living under the second sun had been swept away by wind
People of the third sun perished in the fire and ash of volcanoes
People living under the fourth sun had been swallowed by water
The people living under the fifth sun represented the time of the
Aztec empire
• The legend of the five suns reflects the important role of the sun in
Aztec religion and the feeling of helplessness when it came to the
force of nature.
During the last ice age so much water froze into thick ice
sheets that the sea level dropped which exposed a land
bridge between Siberia and Alaska. Hunters followed herds
of animals cross the bridge and others paddled small boats
and fished along the coast.
Climates grew warmer, the ice melted and the water level
rose covering the land bridge under the Bering Strait
As this happened people adapted by hunting smaller
animals gathering fruits and vegetable and fishing and they
slowly migrated eastward and southward across the
Americas
They also cultivated the land and domesticated animals but
the lack of draft animals limited development in some
areas.
The agricultural revolution helped people settle into villages
where population expanded, people grew into religious
centers, and eventually into great cities
The Olmecs were the first American
civilization. They emerged in the
tropical forest along the Mexican
Gulf Coast and lasted from about
1400 BC to 500 BC. Rich tombs and
temples suggest a powerful class of
priests and aristocrats. They made
ceremonial centers. The most
significant remains of the Olmec
civilization are the giant carved
stone heads. Through trade their
influence spread over a wide area .
They also invented a calendar and
used carved inscriptions as a form of
writing. But their most important
tradition was of priestly leadership
and religious devotion.
Mayans
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Mayan civilizations flourished from 300 AD
to about 900 from southern mexico to
Central America
Mayan farmers cleared fields that caught
and held rainwater and then built raised
fields that caught and held rainwater
Temples were also where priests were
buried. Large palaces and huge stone
pillars were covered with carvings.
Each Mayan city had its own ruling chief
surrounded by nobles and officials. Most
Mayans were farmers and grew corn
beans, squash, fruit trees, cotton and
beautiful flowers.
They developed a hieroglyphic writing
system, an accurate calendar, and invented
a writing system
At about 900 AD the Mayans abandoned
their cities possibly because of frequent
warfare, revolts, or overpopulation
Each Aztec city state had its
own king, but an emperor was
chosen to lead during war.
Under them were nobles, then
warriors, commoners and
finally slaves. The priests were
in a class of their own and
performed rituals to please the
gods. The Aztecs offered
human sacrifices to please the
god. Priests recorded laws and
historical events. They had an
accurate calendar. They also
used herbs and medicines set
broken bones, and treated
other illnesses.
Incan empire
• The Incan empire had a
wide variety of climates
and terrains in Western
America. The people
settled in fishing villages
along the coast of Peru
and expanded inland
where they grew crops
and eventually
domesticated animals.
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Pachacuti was the founder of the Incan empire, and he was
called Sapa. He claimed that he was the son of the sun god
and owned everything. They ran an efficient government
from the capital at Cuzco. They imposed their own religion
called Quechua, and created a road system that wound for
more then 12,00 miles. It allowed news t travel rapidly
throughout the empire, but all roads led to the capital at
Cuzco.
The Incas strictly regulated the lives of the people within
the empire.
Farmers used terraces which kept rains from washing away
the soil and the government took part of each harvest
The Incas were polytheistic and each month had its own
festival.
The Apopanaca made a selection amongst a group of girls
and the girls that were chosen would be trained to serve
the sun god. At the age of 16 when the training was over
some of the girls would be married off to high class families
while others would spend their lives in service of the sun
god.
The Mayans excelled in learning; they made advancements
in medicine and astronomy and used herbs and antiseptics
to cure illnesses
But when Huayna Capac dies a civil war broke out over
who would be his successor.
• Fields of corn, beans and squash bloomed in the
desert southwest, to farm the built a complex irrigation
system.
• The Hohokams lived near the Gila River and built
temple mounds and ball courts
• The Anasazi was the best known society of the
southwest and they lived in the four corners region
• The Anasazi built kivas which was an underground
chamber used for religious ceremonies
• They built houses near cliff dwellings to protect from
raiders but a drought forced them to leave and attacks
by Navajo and Apache tribes may have contributed to
their decline
• The Adena and
Hopewell people left
behind huge earthen
mounds in the shape
of cones or animals
• The Cahokia people
grew richer through
food surpluses and
built mounds that
were even homes for
nobles and rulers or
temples
Native American Culture Groups of
North America
• Arctic/Sub arctic- lived as nomadic hunters and food gatherers in
cold climates, honored ocean weather and animal spirits
• Northwest Coast- lived in villages, benefited from natural resources
in forests rivers and oceans, and they held potlatches
• California/Great Basin Plateau- lived as hunters and gatherers in
small family groups, ate mainly fish berries and acorns
• Southwest- lived in villages in homes made of adobe, built irrigation
systems to grow crops honored earth sky and water spirits
• Great Plains- lived in tepees, men hunted and women grew crops,
relied on buffalo for food shelter and clothing
• Eastern Woodlands- lived in farming villages but also hunted for
food longhouses were shared by many families and women held
much of the social and political power
• Southeast-grew corn squash beans and other crops, held yearly
Green Corn Ceremony to mark the end of the year and celebrate the
harvest
Iroquois
• Because of the Prophet
Dekanawidah, five
nations who spoke the
same language formed
the Iroquois League and
were at piece with one
another
• The Iroquois League did
not always succeed in
keeping the peace, but
they were the best
organized political group
north of Mexico