Early Civilizations of the Americas The Aztec, Maya and Inca • Aztec: Central Mexico, 1300-1521 AD • Maya: Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, 2600 BC- 1500 AD • Inca: Peru, 1400-1533 AD Governments The Aztec The Aztec government was similar to a monarchy where an Emperor or King was the primary ruler. They called their ruler the Huey Tlatoani. The Huey Tlatoani was the ultimate power in the land. They felt that their ruler was appointed by the gods and had the divine right to rule. When an emperor died, the new emperor was chosen by a group of high-ranking nobles. The Maya The Maya civilization consisted of many citystates. Each city-state had its own independent government. Each city-state was ruled by a king. The Maya believed that their king was given the right to rule by the gods. They believed that the king worked as an intermediary between the people and the gods. The leaders of the Maya were called the "halach uinic" or "ahaw", meaning "lord" or "ruler". The Inca The Inca government was called the Tawantinsuyu. It was a monarchy ruled by a single leader called the Sapa Inca. The emperor or king of the Inca Empire was called the Sapa Inca, which means "sole ruler". Religions The Aztec The concept of ‘god’ in Aztec society is referred to as ‘Teotl’ in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec. They were a polytheistic society, which means they had many gods and each god represented different important parts of the world for Aztec people. The Maya The Maya were polytheistic. Maya gods were greatly the gods of nature, including the gods of the sun and of Venus and the Maize god (maize, or corn, was their most important crop). Their religious practices included festivals and rituals to honor their gods. The Inca The religion of the Inca was closely tied into the everyday life of the Inca as well as with their government. They believed that their ruler was part god himself. The Inca believed that their gods occupied three different realms: 1) the sky or Hanan Pacha, 2) the inner earth or Uku Pacha, and 3) the outer earth or Cay pacha. Social Structures This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA The Aztec There were different social classes within Aztec society. The king was called the Huey Tlatcani and he was very powerful. Just below the emperor, who ruled the capital Tenochtitlan, were the rulers of the other city-states. Below the Tecuhtli were the pipiltin or the nobles. There was a special class of Aztec merchants called pochteca. The common people in Aztec society were called the macehualtin. At the bottom of Aztec society were the slaves. The Maya The Caste System The upper caste was composed of rulers, nobles and priests. The middle caste were businessmen, merchants and soldiers. The lower caste was made up of farmers and slaves. The Inca • Inca society was based on a strictly organized class structure. There were three broad classes: • The Emperor and his immediate family, • nobles, • and commoners. • Throughout Inca society, people who were “Inca by blood” – those whose families were originally from Cuzco – held higher status than non-Incas. Technology The Aztec Macuahuitl which was a wooden club having sharp pieces of volcanic glass Canoes which made transportation through streams and rivers easier. Did not craft roads since they didn’t have chariots, but dug many small canals Steam baths and herbs in medicine Base 20 number system Aquaducts for fresh water in Tenochtitlan Calendars for tracking religious festivals The Maya Weapons and Tools made of stone, obsidian, and chert Filtration system for drinking water Created roads and canals Raised fields alongside rivers Had running water pressure, that could have been used in fountains Astrological advancements and an observatory Crafted canoes for canal travel The Inca • Suspension bridges over rivers and roads • Surgery- trephination- used to remove bone fragments from an injured skull • The Inca played flutes, seashell horns, rattles, drums, and panpipes. • The Inca did not have a written language. Instead they used an ingenious substitute: the knotted sets of strings called quipis. Agriculture The Aztec Three crops formed the staples of the Aztec diet: maize, or corn, beans and squash. These 3 crops together were known as ”The Three Sisters” to the Aztecs as they helped each other grow Also grew: tomatoes, avocados, chili peppers, limes, onions, amaranth, peanuts, sweet potatoes and jimacas. Used a Terrace System to grow crops The Maya • Introduced Irrigation Canals due to living in the Wet Lands • Used terraces for drainage • Mostly relied on Maize • Other notable staples included beans, squash, and chile peppers • Would use Maize to make things like tortillas that were preservable The Inca The size of a Families’ farmland depended on the size of the family to be self sustainable Crops cultivated across the Inca Empire included maize, coca, beans, grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, ulluco, oca, mashwa, pepper, tomatoes, peanuts, cashews, squash, cucumber, quinoa, gourd, cotton, talwi, carob, chirimoya, lúcuma, guayabo, and avocado. Livestock was primarily llama and alpaca herds. Created Terraces in Circular patterns
