Mesoamerica
Incan Empire
1438-1531
Essential Standards
• 6.H.2 Understand the political, economic and/or
social significance of historical events, issues,
individuals and cultural groups.
• 6.G.1Understand geographic factors that influenced
the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations,
societies and regions (i.e. Africa, Asia, Europe, and
the Americas) over time.
• 6.C.1 Explain how the behaviors and practices of
individuals and groups influenced societies,
civilizations and regions.
Clarifying Objective
• 6.H.2.3 Explain how innovation and/or technology transformed
civilizations, societies and regions over time (e.g., agricultural technology,
weaponry, transportation and communication).
• 6.G.1.3 Compare distinguishing characteristics of various world regions
(e.g., physical features, culture, political organization and ethnic make-up).
• 6.G.1.4 Explain how and why civilizations, societies and regions have used,
modified and adapted to their environments (e.g., invention of tools,
domestication of plants and animals, farming techniques and creation of
dwellings).
• 6.C.1.2 Explain how religion transformed various societies, civilizations and
regions (e.g., beliefs, practices and spread of Buddhism, Christianity,
Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism).
Essential Questions
• What DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC describes the
Incan civilization’s physical features?
• What innovations & development in technologies helped
the Incans be so successful despite the fact they lived in the
mountains?
• What were the 3 ways that the Incans were able to adapt
to their environments to become successful?
• What roles did mummies play in the culture of the Incans?
Advanced Society
• Mesoamerican
Civilizations (Central &
South American) were the
first to establish WELL
ORGANIZED ADVANCED
SOCIETIES in the Americas
• These societies existed
well before the European
people arrived to the
Americas
South American Civilization
• The Incans were the largest
& greatest civilization to
ever exist in South America
• They were a highly
advanced civilization with
roads, a capital city,
organized religion & huge
population
• They extended from Chili all
the way to Columbia in the
Andes Mountains
Story of the Incas
• Story of the Incans begins
with a young prince
named Pachacuti
• The Incans were a small
tribe in the Peru, South
America
• Their main rivals were the
Chonka Warriors which
was a different tribe
Pachacuti
• Pachacuti was a prince of the
Incas but he was not the next
king in line
• His older brother was to be
the next king of the Incan
People
• Pachacuti never the less
believed that he should be
king
• He tried for years to show his
father that he should be the
next king
Chonka were Coming
• For years the Chonka
were trying to take the
Incan capital city of Cuzco
• The Chonka now had
enough men to take the
city
• They were led by their
mummified leader
Izkavilika
South America Mummy
• Incan culture always
mummified their bodies
• The dead meant so much to
the living
• Incans believed that their
ancestors were the ones that
gave them rights to a territory
from the gods
• This is why they carried the
mummified bodies around &
still talked to them after they
were dead
• http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=YS2PEbihdZY
Essential Questions
• Get with a partner and answer…..
• What roles did mummies play in the culture of
the Incans?
Chonka Indians Attack
• Chonka Indians create a
massive army & stand at the
gates of Cuzco
• The king & his two sons
stand ready to defend the
Incan Empire
• Then the king & his oldest
son decide to run from the
battle leaving only
Pachacuti to defend the city
Pachacuti vs. Izkavilika
• Pachacuti knew he was
destined for this battle
• The goal of the Chonkas
was to annhilate the
whole Incan Army &
capture the city
• The goal for the Incan tip
over the mummified
leader of the Chonka &
they will run
Pachacuti Defends Cuzco
• The Chonka attack running
at the Inca
• Pachacuti waits for the
Chonka to be in distance &
then has his army release a
fury of stones from their
sling shots
• This takes down hundreds
of Chonka
• Pachacuti charges
Pachacuti Defends Cuzco
• The battle lasts for only a
couple of hours as
Pachacuti’s Incans begin to
slaughter the Chonkans
• Legend says that Pachacuti
himself makes it to the
mummy of his enemies &
tips it to the ground
• The Chonkans run & are
never heard from again
Pachacuti
• Pachacuti celebrates his
victory at the top of a
mountain where he takes
the name Pachacuti
meaning “World Shaker”
• From that point on the
Incans begin to build the
greatest South American
Civilization in world
history
• http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=pQPSYenhtoY
Civilization in the Mountains
• The Incan Civilization
was almost totally in
the Andes Mountains
• It stretched from Chili
all the way to Columbia
• At most places it was
thousands of feet above
sea level
Essential Questions
• Get with a partner and answer…..
• What DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC
describes the Incan civilization’s physical
features?
Domestication of the Llama
• The Incan Civilization
would not have become
successful without the
DOMESTICATION of the
Llama
• The llama enabled the
Incans to travel in the
mountains
• Llamas were also used for
farming to pull plows
Terrace Farming Irrigation
• Inca People were an
agricultural civilization
• They developed a brand
new kind of irrigation to
water plants
• This was a way to
increase their “FARMING
SPACE” to grow more
food
Terrace Farming Irrigation
• Terrace Farming is like building
a farm of stairs
• Each stair would grow crops
• Tops of mountains naturally
have water sources at the top
because of rain the receive
• Rain water drains down from
the mountains down each stair
watering the crops on each
stair
• http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=TZ_79i-KUvE
Incan Crops
• The Incan people grew these
crops….
① Potatoes
② Tomatoes
③ Corn
• All these crops were crops never
seen before in any other part of
the world
• Incans were able to
DOMESTICATE corn
• They will later be taken back to
Europe & become a main part of
the diet in Europe
• http://www.history.com/shows/
mankind-the-story-of-all-ofus/videos/corn?m=51896f7467b3
9
Essential Questions
• Get with a partner and answer…..
• What were the 3 ways that the Incans were
able to adapt to their environments to
become successful?
Incan Roads
• Incan Trail were the Incan road
system
• http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=8474nmE1W2Y
• The roads connected the Incan
Empire
• http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=9KwqdyYaWpc
• Roads led to the capital city of
Machu Picchu
• Water canals were dug to
follow the Incan roads so
travelers & their animals
always had something to drink
Machu Picchu
• Known as the palace in
the clouds
• This was the new home
of Pachacuti after he
became king of the
Incas
• Just like Rome all roads
led to Machu Picchu
• http://www.history.com
/topics/machupicchu/videos#machupicchu
Essential Questions
• Get with a partner and answer…..
• What innovations & development in
technologies helped the Incans be so
successful despite the fact they lived in the
mountains?
EOG Questions
• How were the oldest civilizations in Central and South
America similar?
• A) They were large, but not well-organized.
• B) They established extensive trade with Pacific Rim nations.
• C) They were strongly influenced by Asian and African civilizations.
• D) They were the first to develop advanced societies in the area.
EOG Questions
• The mountains of South America made farmland difficult to
find.
• How did ancient people adapt to this?
• A) They used terraced farming.
• B) They grew crops in the valleys.
• C) They used large farm animals to plow.
• D) They moved to a new area each growing season.
EOG Questions
• Societies adapted to their surroundings by irrigating and
building dams.
• Why did they need to use these techniques?
• A) to decrease the overcrowding of crops
• B) to increase space for people to live
• C) to increase their farmland for growing crops
• D) to decrease the numbers of animals on the land
Important Points
• 6.H.2.3 (Innovations &
Technologies: Agriculture) The
Incans created Terrace Farming so
they could grow crops in the
mountains
• 6.H.2.3 (Innovations &
Technologies: Transportation) The
Incans created a road system to
connect the Incan Empire
• 6.G.1.3 (Distinguishing
Characteristic: Physical Feature)
The Incan Civilization was in the
Andes Mountains
• 6.G.1.4 (Adapting to physical
environment: Terrace Farming)
The Incans adapted to their
physical environment by creating
Terrace Farming so they could
grow crops
• 6.G.1.4 (Adapting to physical
environment: Domestication of
Plants & Animals) The Incans
domesticated crops like corn &
animals like llamas to make them
successful