Maya, Inca, and Aztecs
By
Maya
The
Mayans
The Mayans
Mayan Geography
• The Maya lived in what
is now the Northern Part
of Guatemala. They
cleared areas of the rain
forest to plant crops like
maize, or corn. The
forest environment
provided deer, monkeys,
and rabbits shelter, and
these animals were
crucial. They also grew
cocao.
• They used trees to make
wooden poles and vines
along with mud to build
their houses.
Religion
• The Mayans were
Polytheistic.
• They built large temples
that were shaped like
mountains. The Mayans
considered mountains
to be sacred because
they allowed people to
approach the gods.
• They made human
sacrifices on special
holidays.
Social Structure
•
•
•
•
The king held the highest
position in Mayan society
because he was believed to be
related to the gods.
Priests, merchants, and noble
warriors were also a part of the
upper class. They held all the
power in Mayan society.
The lower class Mayas were
mostly farming families, where
the women cared for the
children, cooked, made yarn,
and wove cloth. The men
farmed, hunted, and crafted
tools.
Slaves were the lowest class.
They carried goods along trade
routes or worked as servants or
farmers for upper class Maya.
Achievements
• They built observatories
so their priests could
watch the stars and
plan religious festivals.
• They developed a
calendar with 365 days
for planting and another
260 day calendar for
religious events.
• They Mayans created a
a number system that
helped them tell time.
• They created huge
temple pyramids and
wheeled vehicles.
•
Decline
We don’t know why the
Mayan civilization ended, but
historians think that it was
because the people didn’t
want to work for the kings
and they rebelled.
• Another theory is that cities
started competing for
farmland and the battles
ruined the crops and led to
food shortages. Scientists
also think that it could have
been a drought that brought
the decline.
Key words
• Maize- corn
• Observatories- Buildings from which people
could study the sky.
• Cocao- beans which are used in making
chocolate.
The Aztecs
Rise to Power
• The first Aztecs settled
on a swampy island in
the middle of the lake
Texcoco.
• The Mayans capitol was
Tenochtitlan.
• The Aztecs got from city
to city by building
causeways and canals
that were also used for
trade.
• They farmed on
chinampas
Social Structure
• The Emperor was the
most important person
in society, followed by
the nobles, priests,
merchants and artisans,
farmers and laborers,
and slaves.
• Farmers and laborers
made up most of the
population.
Religion
• The Aztecs were
polytheistic like the
Mayans, but they made
more sacrifices then
them. The victims were
usually captives or
slaves.
• They sacrificed as
many as 10,000 people
a year.
Achievements
• Artists and architects
created fine stone
pyramids and statues.
They also wove colorful
cloths.
• They had a calendar
like the Mayan’s. They
kept detailed written
records for history.
They also passed on
history orally.
Decline
• The Aztec civilization fell
because of the
conquistadors.
• Hernan Cortez came to the
Americas to convert the
natives to Catholicism, get
gold, and for adventure and
to be remembered.
• The Europeans brought
diseases such as smallpox
that weakened and killed
thousands of native people,
and brought the empire to an
end.
Key Words
• Causeways- Raised
roads across water or
wet ground.
• Chinampas- floating
gardens made on large
rafts that had been piled
with soil and anchored
to trees.
• Conquistadors- Spanish
conquerors.
The Incas
Central Rule and Economy
•
•
•
•
The ruler Pachacuti started the
policy of removing local leaders
and replacing them with trusted
officials.
The Incas used the language
Quechua to do all official
business.
The government told each
house hold what work to do.
People paid taxes in work
instead of in money. This was
called the mita.
There were no merchants or
markets because the
government distributed goods
collected through the mita. If
people couldn’t care for
themselves, the government
gave them supplies.
Social Structure
• The emperor, priests, and
government officials made
up the upper class. They
lived comfortable lives and
didn’t have to pay the labor
tax. They could relax in
places like Machu Picchu.
• The lower class was made
up of farmers, artisans, and
servants. There were no
slaves.
Religion
• They believed that
their rulers were
related to the sun
god, so they never
truly died.
• They also held
sacrifices, but they
sacrificed llamas,
cloth, or food, but
rarely humans.
Achievements
• The Incas were masters at
masonry. They also built a
network of roads that ran the
length of the empire.
• Artisans made pottery and
gold and silver jewelry.
• They had no writing system,
but they kept records with
knotted cords that were color
coded for different topics.
• They passed down their
history orally, and they had
official memorizers who
learned poems and legends
about Incan history.
Decline
• When Francisco Pizarro
came to the Incan empire,
him and the other
conquistadors attacked and
killed thousands of Inca
soldiers and captured their
leader. Pizarro defeated the
last of the Incas in 1537, and
Spain took over the region
for the next 300 years.
Key Terms
• Quechua- an official
Incan language
• Mita- the labor tax
system used instead of
money.
• Machu Picchu- a royal
retreat that was in the
Andes where emperors
and nobles could relax.
• Masonry- stonework
Review
1. Why did the Mayan civilization decline?
2. Where did the Aztecs settle? How did they
live there?
3. What conquistador conquered the Aztecs?
What disease did he bring with him?
4. Who was the most powerful in Incan society?
Why?
5. How were taxes paid in Incan Society? How
were people fed?