Meso-America
Meso-Americans
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"I think I'm entitled."
"You want answers?"
"I want the truth!"
"You can't handle the truth!"
Religions
Movie A Few Good Men
Meso-America
Background
– The societies of North and South America
developed in isolation
– Settled around 15,000 to 30,000 years ago
– Crossed the land bridge from Asia to Americas
– By 9,000 B.C.E. all of North and South America had
been settled.
– Because of their different locations of settlement
groups developed unique social, cultural and
linguistic characteristics
Meso-American
Background
– Many of these groups reached advanced stages of civilization
some without developing a written language or development
of the wheel.
– Many of these societies stayed in isolation even from one
another until the arrival of Columbus in 1492.
Meso-American
Hunter-Gathers
– Early Native Americans were hunter-gathers
– Around 1000 C.E. the number of tribes and the size
of the tribes increased dramatically
– Limited form of gender division
Mayans
From about 300 B.C.E. to 800 C.E.
Dominated Mexico and Central America
Civilization was a collection of city-states
– All city states were ruled by the same king
Built pyramids and used hieroglyphic
– Like the Egyptians
Temple I at Tikal, Guatemala
Temple of the Inscriptions
at Palenque, Mexico
Compare and Contrast
The impressive Temple of Kukulkan
or El Castillo, at Chichen Itza
The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
Mayan
The Golden Age
– 500 C.E. to 850 C.E.
– Developed a complex calendar system
The calendar was based on a number system that included
zero
– Developed systems of creating large and efficiently
run cities
The city of Tikal may have been populated by more than
100,000 people.
Mayan Calendar
Believing that time repeated itself in cycles, they devised two calendars,
one ritualistic, which was used for religious celebrations and astrological predictions,
and the other a solar calendar.
Both calendars were based on the calculation that a year had a little more than 365 days,
a more precise system than the Gregorian calendar.
City of Tikal
View of Tikal
Mayans
The division of the Mayan Cosmos
Heaven
gods who created the Mayans
Humans
Created by the gods out of
Maize and water
Underworld
Mayans
Religion
– Believed that the gods
maintained the
agricultural cycles.
– Believed that the gods
created the cosmos and
humans
– Believed that the gods
had to be honored with
sacrifices and bloodletting
rituals
Warfare
– Very religious
– Religious rituals would
proceed wars
– King and nobles would
actively participate in
combat
– Warfare was used not to
gain land but to take
slaves
Mayans
Social Systems
– Agricultural society
– Most people were peasants or slaves
– Salves were the primary source of labor for the
Mayans
– Kings, priests and nobles were at the at the top of
society
– Merchants enjoyed a high social status
Mayans
Class question
– Why were slaves needed for building?
– What didn’t the Mayans have access to?
Mayans
Large domesticated animals to work the fields
and to build temples.
Mayans
Agriculture and trade
– Used advanced crop techniques
Ridged or terraced fields
– Irrigation and water collection systems
– Crops of cotton and maize
Known for elaborate cotton textiles
Society
Temples
Sports
– Mayan Ball Game
Calendar
Rise and Fall of Empires
Class Question
– We know why empires are created
Location
Strong militaries
Trade
Strong leader
– But why do empires fall?
Discuss reasons why you think empires and civilizations
fall
Mayan
Decline
– It is unknown why the Mayan civilization declined
Possible reasons include
– Disease
– Drought
– Internal unrest
– In the 800’s the Mayans deserted their cities and the
empire died.
The Aztecs
Trade and Sacrifice
Aztecs
Arrived in Central Mexico around 1200 C.E.
Built their capital (Tenochtitlan) on what is today
Mexico City
– It was estimated that Tenochtitlan was inhabited by 200,000
and maybe upwards of 500,000 people.
Aztecs were known for their
–
–
–
–
Strong professional military
Expansion of territory
Tribute system
Alliances
Aztecs-City of Tenochtitlan
Aztecs-City of Tenochtitlan
Aztec
CHAC-XIB-CHAC
OR GOD GI
Chac-Xib-Chac is a mysterious
god associated with the sacrificial
dance
Aztecs
Social Classes
– Warriors were the elite class
They were small in number
– Merchants held high status in Aztec society
– Most people were peasants or slaves who worked the
land
– As with the Mayans the Aztec needed slaves to build
the cities and work the fields and for sacrifice
Aztec
The Aztec Nation
– It is estimated that the Aztecs controlled about 12
million people at the height of their empire
– Some of the territory was gained through conquest
and others through alliances
– There was no bureaucratic or centralized
government to run the empire
– Areas under the control of the Aztecs were allowed
to run themselves while paying tribute to the Aztecs
– Roads were built to link the territory of the empire
Aztecs
Warfare
– The main purpose of the
military was not to gain land
but to capture soldiers and
people for religious sacrifices
– The military and religion were
closely linked.
Aztecs
Religion
– The Aztecs worshiped
numerous gods
– As with the Mayans the Aztecs
felt that their gods needed to
be honored with human
sacrifices
– Sacrifices would be held on
holidays, for the dedication of
temples, and for future good
fortune i.e. good crops
– It is estimated that tens of
thousands of people were
sacrificed each year.
Aztecs
Women
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–
–
–
Were seen as second class citizens
Could inherit property
Charged with running the household
Manufactured crafts, clothes and weaving and
because of this did control some of the commerce
and trade
Aztec v. Romans
Aztecs
– Built a large empire
– Used roads to tie the empire
together
– Allowed the people they
governed to rule themselves
– Demanded tribute from
conquered people
– Use of slaves
– Able to use and adapt ideas of
conquered people to their own
society
Romans
– Built a large empire
– Used roads to tie the empire
together
– Allowed the people they
governed to rule themselves
– Demanded tribute from
conqueror people
– Use of slaves
– Able to use and adapt ideas of
conquered people to their own
society
Aztecs
As we will see later the Aztec civilization and
empire was no match for the Spanish would
arrive shortly after Columbus
The Incas
Incas
Rose up and built their empire around the 1300’s and
lasted until around 1536
Set in the Andes Mountains in Peru
The empire span between 2 to 3 thousand miles of
mostly the South American coastline from Chile to
Ecuador and from the Pacific coast to the upper
Amazon
Their land was called the “Land of the Four Corners”
Incas
The Empire
– While most the land that the Incas controlled was
mountainous they used elaborate roads to link their territory
– The Incas built and maintained between 13,000 and 19,000
miles of road
The roads were used for communication and trade
– The roads linked large cities such as the capital Cuzco and the
fortress Machu Picchu
It is estimated that about 300,000 people lived in Cuzco in the late
1400’s
Incas
Society
– The king (Great Inca) was
believed to be a descendent of
the sun god
– The military was important to
ensure loyalty in the empire
– Nobility ran the government
– Merchants controlled the trade
and economy
– Most people however were
peasants
– The Incas had no concept of
private property
The ruler because he
descended from the sun god
owned all property
Incas
Religion
– The Incas were Polytheistic
– The sun god was the most
important god
– Human sacrifice was practiced
but at a smaller level.
Often times material property
or animals would be sacrificed
– Inca kings who were thought to
be gods were mummified at
death
– Temples were built for worship
The Temple at Cuzco was lined
with gold and was staffed by a
thousand virgins
– Inca religion was moralistic
Praise for good punish for bad
Incas
Class question
– What other empire and people would you compare
the Inca religion to?
– Explain why
Incas
Women
– Both worked in the fields and care for the household
– Could pass property on to the daughter
– Played a role in the economy by manufacturing clothing and
crafts
– Even allowed to participate in religious ceremonies
Incas
Conclusion
– They were expert builders as shown by their roads,
temples and large cities
– The did not produce a written language
– Developed a religion based on gods but also on a
moral code
– Women played a more extensive role in society
Incas
In 1532 the Incas would become like the Aztecs
no match for the Spanish
Native Americans of
North America
Anasazi
Lived in the region of New Mexico, Arizona between
330 C.E. to about 1300
Mostly likely learned farming from trading with
advanced civilizations in Mexico
Lived in complex housing called pueblos
Developed and extensive network of roads and trade
between Mexico, the Southwestern America and the
northern and eastern portions of the America
Anasazi
Believed that humans sprung from the
ground
Religious ceremonies were held
underground
It is not believed that they conducted
human sacrifices
There is also no evidence that they held
slaves
Possible descendents of the Anasazi are the
Pueblos
In Pueblo society the women are the head
of the household and hold all property
This too may have been the case with the
Anasazi
–
Tribes in the Northeast like the Iroquois also
followed the practice of women being head
of the household and owning all property
Anasazi
It is unknown why or what happened to the
Anasazi civilization two possible answers were
drought or disease
Mound Builders
Ohio and Mississippi Valley Civilizations
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–
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These Native American built mounds probably for ceremony
The Adena from 500 B.C.E to 100 C.E.
The Hopewell from 100 C.E. to 400 C.E.
The Mississippian (500 C.E to 1500 C.E.) also built mounds
but also built cities
Cahokia the largest city is estimated to hold about 30,000 people but
was abandoned in 1250 C.E. for unknown reasons