Development of South
and Central America
Societies
Engineering
an Empire:
Aztec 1
SSWH8
Standard
• SSWH8 The student will demonstrate an
understanding of the development of
societies in Central and South America.
• a. Explain the rise and fall of the Olmec,
Mayan, Aztec, and Inca empires.
• b. Compare the culture of the Americas;
include government, economy, religion, and
the arts of the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas.
Intro
• Early Inhabitants
– Migrated from Asia during the last Ice
Age, crossing the Bering Strait by foot
• Hunter-gatherers:
– During global
warming, they
migrated east and
south to follow the
herds.
– Different cultures
formed as they
spread out.
– Cut off from Asia as
Ice Age ended, they
developed
independently from
cultures in the
Eastern
Hemisphere.
Intro
Intro
• Technology:
– Metal was rarely used
– many cultures were still in the Stone Age.
– Wheel was used, but not for
transportation.
Pyramids
• Despite the towering reputation of
Egypt's Great Pyramids at Giza, the
Americas actually contain more pyramid
structures than the rest of the planet
combined. Civilizations like the Olmec,
Maya, Aztec and Inca all built pyramids
to house their deities, as well as to bury
their kings.
• In many of their great city-states,
temple-pyramids formed the center of
public life and were the site of much
holy ritual, including human sacrifice.
Ancient City of Teotihuacan
Engineering
an Empire:
Aztec 2
OLMEC
• 1200 -400 BC
• Called “Rubber People”
• Carved enormous stone
heads of volcanic rock
• Division of labor
• Hieroglyphics
• farm techniques - slash
and burn
The
Olmecs
The Olmec
•
•
•
•
•
•
Meso-America
1st civilization
1200-400 BC
They made Pyramids, mounds, monuments
Sculptured heads - 44 tons
Religion: polytheistic
– many nature gods: Chief god was the jaguar god
– Influenced - design, ceremonial centers, ball games,
elite ruling class
– Performed ritual sacrifices
– Played pok-a-tok game
– Went on pilgrimages
• Government - ruler - god like
Olmec
• Influenced area through trade;
evidence of trade confirmed by Olmec
jade carvings found throughout Central
America
• Achievements:
– Long Count Calendar
• No idea what caused
their decline
Engineering
an Empire:
Aztec 3
Maya
El Castillo, Chichen Itza: El Castillo
"The Castle"
It rises 79
feet above
the Main
Plaza of
the
ancient
Maya city
of Chichen
Itza in
Mexico
(founded c.
AD 600 ).
Chichén Itzá
• Yucatan Peninsula
• Government:
– City States
• Religion:
– Complex
– two layers (now and
otherworld)
– polytheistic
– Major role in society
and rule
– Human sacrifice
• Economy:
– Trade with other citystates
MAYANS
• Culture:
Mayan
• 2000 BC -900 Ad
• 250- 900 million population
• Cities - Tikal, Copan: Palaces, temples,
pyramids
• Social classes - warriors, priests,
merchants, craft workers, peasants
• Astronomy, math, 2 calendars - 1 for
sun, 1 for religion
• Math and astronomy to support
religious beliefs
• Pyramids
• Glyphic writing system
• No explanation for their decline
– Possibly: war, drought, infighting
The Mayans
Palenque
Engineering
an Empire:
Aztec 4
Aztec
Aztec
• Most powerful civilization in central and
southern Mexico.
• The capital city was Tenochtitlan.
• Located on islands in Lake Texcoco – 1200.
Tenochtitlan
The Aztecs
Aztec
• 1100-1522 AD
• Government
– Warriors
• Military strength
– Social structure
•
•
•
•
Emperor
Nobles
Commoners
Enslaved persons
• Religion
– Polytheistic
– Their main god was the “sun god”
– “fed” the god with human sacrifice
• Quetzacoatl feathered
serpent god
– Legend -- left
city and will
return one day
Aztec
• Economy
– Trade – obsidian
– Tribute states
– Pyramids, temples
Aztec Civilization
• Culture
– A complex and rich society
– A trade network
– A mathematical system to keep up with the
empire
– Two different calendar systems
– A Farming system
– Used irrigation to keep their crops growing
even during dry periods
Chinampas
floating gardens
Aztec Civilization
• They were known for their artwork …
Aztec Civilization
• and their architecture.
• The pyramid temple was the center of
this great city
Aztec Civilization
• Today, some of the art and buildings
have been re-discovered.
• A modern version of the Aztec
language, Nahuatl, is still spoken by
thousands of people in Mexico.
Aztec Civilization
• An important part of
their culture was the
sacrifice of animals and
humans.
• People who were
conquered were required
to pay large taxes.
• They also had to provide
people to offer as
sacrifices to the Aztec
gods.
Aztec
Sacrifice
Montezuma
Cortes
Aztec Civilization
• Arrival of Spanish led to the fall of the
Aztec.
• It ended in 1541 when conquered by the
Spanish.
• The Spanish destroyed much of the
Aztec building and artwork.
• They destroyed the city of Tenochtitlan
and built Mexico City in its place.
Aztecs
Engineering
an Empire:
Aztec 5
The Inca
Inca
• Located in South
America
– 1400-1534
– Andes Mountains
– Cuzco - capital –
Peru
Lost Cities of
the Inca
Inca
• Government:
– Theocracy
– Strong central
government
– huge empire extending
length of South America
– Leader - descendent of
sun god
– Expanded empire
– Powerful military
– Bureaucracy
Inca
• Religion:
– Religion ruled state – theocracy
– Mummies
– Animal sacrifice
• Economy:
– economic system
– roads,
– All roads lead to
Cuzco
Inca
• Culture:
– Ayulla - extended family
- to do large tasks
– Mita - required service
to state
Machu Picchu
INCAS
Machu Picchu
• Built paved roads &
suspension bridges used running
messengers
• Instead of writing
system used knotted
string to communicate
messages & keep
records - quipu
Inca terraces
Suspension bridge
Quipu
The Inca were conquered by the Spanish
conquistador Pizarro.
Atahualpa
Pizarro
Destruction of Culture
• The Meso-American kingdoms
were as advanced and
sophisticated as the ancient
Greeks and Romans
• The European conquerors tried
to destroy the evidence of
this sophisticated culture