Civilizations of the Western
Hemisphere
The Mayans, Aztecs and Incas
How did humans travel from Asia to North
America and into Meso-America?
- Came across a land bridge connecting Asia to
North America
Mayans (Most advanced civilization)
• Mayan civilization was located in Mexico and
the Central American rainforest.
• Mayan civilization was made up city-states
that were ruled by a king. Their economy
was based on agriculture and trade. The
capital city of the empire was Chichen Itza.
• The Mayans were polytheistic (belief in many
gods). Religion was closely tied to
agriculture. Human sacrifices were also a
part of religion. For example, to end a
drought, they might have given human
sacrifices, so the gods would bring rain.
• The accomplishments of the Mayans include:
a. Pyramid shaped temples
b. Pictographic writing – hieroglyphs
c. The study of astronomy (prediction of eclipses,
agricultural calendar)
d. Number system
Fall of the Mayans
• 900 A.D. a series of catastrophes took place.
No one knows for sure what happened.
Explanations include:
a.
b.
c.
–
Farming methods wore out the soil
War-fare between Mayan city-states
Possible peasant revolt
The results were a serious decline in population
and the flight of people from cities.
The Aztecs
• Around 1200 A.D., several groups invaded
Mexico. The group that surfaced as the
strongest was the Aztecs.
• The Aztec had been “wandering warriors”,
but soon created a city known as
Tenochtitlan. This would be their capital.
• Tenochtitlan grew to include pyramid
temples, marketplaces and palaces.
• Aztec society was very militaristic (warriors
held the most power).
• The Aztec empire grew rapidly under rule by
an emperor. The empire controlled Central
Mexico.
• The economy of the Aztecs was based on
agriculture and tribute from conquered
peoples.
• Aztec religion was polytheistic. They
performed rituals on their pyramids. An
example would be that Aztecs gave human
sacrifices to the Sun god so that he would
remain strong (warfare provided victims).
•
Accomplishments of the Aztecs include:
a. Metal working, pottery and weaving
b. Fine art
c. Calendars and mathematics
d. Chinampas - this farming method increased the food
supply
Decline of Aztecs
• The Aztec empire declined in the late 1400’s
A.D. because of political and social unrest
between the Aztecs and surrounding peoples.
Those conflicts greatly weakened the empire.
Incas – “Children of the Sun”
• The Incas created an empire in the Andes
Mountains in South America. It was ruled by
an emperor.
• The capital of the Incan empire was Cuzco.
• Incas created fortresses, irrigation systems
and roads.
• The emperor helped to unify the empire by:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Moving villages
Establishing an education system
Creating an official language – Quechua
Building roads and communication systems (relay
runners carried messages back and forth)
e. Building an agricultural economy
•
•
The Incas religion was polytheistic.
Accomplishments of the Incas include:
a. Quipue – series of knots on parallel strings as a
way of keeping records
b. Ceramics, textiles, metals
c. Medicine – used anesthetics and operated on
the brain
Machu Picchu was a sacred city for the Incans.
• Achievements of all Meso-American
Civilizations include:
a. Calendars
b. Mathematics
c. Writing and other record keeping systems
Civilization
Economy
Religion
Location
Political
Development
Maya
Agriculture
and trade
Polytheistic
Mexico,
Central
American rain
forest
Made up of
city-states
ruled by a
king
Aztec
Agriculture
and tribute
from
conquered
peoples
Polytheistic
Mexico
Ruled by an
emperor
Inca
Agriculture
Polytheistic
South
America –
Andes
Mountains
Ruled by an
emperor