Standard 7.7
• COMPARE and CONTRAST the
geographic, political, economic, religious,
and social structures of the Mesoamerica
and Andean civilizations.
FOCUS QUESTION
• Why are the Olmec important in the
history of the Americas?
Mesoamerican & Andean
Civilizations
Please open your text book to page 385.
Mesoamerica
What is now southern Mexico and
parts of Central America
• Rain forests cover the
region
• Fertile soil made this a good
area for farming
• People first appeared in this
area around 12,000 BC
Native American
Eskimo
Inca
Mexico
Aztec
The Olmec
The Olmec
The first urban civilation formed in
Mesoamerica – around 1200 BC.
• Built the first pyramids in
the Americas
• Developed the first
writing system in the
Americas
• Traded with others from
far away
• Civilization ended around
400 BC
The Olmec
Veracruz
Tres Zapotes
Tuxtla
Mountains
San Lorenzo
Yucatan
Peninsula
La Venta
Believed to be
the first
civilization of
Mexico.
This
civilization
developed
around 1200
B.C.
The Olmec
The Olmec
adapted by using
slash and burn
farming
techniques.
The Olmec traded
and fought other
tribes for control of
natural resources.
To please their
gods the Olmec
sacrificed
animals and
people.
The Olmec
lived in the
swampy
jungles of
Central
Mexico.
The Olmec
develop a
system of social
classes.
The land was
fertile and ideal
for growing
crops.
FOCUS QUESTION
• Why are the Olmec important in the history of
the Americas?
• The Olmec influenced later groups
throughout Mesoamerica, who then built on
Olmec achievements.
•
Give an example of how early scientists influenced others in the
Scientific Revolution.
Now for a preview of what’s coming up next…
Do you remember what
was considered good lookin’
during the Middle Ages?
Hint – Paris would have been
considered poor and ugly.
We will be studying a culture
in which this would be
considered
a BEAUTIFUL smile.
In this culture, this flat,
elongated head is a vision
of beauty and wealth…
the Paris Hilton of the day.
We will learn about how they
worship and how they get
power.
Focus Question
• How did the Maya adapt to and change
their environment?
• Please open your text book to page 390.
The Maya
• Developed in Mesoamerica around 1000 BC
• Lived in an area of thick forests and in the highlands
making farming hard
• Classic Age from AD 250 to 900
• Spread throughout the Yucatan Peninsula
Religion
• Worshipped many gods that controlled sun, rain and crops.
• Believed that their kings were related to and spoke to the
gods.
• They had to please the gods by offering human blood
• Believed the soul was in the blood
• On special occasions, sacrificing people and animals
pleased the gods.
Mayan Cities
• Built large pyramids,
temples, and palaces
• Canals built to control
the flow of water
through cities
• Large plazas built for
public events
• Hillsides turned into
flat terraces so crops
could be grown close
to cities
Maya Society
• Kings held the highest position.
• Upper class included priests, warriors, and
merchants.
• Lower-class included most of the Maya - farmers
• Slaves, the lowest, included orphans, slaves’
children, and people who owed money
Shortcut to corn%20ears[1].lnk
Maya Achievements
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sculpture and jade and gold jewelry
Mayan cities largest architectural achievement
Did not have metal tools
Built observatories to study the stars
Developed the calendar and number system
Also developed a writing system similar to Egyptian
hieroglyphics
Mayan Warfare
• Mayan cities usually battled each other to
gain power.
• Warfare may have led to the destruction of
the Mayan civilization.
Causes of the Decline of the
Mayan Civilization
•
•
•
•
Began to collapse around 900
The cause of the collapse is unknown
Warfare may have contributed
Kings made demands of people and they may have
rebelled
• A long period of dry weather may have made it
hard to grow crops
• A mix of events probably led to the decline
WHEN: 250-900 AD
6 CENTURIES
WHERE: Yucatan Peninsula,
Central America, Southern Mexico
CLIMATE: Rainforest, highlands/
mountains, lowlands – by the ocean
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS:
Many Gods – Sun, rain and crops
King spoke to Gods
Blood letting – to please the Gods
Soul was in the blood
Sacrificed people and animals
Led by Priest-Kings
STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY:
King – led people
Upper Class – Priests, warriors,
merchants (nobility)
Lower Class – Most Mayans were
farmers
Bottom - Slaves
ACHIEVEMENTS: Magnificent
Architecture; built observatories;
made accurate predictions;
developed a calendar and number
system; hieroglyph writing system
FALL OF THE EMPIRE:
Wars, over population, drought
lack of food, people lost faith
Focus Question
• How did the Maya adapt to and change
their environment?
• They cleared wooded areas for farmland;
used available resources for building
materials; traded to obtain resources not
available locally.
KINGS
• Highest Position
• Related to Gods
• Spoke to Gods
UPPER CLASS
• Controlled politics (government),
religion, and the economy ($).
PRIESTS
• Born into position
• Led ceremonies
• Knowledge of astronomy
and math
WARRIORS
• Fought other Mayan cities
• Wore animal skins and headdresses
• Painted bodies
MERCHANTS
• Directed trade
• Distributed goods
LOWER CLASS
• Most people were lower class – farmers.
• Lived in small houses outside of cities.
FARMERS
• Had to give crops to rulers
• Had to work on building structures
• Had to serve in the army
SLAVES
• Held lowest position
• Orphans, slave’s children, people who
owed money
• Had to carry heavy trade goods from
city to city
• Served upper class
UPPER/LOWER
• Lower supported upper with food and
labor
• Upper supported lower by leading
religious ceremonies
Religion
•
•
•
•
Worshipped many gods that controlled sun, rain and crops.
They had to please the gods by offering human blood
Believed the soul was in the blood
On special occasions, sacrificing people and animals
pleased the gods.
Maya Achievements
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sculpture and jade and gold jewelry
Mayan cities largest architectural achievement
Did not have metal tools
Built observatories to study the stars
Developed the calendar and number system
Also developed a writing system similar to Egyptian
hieroglyphics
FOCUS QUESTION
• How did the Aztecs adapt to their
environment?
The Aztec Empire
• Existed from about 1300 to 1520 AD – 2 centuries
• Ruled a large empire in the Valley of Mexico at Lake
Texcoco
• Mild with good soil – island was swampy
• Controlled a huge trade network
• Fierce warriors - mercenaries
THE AZTECS BUILD AN EMPIRE
The first Aztecs were farmers from
northern Mexico. Around the 1100’s, they
migrated south.
When they arrived in central Mexico,
they found that other tribes had taken all
the good farmland. All that was left was a
swampy island in the middle of Lake
Texcoco.
What would you do to try to grow crops
on swampy land?
The Aztec built causeways – raised roads across water – to
connect their island with the mainland.
Floating gardens
To survive, the Aztecs hired themselves
out as skilled fighters.
*Many Aztec gods
*Represented a world full of spirits
*Gods required prayer, rituals, and sacrifices for
good harvests
*Sacrificed prisoners
*Believed king’s dreams foretold the future
Aztec Society
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
People divided into social classes
Kings were worshipped
Nobles were leaders
Priests and warriors below kings
Merchants and artisans next
Commoners farmed land
Serfs worked the land but didn’t
own it
• Slaves – captives of war
Just like people rebelling against
taxation today, people did not
like it back then.
Their taxes
were called
“tribute”.
Aztec Achievements
•
•
•
•
Built chinampas (floating gardens)
Studied astronomy and created a calendar
Built bridges and canals
Had a complex writing system
Cortez and the Aztecs
• Spanish explorer Hernan Cortez arrived in Mexico in
1519
• Aztec emperor Moctezuma II thought Cortez was a god
• Cortez took the emperor prisoner
• The Aztecs became angry and drove the Spanish out
• Cortez came back in 1521 and conquered the Aztecs
Civil wars were taking place. People
who had been conquered by the Aztec
were unhappy and bitter. Some actually
helped Cortez.
• Please turn to page 414 in your text.
• Cortez had horses, armor, and superior
weapons.
• Disease – just as with Native Americans,
diseases like and small pox killed many
Aztecs.
WHEN: 250-900 AD
6 CENTURIES
WHERE: Yucatan Peninsula,
Central America, Southern Mexico
CLIMATE: Rainforest, highlands/
mountains, lowlands – by the ocean
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS:
Many Gods – Sun, rain and crops
King spoke to Gods
Blood letting – to please the Gods
Soul was in the blood
Sacrificed people and animals
Led by Priest-Kings
STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY:
King – led people
Upper Class – Priests, warriors,
merchants (nobility)
Lower Class – Most Mayans were
farmers
Bottom - Slaves
ACHIEVEMENTS: Magnificent
architecture; built observatories;
made accurate predictions;
developed a calendar and number
System; hieroglyph writing system
FALL OF THE EMPIRE:
Wars, over population, drought
lack of food, people lost faith
WHEN: 1300-1520 AD
2 CENTURIES
WHERE: Valley of Mexico
Lake Texcoco
CLIMATE: Mild, with good soil Island was swampy
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS: Many
Aztec Gods
Represented a world full of
spirits.
Gods required prayer, rituals, and
sacrifices for good harvests.
Sacrificed prisoners.
STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY: Lived
In settlements called calpullis.
King – was worshipped.
Nobles – were leaders.
Commoners – farmed land.
Serfs – worked land, didn’t own it.
Slaves – captives of war.
ACHIEVEMENTS: Built chinampas
(floating gardens); built bridges and
canals; had a complex writing
system; studied astronomy and
created a calendar.
FALL OF THE EMPIRE: Cortez –
1521.Civil war, superior weapons,
disease.
FOCUS QUESTION
• How did the Aztecs adapt to their
environment?
• Built causeways, aqueducts, chinampas
We’ll get back to it.
How did the Inca adapt to their
environment?
The Inca Empire
•
•
•
•
1230 - 1530 – 3 centuries
South America – Andes Mountains – Peru and Chile
Began as a small tribe in the Andes in South America
Government was centralized and controlled many
aspects of life
• Incas paid the government in labor and goods
*Desert
*Rainforest
*Thin air high in the Andes Mountains
Why the
llama?
Why not
horses?
This movie shows how difficult it is to
survive in the Andes Mountains.
WORSHIPPED NATURE
Enti The Sun God
(father)
Worshipped
mummies
Mummies spoke to the living through priests.
Veracocha – the creator
Believed in life after death.
Everything
belongs to
the king.
Nobles – governors and organizers.
Farmers worked the land.
Inca Society
*very organized
*jobs were given, not chosen
Inca Achievements
•AN INCREDIBLE ROAD SYSTEM
•Architecture – Huge stone buildings (still exist)
•Art – Beautiful gold and silver jewelry
PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 424.
Pizarro and the Incas
• Francisco Pizarro made three expeditions to explore the
west coast of South America
• First two trips were unsuccessful
• Third trip was successful – conquered empire in 1537
Civil wars weakened the empire.
Civil – civilian – non-government.
• Disease – just as with Native Americans
and the Aztec, diseases like and small
pox killed many Inca.
• Pizarro had horses, armor, and superior
weapons.
Similarities of the Fall of the Inca
and Aztec
• Both empires had internal problems before the Spanish
arrived
• The leaders of both empires were captured by the Spanish
• The Spanish had an advantage with horses and guns
• Disease weakened and killed many native people
WHEN: 250-900 AD
6 CENTURIES
WHERE: Yucatan Peninsula,
Central America, Southern Mexico
CLIMATE: Rainforest, highlands/
mountains, lowlands – by the ocean
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS:
Many Gods – Sun, rain and crops
King spoke to Gods
Blood letting – to please the Gods
Soul was in the blood
Sacrificed people and animals
Led by Priest-Kings
STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY:
King – led people
Upper Class – Priests, warriors,
merchants (nobility)
Lower Class – Most Mayans were
farmers
Bottom - Slaves
ACHIEVEMENTS: Magnificent
architecture; built observatories;
made accurate predictions;
developed a calendar and number
system; hieroglyph writing system
FALL OF THE EMPIRE:
Wars, over population, drought
lack of food, people lost faith
WHEN: 1300-1520 AD
2 CENTURIES
WHERE: Valley of Mexico
Lake Texcoco
CLIMATE: Mild, with good soil Island was swampy
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS: Many
Aztec Gods
Represented a world full of
spirits.
Gods required prayer, rituals, and
Sacrifices for good harvests.
Sacrificed prisoners.
STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY: Lived
In settlements called calpullis.
King – was worshipped.
Nobles – were leaders.
Commoners – farmed land.
Serfs – worked land, didn’t own it.
Slaves – captives of war.
ACHIEVEMENTS: Built chinampas
(floating gardens); built bridges and
canals; had a complex writing
system; studied astronomy and
created a calendar.
FALL OF THE EMPIRE: Cortez –
1521.Civil war, superior weapons,
disease.
WHEN: 1230-1530
3 CENTURIES
WHERE: South America, Andes
Mountains, - Peru, Chile
CLIMATE: Desert, rainforest, thin
air high in the Andes Mountains
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS: Worshipped
Nature – Inti, the sun god (father);
mummies spoke to the living
through priests. Worshipped
Mummies; Veracocha (creator);
believed in life after death.
STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY:
King – everything belonged to king
Nobles – governors/organizers
Commoners – farmers worked land
VERY ORGANIZED – Jobs given,
not chosen
ACHIEVEMENTS:
INCREDIBLE ROAD SYSTEM
Architecture; Huge stone buildings;
art – beautiful gold and silver jewelry.
NO WRITING SYSTEM
FALL OF THE EMPIRE:
Francisco Pizarro – 1537
Civil war, superior weapons, disease
How did the Inca adapt to their
environment?
Large lungs, short legs
Used llama for food, clothing and
transportation
Built a road system to connect
the empire
Learned how to freeze-dry food
Review
• What was the first crop grown in Mesoamerica?
• What was the name of the first civilization in
Mesoamerica?
• When did the Mayan civilization develop?
• Did the Mayans worship only one god?
• What were some of the causes of the decline of the
Mayan civilization?
• Where was the Aztec empire located?
• Name some of the achievements of the Aztecs.
• Who conquered the Aztecs?
Review Continued
• At its height, how many people lived in the Inca
empire?
• What did the Incan government collect as taxes?
• Who defeated the Incans?
• What were the similarities of how the Aztec and
Incan empires fell?
NAME THE EMPIRE
• INCA
• MAYA
• AZTEC
Technology – what will they think
of next?
Which civilization
considered obsidian
sacred?
• A. Inca
• B. Maya
• C. Aztec
I can hardly breathe up here!
Which civilization
lived in the Andes
Mountains?
• A. Inca
• B. Maya
• C. Aztec
I’m bad, I’m bad, I know it…
Which warrior
civilization hired
themselves out as
mercenaries?
A. Inca
B. Maya
C. Aztec
Hey, good lookin! Haven’t I seen
you somewhere before?
Which civilization
had to look for the
symbol shown on
the flag of Mexico?
A. Inca
B. Maya
C. Aztec
Ouch!
Which civilization
practiced blood
letting to please the
gods?
A. Inca
B. Maya
C. Aztec
One of these things is not like
the others…
Two civilizations
had written
languages. Which
civilization did NOT
have a written
language?
A. Inca
B. Maya
C. Aztec
Chinampas
Which civilization
farmed on floating
gardens?
A. Inca
B. Maya
C. Aztec
Conquistadors
Which civilization
was NOT
conquered by the
Spanish?
A. Inca
B. Maya
C. Aztec
Oh, the places you will go…
Which civilization
had a road network
of about 25,000
miles of roads?
A. Inca
B. Maya
C. Aztec
Times up…
Which time
obsessed
civilization predicted
when the world
would come to an
end?
A. Inca
B. Maya
C. Aztec