WORLD HISTORY
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MESOAMERICA
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SUMMARY
A. MESOAMERICA—BLOODY
B. INDIA—OTHER WORLDLY
C. CHINA—HONORABLE
D. EGYPT—OPTOMISTIC
E. MESOPOTAMIA—PESSIMISTIC
CENTRAL AMERICA
OLMEC—the oldest American civilization is the Olmec. About 2500 BC the
Olmec were building cities. Some place the origin of the people who became
Olmec at about 4500 BC. Central American archeology is fairly new, and the
climate where the Olmec lives is humid, so artifacts are not well preserved.
African looking faces—what could these mean? There are carved heads made
of basalt that look like the faces of black men. However, DNA tests show that
Native Americans are more closely related to Asia—Mongolia or China.
MIKE XU’s THEORY There was a connection made between Shang Dynasty
Chinese and Central America according to his theory. There seem to be many
similarities in artifacts. (see PowerPoint illustrations)
THE OLMEC CULTURE
YUCATAN PENINSULA Now in southern Mexico, most of the Maya settlements
were in the Caribbean side, but there were some settlements on the pacific side
of the region.
MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE They used a bar and dot system to notate their
base 20 mathematics system. Later, they used a complicated glyph system
involving human heads in profile, but that allowed considerable artistic liberty.
They were careful observers of the heavens and their astronomical observations
were made from many of the buildings they had.
LANGUAGE Their writing system was also made of colorful drawings. It seems
to be similar to a more modern African language—Mandinka. Some symbols
represented entire words or thoughts, while other symbols represented only
syllables. When broken down into their parts, there are notable similarities with
north African writing systems.
AGRICULTURE and RELIGION was the center of Olmec life, with many religious
celebrations based on the farmers calendar. Religious rites were performed at
the settlements and the buildings created there. They irrigated their crops, with
many of their irrigation canals created from stone with covers. These covered
canals may have also provided drinking water to the settlements. Most of their
gods were associated with farming, though a large number were associated with
the underworld (the world of the dead). There is a “jaguar-man” that transforms
from man to animal and back like a werewolf in western myth. Dwarfs were
considered sacred and often became priests representing satanic power, the
power of death. Cinnabar (mercury ore) was sacred to the Olmec. There is a
plaque that is interpreted to show the World Tree (with 12 roots) sprouting out of
Creation Mountain at the Three-stone-place—the center of the night sky. They
also have a story of the First Father being reborn as Maize (their most important
crop). There are 10 important gods—rain (also associated with fertility), maize,
feathered serpent among others. Their shamans apparently did gymnastic like
movements and poses, an may have used tobacco or other substance as a
mind-altering drug.
IV.
MAYA CULTURE
A. CONNECTIONS TO THE OLMEC The maya built upon the Olmec, in the same
general geographic region. They also had an advanced understanding of
astronomy and aggressively farmed, using irrigation and draining swamps.
B. BUILDING Mayan buildings were tall, narrow steep pyramids with steps going to
the top on one side.
C. CALENDAR Their calendar was detailed and could be calculated toward the
past as well as toward the future. One calendar has been found that begins in
3114 BC (our equivalent) to 2012 AD
D. RELIGION They believed that they came from the east through a miraculous
passage in the ocean. They also have a universal flood story. They played a
ball game involving a solid rubber ball that was knocked around without the use
of hands and there were goals of stone rings place perpendicular to the ground.
Players wore heavy pads, and apparently some died as the result of the contest.
Every Maya town had such a ball court, though the dimensions varied. Bloodletting was a central part of Mayan religion, even human sacrifice. Skulls were a
common artistic theme. There is a “sacred well” (sink hole) where young women
were sacrificed, as well as where various trinkets and artistic objects were
thrown. Their art was related to religion and often depicted frightening themes.
V.
DEMISE OF CULTURES While there are a variety of guesses, there is no
understanding as to why the Olmec or the Maya came to their end. Were
they invaded? Did they collapse from within? Did they simply walk away?
Were they destroyed by disease? There are no agreed upon answers.
VI.
TOLTEC These people existed in central Mexico. Little is known about them.
They were quite bloody, practicing human sacrifices. A “rebirth” ceremony
had the priest wear the skin of a recent sacrifice. The Toltec were warriors.
VII. AZTEC
B. The Aztec were a nomadic people who moved into central Mexico looking
for the fulfillment of a tribal prophesy—an island where an eagle was eating a
snake while sitting on a cactus. They found this event and settled down on
that island. Soon they were aggressively establishing themselves as a
military power there, building a capitol city (Tenochtitlan) on that island which
resembled the European city of Venice, with canals, public buildings and a
residential area. Their buildings were whitewashed, flowers were grown, and
they performed daily human sacrifices.
B. HUITZILOPOCHTLI was their god of war, the sun and human sacrifice.
His name is sometimes translated “left-handed hummingbird”, but his
translation does not do justice to who he was to the Aztecs. The Aztecs (and
their god) were very war-like, and they created an empire of conquered
people and subjected tribes. They ruled by force and fear, not loyalty. Their
religion was also influenced by astrology. Sacrifice was by cutting out the
heart of the victim and pulling it out of the chest cavity. Many sacrifices were
war captives, but at certain times the sacrifice was a prepared person
(sometimes female) from among the Aztecs.
C. QUETZALCOATL was a king of the Aztecs who tried to end human
sacrifices and to simply worship the sun. But he was deposed. As he left, he
predicted his eventual return from across the sea to the east riding a large
white beast, and he would punish the people for their sins. A particular date
was given when this would happen—it was that year that the Spanish under
Cortez arrived.
D. CORTEZ led a group of Spaniards to Mexico seeking wealth and power.
When he arrived, he ordered the ships burned—to motivate his men, as there
would be no returning (actually, he had arranged for reinforcements to follow
in a few months). Cortez ordered that their horses should always have a man
on its back whenever the Indians were around. He had an Aztec woman as
interpreter and advisor, and she proved to be critical to the Spanish victory
over the Aztecs. She planted the thought that Cortez may be the returned
Quetzalcoatl.
E. MONTEZUMA was the last king of the Aztec. Cortez encouraged Indian
tribes to rebel against the Aztecs, and the Spanish joined the rebellion—and
were able to attack the capitol city. There, Cortez met Montezuma, exacted a
ransom of gold for Montezuma’s life, then had him executed anyway. The
Spanish were able to defeat the Aztec army, in part because of European
diseases—smallpox and measles. The gold from Mexico made Spain very
wealthy, and created inflation in all of Europe.
VIII. IN SOUTH AMERICA: THE TIAHUANICO CULTURE
JAGUAR MAN As in the Mexican mythology, there were supposedly men who
could become Jaguars (the fiercest animal they knew). Several figurines exist
that show transformations from jaguar to man and man to jaguar. The buildings
in the Tiahuanico culture were made from stone (without the use of mortar). In
Tiahuanico, there was found a building that contains several seated mummies
with impressive wool and cotton cloth wrappings. Within the folds gold and jade
figurines are wrapped. These may have been rulers of past generations. All of
this is near Lake Titicaca—a high-altitude lake in the Andes Mountains. There is
a distinctive reed growing around this lake—a match to the papyrus found along
the Nile River. Potatoes grow in this region, and they provided much of the food
for people there, though they traded with the Pacific coast for other crops and for
anchovies.
IX.
MOCHICA
A. WAR-LIKE PEOPLE
B. KNOWN FOR THEIR POTTERY Much of which was patterned after human
forms. Some was actual statuary, all was realistic and natural looking.
C. TEMPLE TO SUN & MOON was built on an 8 acre base which was 60 feet
high. The temple itself was an additional 75 feet high. It was a solid structure
made of hand-packed soil
X.
INCA
A. LOCATED along the crest of the Andes Mountains, so all their
settlements were at high altitude. The empire extended from Ecuador in
the north to central Chile in the south.
B. ACCOMPLISHMENTS They had a road system that went everywhere in
the empire. Runners could take messages from any point in the empire to
the capitol in mere days. Messages and records were kept on QUIPU—a
stick with colored strings hanging sown from it. There were a variety of
knots in the strings, tied in various patterns. We cannot read the Quipu
because so few remain (many were destroyed on purpose by the
Spanish). Government controlled every aspect of economic life.
Medically, they performed brain surgery (or at least put holes in skulls), did
silver caps on teeth and set bones—the Spanish could do none of these
things. The Inca stone work was exceptional—huge stones sitting atop
one another without mortar so tightly, a knife blade cannot be inserted
between them even after all these years.
C. PACHACUTI—GREATEST INCA KING The Inca had always worshipped
the Sun (Inti), but Pachacuti said that Inti cannot be universal because all
are not lit at the same time. Inti was not perfect because he could never
rest. He was not all powerful because a cloud could cover him. Therefore,
Inti must not be god—he must simply be part of creation. (Psalm 19:1,
Romans 12:19-20) Pachacuti proclaimed that the upper class would now
worship Viracocha, the god of creation who had been rather forgotten.
The common people would continue to worship Inti so as not to undermine
the authority of the King and priests. Viracocha was ancient, supreme,
uncreated and could manifest himself as a trinity when he wished, he had
created all things with his words. He warned people of their sins through
his created son. He judges or absolves man according to his will, to
combat their evil tendencies. Pachacuti wrote beautiful Psalms to
Viracocha
D. CONQUEST The Spanish soldier Pizarro conquered the Incas. About
75% of the Incas died of disease, like the Aztecs had died. The rest were
subdued by war.