Section 2
The Americas
Mesoamerica
Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• The First Civilizations
• The Maya
• Map: Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
• The Aztecs
Section 2
The Americas
Mesoamerica
Main Idea
Civilizations in Mesoamerica were some of the earliest and most
advanced in the Americas.
Reading Focus
• What were the first civilizations in Mesoamerica like?
• What were some characteristics of Maya civilization?
• What made the Aztec empire one of the strongest in the
ancient Americas?
Section 2
The Americas
The First Civilizations
Mesoamerica, southern Mexico and northern Central America, was
ideal for farming. Cities and complex social structures arose there too.
Olmec
• Lived in hot, humid lowlands
Society
• 1200 BC to AD 300
• Olmec rulers, families lived in
towns
• Built first large towns in
Mesoamerica
• Lower social classes lived
outside the towns
• Earliest Olmec town
• Elite led ceremonies,
controlled trade network
– Pyramid, courtyard
– Eight giant stone heads
– Thronelike monuments
• Towns served as ceremonial,
political and religious centers
• Trade
– From Gulf to Pacific coast
– Rubber, pottery, furs
– Also beliefs, art, games
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The Americas
The First Civilizations
Zapotec
Monte Albán
• Southern Mexico 1500 BC to
AD 750
• Huge main plaza with pyramids,
temples, palaces
• May have had contact with
Olmec
• Olmec influence in decorations
• Began as farmers, built capital
city around 500 BC
• Monte Albán, first true city in
Mesoamerica
• Located high above Valley of
Oaxaca
• Large ball court, observatory
• Population of 25,000 at height
• City declined when leaders lost
support of their people
• Still used for high-status burials
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The Americas
The First Civilizations
Toltec
• Highlands of central Mexico, AD 900 to 1200
• Capital located at Tula, near obsidian mines
– Major trade center
– Pyramids, temples
• Militaristic society
– Fierce warriors established dominance over large region
– Climate change, social conflict led to decline
Section 2
The Americas
Compare
What did the Olmec, Zapotec, and Toltec
cultures have in common?
Answer(s): They all built cities, pyramids, and
temples; the Zapotec and Toltec cultures adopted
some elements of Olmec culture.
Section 2
The Americas
The Maya
Large civilization
• Olmec, Zapotec, Toltec small in
comparison
• Developed around 1000 BC
• More than 40 cities of 5,000 to
100,000 each at height
Rain forest challenges
• Slash-and burn agriculture
• Clearing forest land for crops
• Flat terraces built in hillsides to
control erosion
Early Maya Civilization
• First lived in small villages
• Grew corn, beans, squash
• Good rainfall, rich soils
Trade developed
• Farming did not provide all
needs
• Villages traded for cotton, jade
• Trade of cacao, salt, obsidian
helped villages grow to cities
Section 2
The Americas
The Maya
Cities and Government
• Most cities built between AD 250 and 900, the Classic Age
• Cities Tikal and Copan among the most spectacular in Mesoamerica
• Brightly painted pyramids, temples and palaces found there
City-States
• Each had own ruler and government
• No ruler ever united the cities into single empire
• Cities linked even without central government
Cities linked
• Highlands traded jade, obsidian for cotton, rubber, cacao from
lowlands
• Cities also linked by warfare with each other
• Through battles kings tried to gain land, power
The Americas
Section 2
Section 2
The Americas
The Maya
The Maya worshipped many gods and believed they influenced daily
life; they also believed their kings communicated with the gods. To
keep the gods happy, the Maya performed private and public rituals.
Religious Offerings
• Offering blood by
piercing tongue,
skin
• Human sacrifice
only occasionally
• Ritual ball game,
losing team having
hearts sacrificed to
gods
Upper Class
Society
• Priests, who led
religious
ceremonies
• Professional
warriors, who got
war victims for
human sacrifice
Other Classes
• Merchants,
craftspeople middle
class
• Lower class
– Farmers
– Slaves
– Provided food,
labor for other
classes
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The Americas
The Maya
Achievements
• Impressive buildings and architecture, including canals
• Advances in astronomy, math, writing
• Observed movements of sun, moon, planets
Calendar system
• Created based on astronomical observations
• 365-day farming, 260-day religious calendars
• More accurate than that used in Europe at same time
Number and writing systems
• Number system included new concepts, including “zero”
• Complex writing system of glyphs, or symbols, representing objects, sounds
• Carved writing in stone, also in bark-paper book called a codex
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The Americas
The Maya
Decline of Mayan civilization, AD 900
• Caused by number of factors
– Environmental damage, drought
– Warfare increased over competition for land, destroyed
more crops
– Abuse of power by strong kings
• Civilization declined but did not disappear
– Maya moved from forest to coastal cities
– Remained for several hundred years
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The Americas
Summarize
What were the main characteristics of Maya
civilization?
Answer(s): great cities; trade networks;
achievements in astronomy, math, writing;
accurate calendar
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The Americas
The Aztecs
About the time that Mayan cities in Yucatán reached their height, the
Aztecs began to rise to power in the north. The early Aztecs were a
small group of unlucky farmers from northwestern Mexico, who in time
created the most powerful empire in Mesoamerica.
Rise of the Empire
• Began as separate farming tribes
• Probably subject of the Toltecs
• Legend: settle where they saw an
eagle on a cactus eating a snake
• Migrated south to Valley of Mexico,
1100s
• Good farmland already taken
Lake Texcoco
• A swampy island in valley
• Site where legend says Aztecs saw
eagle and snake
• Founded city of Tenochtitlán
• From here, continued rise to power
In addition to being farmers, the Aztecs were also fierce warriors. They
began fighting to control other towns around Lake Texcoco.
Section 2
The Americas
The Aztecs
Conquering Warriors
Wealth and Strength
• Aztecs gained strength in 1420s
with alliance with Texcoco and
Tlacopan
• Tribute paid in many forms,
feathers, food, pottery, blankets
• Alliance gained control over
huge region beyond Lake
Texcoco
• Aztecs ruled 400 to 500 other
city states, 5 million people
• Required conquered people to
pay tribute
• Tribute was basis of economy
• Gained wealth and strength
through trade as well
• System of roads aided trade of
goods like jade, cacao
• Merchants also acted as spies
for Aztec emperor
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The Americas
The Aztecs
Tenochtitlán
•
•
•
•
•
Capital city of Aztec empire
Covered 5 square miles
Population of about 200,000
One of largest cities in world at time
Site of present day Mexico City
Enchanted Vision
Floating Gardens
• Walled compound at city center
• Swampy island in middle of lake
• Pyramid with two temples on top
• Not much land for farming
• Other temples, government
buildings, palaces, a ball court
• Aztecs built floating gardens at
city’s edge
• Political and religious heart of the
empire
• Tenochtitlán connected by canals
and causeways to biggest market
• First Europeans, “enchanted vision”
• Vendors paid tax to support army
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The Americas
The Aztecs
Just as the economy of the Aztec Empire was highly organized, so
was its society, with the king at the top, followed by priests.
Society and Religion
•
King was part of royal family,
but had to be elected
•
Lived in palace at Tenochtitlán
•
Certain nobles served as
government officials
•
Just below king were priests
– Interpreted calendars
– Performed religious
ceremonies
Religious Ceremonies
• Believed gods needed blood
• Sacrificed as many as 20,000
victims a year
• European perspective, “walls
splashed and caked with
blood…stank abominably”
• Slaves. prisoners used for
sacrifices
• Certain warriors who captured
victims also upper class
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The Americas
The Aztecs
Other classes
• Merchants, artisans wealthy,
respected
• Merchants rich from trading
• Artisans important, made goods
required for tribute
Chance for improvement
• Farmers could become warriors
or study at special schools
• All attended school until 15
• Continuing in special schools
led to work in government
Lower class
• Most were farmers, very poor
• Did not own their own land
• Paid so much in tribute, it was
difficult to survive
Slaves
• Suffered most in Aztec society
• Most had been captured in
battle, or could not pay debts
• Some worked as farmers,
laborers; some sacrificed
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The Americas
The Aztecs
Achievements
Sciences
• Aztecs known for achievements
in art and science
• Kept written records, though not
as advanced as Mayan
• Artisans made bright feathers
into headdresses, shields,
costumes
• Composed poetry, riddles,
historical accounts
• Metalworkers fashioned gold,
silver, copper into jewelry,
masks
• Stoneworkers decorated
temples with elaborate statues
• Used astronomy to create
religious and solar calendars
much like the Maya
• Aztec Empire lasted less than
200 years, brought to end by
European contact, 1500s
The Americas
Section 2
Identify Supporting Details
What aspects of the Aztec Empire made it
the strongest in Mesoamerica?
Answer(s): good farmers, fierce warriors, founded
capital of Tenochtitlán, well-organized economy
and society, created calendar