American Civilizations
Time line
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Olmec – 1200-100BC
Toltec – 900-1200 ad
Aztec – 1325-1521 ad
Mayan – 2400bc – 1542 ad
Incan – 1200 -1535 ad
Olmec
• Mexico
• god – part jaguar /part
human
– Polytheistic, animalistic
• giant heads – notable
leaders?
• Cities constructed around a
religious mound
• Society – very simple
– Elites and commoners
– farmers
Toltec
• Mexico – came from north
• “Toltec” means “craftsmen”
– Lots of metal working
• Much of culture destroyed
with Aztec invasion
Aztec
• Mexico
• Conquerors, borrowed culture,
farmers
– Let the conquered keep their culture
– No unity within its territory
• Forced people to pay tributes to
them
– Chocolate was a common barter
Aztec
• Large city of Tenochtitlan
– Surrounded by temples, pyramids, ball courts
• required blood sacrifices to keep gods happy
– cut out their hearts
– Polytheistic
– Religious duty to be a warrior
– worshipped Quetzalcoatl – main deity
– Went to war for more sacrifices
Aztec
• Aztec calendar
• Nahatl was
spoken language
• Four main social
classes
Maya
• Central America
• Pyramids, ball courts,
stone buildings
• Writing system and
calendar adapted from
others
• Agricultural society
– maize
Maya
• Polytheistic religion
– Most gods tied to agriculture and
stars
• Advanced calendar
– For farming purposes
• Politically independent cities
• Mayans destroyed – reasons are
unknown
Inca
• South America
• emperor – absolute power
• worship sun and moon
– Politics and religion linked
• no writing, used Quipu
• advanced roads
Inca
• People worked for good of
empire
– Resulted in roads, temples,
gardens
– Everyone in society had a role
• Capital Cuzco –wealthiest city
in America
• Inca mummified dead
Questions to consider
• Why did the Aztecs face revolts from the
conquered people when the Inca did not?
• How do American civilizations differ from
other early civilizations, how are they similar?
For each of the following riddles…
• Determine
a. What civilization it applies to
b. What aspect of the civilization it is describing
Who Am I?
• I use quipu for my counting system
Who Am I?
• I have a system of roads that run through the
Andes
Who Am I?
• We are a warring society, the military is the
center of our lives
Who Am I?
• We developed 3 types of calendars, we
devised them originally for agriculture
Who am I
• We live in the city of Tecnochtitlan
Who am I
• One of the few artifacts that remains of our
civilization are large stone heads that we
crafted
Who Am I
• Our civilization disappeared, no one has a
definitive reason as to why
Who am I
• The name of our civilization means craftsmen
directions
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Read your creation myth
Write the summary
Share you summary with the group
Answer two questions on the back