American CivilizationsMaya Inca Aztec n Preview What does

American Civilizations—Maya, Inca, Aztec n Preview: What does this image show?

Native American Civilizations Mayan, Incan, & Aztec Civilizations

The Civilizations of America …advanced societies While classical civilizations were developing in the isolation in the Americas Mediterranean & Asia…

Title n Text During the Ice Age, prehistoric nomads migrated across the land bridge between Asia & America During the Neolithic Revolution, these nomads settled into farming villages; Some of which became advanced civilizations

The Olmecs are often called the “mother culture” because they influenced other Mesoamerican societies The first American civilization were people known as the Olmec in an area known as Mesoamerica

The Olmecs developed a strong The trade. Olmecs network in Mesoamerica that brought them great wealth The Olmecs used their Olmec trade wealth to build large stone allowed them to monuments & pyramids to spread their culture honor their leaders & gods to other Mesoamericans For unknown reasons, the Olmec civilization declined by 400 B. C. but their cities & symbols influenced later cultures, especially the Mayans

n The Mayan Empire Maya lived in present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, & Honduras n One of the most advanced civilizations in the world before the arrival of Europeans; Reached its highest development from about 300 to 900 A. D.

Mayan Empire n Mayans were polytheists who built large pyramids to honor gods— smaller than Egyptian & Kush pyramids but were much more detailed & decorative; contained arches (like the Romans!)

The Mayans Religion: Mayans were polytheistic & offered their blood, food, & sometimes human sacrifices to please the gods

Mayan Empire n Accomplishments of the Mayans: –Developed system of mathematics & number system –Created accurate calendar with 365 days that could accurately predict eclipses & finding the day of the week many thousands of years in the past or future –Had exact knowledge of phases of the moon & cycle of Venus

Mayan Empire n Developed hieroglyphic-style writing to record astronomical observations, calendar calculations, historical & information

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Aztec Empire n The Aztec Empire began lasted from 1427 to 1521 (conquered by Spanish conquistadors) n The capital, Tenochtitlán, was located on the present-day site of Mexico City

Aztec Empire n The Aztecs were founded by the Mexica, (came from west Mexico) n Legend predicted the Mexicans would found a great civilization where they saw an eagle perched on a cactus growing out of a rock n Aztec civilization was created on Lake Texcoco—strategic with abundant food supplies & waterways for transportation

When captured by Spanish conquistadors, Tenochtitlán was possibly the largest city in the world

Aztec Empire n Farming was the basis of the Aztec economy, but land was not large enough to produce enough food for the population; Aztecs created chinampas (floating gardens), by putting mud on huge mats made of woven reeds & placed them in lake—farmed on soil on these “farms”

Aztec Empire n Aztec were excellent warriors who expanded their empire by conquering their neighbors n Aztecs were the “people of the sun” who honored many gods, especially sun god; used human sacrifices to keep the gods happy—victim’s heart was removed & priest ate flesh as sign of respect

Bell Ringer 10 years from now, looking back, what is something about yourself that you will remember as good, and what is something you will regret?

Inca Empire n The Inca built one of the largest & wealthiest empires in the world n It began in the mid -1400 s & was located on the western coast of South America

Inca Empire n Incan Empire extended more than 2, 500 miles & included present-day Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, & Argentina— huge territory covered deserts, mountains, & rain forests n Used terraced mountainsides & irrigation streams for farming

Inca Empire n Most famous city was Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Inca Empire n Accomplishments of the Inca: –Had no writing, but created record system called quipu (knots tied to colored rope) –Built suspension bridges –Built 10, 000 miles of roads –Excellent goldsmiths – 1 st civilization to harvest potatoes

Create a triple Venn Diagram n Compare the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. n How are they similar, how are they different? n Think about geography, religion, government, and social structure: make sure to include each in your diagrams.

n n n Travelogue No. 1 You have heard of the success of finding the “New World” from the journey of Columbus, and you are preparing on setting out for your own exploration to the “New World. ” Your first entry should include: 1. What are your motives for exploration? (Must be historically accurate and connect to Spain) For example: “I’m leaving to get a piece of the wealth Cortes has found after meeting the Aztecs. ” n n 2. What you are leaving behind? For example: Did you leave behind a family? Pets? A bad/good job? Grandparents? Nothing? (that is an option too!) This is where you create the back story for your character. I want you to be creative! Make your character come alive! I want to read journals of learned scholars that have travelled the great oceans to explore new lands! n n 3. Concerns you may have about what awaits you; include details about possible dangers you may encounter on your journey. For example: Are you worried about someone back home? Are you afraid of your future interactions with the Amerindians (Aztec/Inca)? Are you concerned the ship(s) won’t make it to the Americas?

n n n n n Aztec – 1200 CE – 1500 CE Political – Outstanding warriors, controlled most of modern day Mexico Monarch (single ruler) – similar to a king or queen Ruler said to have been related to gods to justify their control Slavery of conquered peoples Elaborate system of roads Social – Several different classes – rulers, nobles or elites, farmers, and slaves Women and Men had different roles in society Women did have some rights, they could own property, work outside the house Slavery of conquered peoples Polytheism – religion that involved many gods Practiced Human Sacrifice as part of religion to make the gods happy, which often involved the consumption of human hearts Mayan – 300 CE -900 CE Political – City-States that were often at war with each other Cities of near or over 100, 000 people Slaves used for Human Sacrifice to strike fear into their enemies Rulers claimed to be related to gods to justify control Sophisticated writing systems used to write many advanced books n n n n n Social – Several classes in society, mostly made up of farmers Human Sacrifice as a way to make gods happy Polytheism Advanced Calendar Inca 1200 CE – 1535 CE Political. Empire was around 12 million people before their decline All men required to serve in the military Army of over 200, 000 members Well organized empire divided into 4 sections each with a governor Each of those sections was divided into provinces, who had lesser governors that ruled them Elaborate road system with bridges (even suspension bridges) Social – Different roles for men and women Lots of farming in rural areas Irrigation systems that allowed very successful farming Elaborate architecture Polytheism System of record keeping called quipu that allowed for a very accurate record of supplies, military size and movement, and food. Had public theater, along with poetry and music

n ISN pg 70, Bingo Review; Create 4 x 4 Bingo board with any of these words n Iconoclasts, Patriarch, Hagia Sophia, Ottoman Turks, Caliph, Hajj, Polytheistic, Algebra, Grand Canal, Magnetic Compass, Genghis Khan, Steppe, Ming, Sung, Isolation, Shinto, Daimyo, Matrilineal, Axum, Mali, Salt, Savannah, Aztecs, Olmecs, Calendar, Human Sacrifice, Justinian’s Code