EARLY AMERICANS Maya Aztec Inca Mound Builders and
EARLY AMERICANS Maya, Aztec, Inca, Mound Builders, and Anasazi 1
Mayan Civilization A. D. 300 - A. D. 900 n Located in Mesoamerica – southern Mexico and Central America n Lived in many separate city-states which were always rivals and sometimes at war n Performed human sacrifices as part of religious ceremonies n 2
Mayan Civilization Built large pyramids used as temples n Pictures of rulers were carved onto large stone monuments called stelaes n Built canals (manmade waterways) to irrigate (water) their crops n Maize (Corn) was their main food n 3
Mayan Civilization n Science n n Mayan Calendar n n Most accurate calendar until the 1700’s Writing system n n Priests studied stars and planets Glyphs Numbering system n n Decimals “ZERO” 4
What Happened to the Mayan? A. D. 900 - suddenly left their cities n No one knows why? ? n Possibilities n Crop failures, War, Disease, Drought, Famine n Rebellions against leaders n 5
Aztec Civilization A. D. 1100 n Central Mexico n Turned swampy island into great city n n Tenochtitlan - Present Day Mexico City 6
Aztec Empire 1400’s – Were great Warriors - began conquering the other people in the region n Made them pay tribute - grew rich from payments of food, cotton, gold, slaves n Emperor, Montezuma, ruled all the land n Aztec society had several different classes (caste system) n 7
Aztec Accomplishments Wrote history in books called codices n Built pyramids for their gods – performed human sacrifices n Built causeways – raised roads to travel from the island to the mainland n 8
Aztec Accomplishments Built aqueducts – pipes carrying water n Created more farmland by making artificial floating islands called chinampas n 9
What happened to the Aztecs? n In 1519 Spanish conquistador, soldier/explorer, Hernan Cortes arrived in Tenochtitlan and with the help of neighboring tribes, defeated the Aztecs and destroyed their capital city. 10
Rise of the Inca Cuzco – capital city n A. D. 1200 began acquiring land through war n Empire stretched 2500 miles along the western coast of South America (Peru) n 11
Incan Accomplishments n Great road system n 14, 000 miles of roads n Their complex government used the roads to control the empire 12
Incan Accomplishments n Terrace Farming – leveled planting areas on the sides of the mountains n n Grew 200 kinds of potatoes, maize, beans, and cotton Developed a counting system that used a rope called a Quipu 13
What happended to the Incas? n 1531 – 1535 Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro attacked the pacific coast of South America, captured and killed Incan Emperor and many other Incan leaders, destroying the civilization. 14
Mound Builders The Mound Builders lived in the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys. n 15
Different Groups n There were three different groups of Mound Builders: Adena n Mississippian n Hopewell n 16
The MOUNDS n Mound Builders got their name because they would bury their dead along with their goods in large earthen mounds that they formed by carrying dirt. 17
Mound Uses n The mounds were used in many different ways: Burial grounds n Platforms for cities n Religious ceremonies n 18
Mound Builder Accomplishments Mounds n Cahokia – great walled city n Artwork – pottery, cloth, wood n Used rivers for irrigation of crops n n Corn, squash, beans 19
What happened to the Mound Builders? n It is uncertain what exactly happened to this once flourishing culture, but it is believed they could have run into food shortages – more likely, they died out because of diseases brought by the white man from Europe. 20
Anasazi The Anasazi were located in the Southwest in what today is Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. n 21
Anasazi Religion They believed in spirits for all of nature. n Kachina dolls and dances were used to bring rain to their dry land. n They also had KIVAS which were underground religious buildings n 22
Art and Farming The Anasazi grew maize, squash, beans n They dug canals to irrigate n They made pots, cloths, baskets, as well as jewelry and dolls. n 23
Chaco Canyon, New Mexico This city was the spiritual and trade center of the culture. n Many miles of roads went from this center to areas where trade for their torquoise took place. n 24
Cliff Dwellers – Mesa Verde, CO They eventually abandoned the canyon floor and moved into the cliffs. Pueblos were the homes they built into the sides of the canyon. Why do you think they moved from the canyon floor to the cliffs? 25
What happened to the Anasazi? It is likely that the Anasazi died out or had to move to other places because of drought. They constantly dealt with a hot and dry climate. n Many ancestors still live in this area and are known as the Pueblo Indians. n 26
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