a proper tribute to a long-gone civilization
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MesoamericaTRANSCRIPT
A Proper Tribute to a Long-Gone Civilization
Mesoamerica A Proper Tribute to a Long-Gone Civilization
Mesoamerica Mesoamerican Timeline
PRE-CLASSIC ( BC) CLASSIC (100 BC-900 AD) POST-CLASSIC (900
AD-Present Day) This lecture will be dealing with only the
Pre-Classic Period Rise of Mayan Culture Giant Statues of Olmec
Kings Daily Life in Mesoamerica First American Civilization
The OLMEC precede later Mesoamerican civilizations such as the
Toltec, Maya, and Aztec The name "Olmec" means "rubber people" in
Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec people Later accounts seem to
refer to their ancient name as "Tamoanchan" Giant Olmec Statues The
heads range in size from the Rancho La Corbata head, at 3.4m high,
to the pair at Tres Zapotes, at 1.47m Almost all of these colossal
heads bear the same features - flattened nose, wide lips, and
capping headpiece The Calendar Round Variously known as the tzolkin
or tonalamatl, a period of 52 years would elapse before the 260-day
calendar would come back into phase with the 365-day calendar
Glyphic Writing GLYPHIC writing refers specifically to the letters
or characters within a writing system and may or may not be
attached to particular sounds Most Mesoamerican glyphics are only
pictographic symbols used to express ideas The Ballgame The ball
was made from hardened rubber from the sap of a fig tree, used
specifically for its ability to bounce There were versions played
only with the hands, others which used the hips and the elbows, and
another in which a bat was used A World of Indifference
French word for it is Caoutchouc and it comes from a South American
Indian word meaning the wood that weeps Juice is found in the bark
of the hevea brasiliensis tree, the source of most of the worlds
natural rubber Mayan Traditions The Maya developed a complex,
hierarchical society divided into classes and professions headed by
kings who ruled territories with clearly defined boundaries in
Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador Old-Time
Religion The name Popol Vuh means "The Collection of Written Leaves
The book begins with the Maya civilization's creation myth followed
by the history of the Quich kingdom It was composed in the form in
which we now possess it by a Christianized native of Guatemala
Xocolatl of the Gods The word chocolate is derived from the Nahuatl
language of Mexico xocolli (bitter) atl (water) Chocolate is made
from the fermented, roasted, and ground beans taken from the pod of
the Theobroma cacao tree Teotihuacan The name is from the Nahuatl
language and means place of becoming gods The Avenue of the Dead
was the main street of Teotihuacan and ran for more than 2.5 km The
avenue divided the city into two sections, with pyramids on both
sides of the avenue Decline of Mayan Culture
The decline and disappearance of the Mayan culture of Mesoamerica
makes them difficult to understand Mayans believed that the world
has been created five times and destroyed four times This
description became the fundamental basis of Mesoamerican religion
from 900 AD onwards when it was adopted by the Toltecs