who were the earliest americans?. student who comes closest gets a prize (2 mins)

THE AMERICASWho were the earliest Americans?

GUESS HOW MUCH THE STATUE WEIGHS!Student who comes closest gets a prize (2 mins).

8 TONS/16,000 POUNDS!!!!

INTRO VIDEO

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/28709-discovery-atlantis-olmec-civilization-and-atlantis-video.htm

36a explain the rise and fall of the Olmec, Mayan, Aztec and Inca empires

36b compare the culture of the Americas including government, economy, religion, social structure, technology and the arts of the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas

AKS 36

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Who were the Olmecs and what was their contribution to civilization in the Americas?

THE EARLIEST CIVILIZATIONS

HOW DID THEY GET HERE?

REVIEW OF EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURE

HOW DID PEOPLE SURVIVE BEFORE SETTLED AGRICULTURE?

The Olmec

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS

OLMEC CIVILAZATION

Mesoamerica’s first civilization builders What does “Mesoamerica” mean?

Began carving out a society around 1200 BC in the jungles of southern Mexico

Thrived 800-400 BC San Lorenzo – the oldest site

OLMEC HEARTLAND

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE OLMEC ENVIRONMENT WAS LIKE?

WHERE WAS THE OLMEC CIVILIZATION LOCATED?

THE ENVIRONMENT

• Hot and humid and covered with swamps and jungles– Rainfall often caused rivers to flood

• Large deposits of salt and tar and clay to make….?

• Wood and rubber from rain forest• Flooded plains near rivers provided…?

OLMEC SOCIETY

Earthen mounds, courtyards, and pyramids

Planned ceremonial centers

Stone symbols – writing?

Ritual ball games

OLMEC CULTURE

What do you think these monuments, mounds, and colossal heads tell us about their culture? May have

represented particular Olmec rulers

Elite ruling class

OLMEC RELIGION

Believed to have prayed to a variety of nature gods

“The Jaguar Spirit” Half-human, half-jaguar Powerful rain god? Earth, fertility?

TRADE AND COMMERCE

Olmec trade spanned north and south!!!

Trade spread Olmec influence

DECLINE (BY 400 BCE)

What do you think happened to the Olmec?

LEGACY/IMPACT

The Olmec left their mark Olmec art and construction affected

future cultures like the Maya Olmec developed ceremonial centers,

ritual ball games, and ruling class Later cultures in Mesoamerica adopted

Olmec ways Influenced Mayan writing system Origin of the Mayan calendar system

SUMMARY

3 – things you learned 2 – things you want to find out more

about 1 – question you have

THE MAYANS

Who were the Mayan’s and what triggered their decline?

ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE

THE MAYANS

TIKAL PYRAMIDS

MAYAN CIVILIZATION

Southern Mexico into northern Central America

Includes dry scrub forest of the Yucatan Peninsula

Also – dense, steamy jungles Maya took on Olmec influences and blended it with their local customs

REVIEW

What was the climate like for the Mayans?

Where was their civilization located?

MAYAN CIVILIZATION (CONT)

AD 250-900 = “Classic Period” of Maya civilization

Built many cities (Tikal) in northern Guatemala Each city-state

Which means what for its government? Giant pyramids, temples, palaces, and

elaborate stone carvings Tens of thousands of people surrounded

the city center

REVIEW

How was each Mayan location set-up in terms of government?

RECREATION

Each Maya city featured a ball court What happened to the

losers? Religious and

political significance Maya believed the

playing of this game would maintain the cycles of the sun and moon and bring rain

BALL GAME GEAR

Exact rules and method of scoring are unknown. Inscriptions

indicate that players could not use their hands or feet to move a solid rubber ball. Members

of the losing team might be sacrificed by beheading.

AGRICULTURE AND TRADE

City-states exchanged their local products and craft goods

No unifying currency, cacao (CHOCOLATE) beans sometimes served as one

Maize, beans, and squash provided the basis for Maya life

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

King sat at the top and was regarded as a holy figure (hereditary)

Noble class (priests and leading warriors)

Merchants and specialized skills

Peasant majority

RELIGION

What type of religion do you think they practiced? Polytheism – gods of corn, of rain, of

war, etc. How did they worship?

Prayed, made offerings of food, flowers, incense

Offered their blood to nourish the gods

Human sacrifice – of captured enemies

MATH AND RELIGION

Mayans believed that time was a burden carried on the back of a god

Very important to have an accurate calendar to know which god was in charge of the day

260 day religious calendar 365 day solar calendar

MAYAN NUMERALS

WRITTEN LANGUAGE

800 hieroglyphic symbols (glyphs) Carved glyphs into a bark-paper

book known as a codex (only 3 survive) Burned by Spanish priests in 16th

century Popul Vuh – the Maya’s version of

the story of creation“Before the world was created, Calm

and Silence were the great kings that ruled. Nothing existed, there was nothing”

MAYAN WRITING

REVIEW

Why was math and religion important to the Mayans?

Describe their social structure.

DECLINE

In the 800s, the Maya suddenly abandoned many of their cities

Invaders from the north moved into the lands.

Reasons? Frequent warfare

between kingdoms Population growth =

needed more land

USE YOUR CREATIVITY

In one paragraph, write a short story about what you think happened to the Mayans?

THE AZTECS

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Who were the Aztecs? How did their civilization function, thrive, and ultimately decline?

THE AZTECS

SETTING THE STAGE

Greatest empire in Mesoamerica Heart of civilization located around

modern Mexico City Ancestors of the Olmec

LOCATION

TEOTIHUACÁN

“City of the Gods” First major city-state of Central Mexico Peak population ~150,000 – 200,000 Obsidian – Green or black volcanic

rock used to make razor sharp weapons Abandoned by 750 AD

TEOTIHUACÁN

PREVIEW

THE AZTECS

Arrived in the Valley of Mexico ~1200 AD

The god of sun and warfare told them to create a city

Based power on military conquest Demanded tribute from their neighbors

(gold, jade, maize, cacao)

AZTEC SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Emperor Nobles: Military, Priests,

Government Officials Merchants, Artisans,

and Soldiers Merchants formed a

subgroup of elite Enslaved People

TENOCHTITLAN

TENOCHTITLAN

Established by the early 1500’s Population 200,000 – 400,000 (larger

than London or other European Cities at the time)

Built on an island surrounded by marshland/water

TENOCHTITLAN

AZTEC RELIGION

Worshipped sun god Human sacrifice was a way to please

the gods Enslaved, war prisoners Without blood, the sun would not rise

REVIEW

Describe the beginning of the Aztecs. What was their social structure? What was their religion? How did they decline?

HUMAN SACRIFICE

DECLINE

Montezuma II became Emperor in 1502 and the Empire began to decline He called for more tribute and sacrifice

The Spanish Conquistadors eventually arrived

SUMMARY

Describe: 3 traits of the civilization 3 strengths leading to power 3 weaknesses leading to decline

THE INCAS

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Who were the Incas and what were some of their social innovations unique to Pre-Columbian culture in the Americas?

ORIGINS/LOCATION

Descended from many different civilizations in the region

Believed Incan ruler was descended from sun god

Located in the Andes Mountains of Peru

Founded capital Cuzco around 1100 AD

INCAN GOVERNMENT

Governed by central bureaucracy? What is bureaucracy?

Roads tied the empire together The heart of the empire of the city of

Cuzco Ayllu – extended families that

performed tasks to large for a regular family A chief lead each group but they reported

to the emperor

ROADS (14,000 MILES)

WELFARE STATE

Compared to modern socialism

Mita – Annual labor tribute Work on roads, make goods,

etc Messages travelled on road

system (postal system) No writing system Kept detailed numerical

records using quipu Cared for entire population

RELIGION

Incan king was considered a descendent of sun god

Worshipped sun, moon, rain, thunder gods

Young men and women would be drafted into a lifetime of service

Great cities – Machu Pichu Sun Temple (center), public buildings,

central plaza

DECLINE

During the 1500’s the empire split between two sons after death of emperor Civil War ensured weakening the empire Spanish (Pizarro) arrived during the last

days of the war

SUMMARY

3 – Name 3 things you learned 2 – Things you want to find out more

about 1 – Question you have!

It is good to have questions!