Chuck Norris Fact:

“Chuck Norris can pee into gale force winds.”

Like America, but without the Meso

Mesoamerica

*The 3 Great Civilizations

*Aztecs

*Mayans

*Inca

*Note: Mesoamerica is what is now Latin America

*The Mayans

Yucatan Peninsula

*No, you can’t have it…its Mayan!

*What is now the southern tip of Mexico

*Independent cities built on agriculture and trade

*Polytheistic

*Used a writing system known as Glyphs

*Most Astonishing Fact

The Mayans had very skilled mathematicians and astronomers

They calculated the solar year at

365.2420 days per year…only .0002 of a day too short

*Speaking of the Mayan Calendar…

*The calendar ends on December 21, 2012

*Some believe that will bring the end of the world

*Bummer…

*What’s Mayan is Yours

*Theories of the decline include war, disrupted trade, agricultural problems and disease, but no one knows for sure what happened

*The Aztecs

*The AztecsAztecs establish

Tenochtitlan…which is now Mexico City

The Triple Alliance gives the Aztecs supreme power in Central Mexico

Aztecs conquer neighboring tribes and demand tribute

Trade also brings wealth to the Aztec Empire

I got dibs on the left ventricle

*Aztec Religion*Polytheistic

*The Sun God was the most important…and he liked blood

*Quetzalcoatl…the feathered serpent

god was important too

*The Inca

*The Emperor’s New Groove

*Inca establish their kingdom in the Valley of Cuzco*Modern day Peru

*Pachacuti was the great Inca ruler who turned the Inca into an empire

*All Roads Lead to Cuzco

Organized government to cover the vast territory

Vast road systems for travel and trade

Conquered areas get a makeover

All citizens had to give mita

*Did You Feed Tina?*Llamas were very important in Inca culture

*provided travel, food, clothing and sacrifice

*Strange, but TrueThe Inca never developed a writing system

*Inca ReligionPolytheisticWorshipped fewer

gods than the Mayans and Aztecs

Both men and women could devote their lives to religious service

*What Happened to these Groups?

You gotta keep your pimp hand strong

*Moment of Zen