maya, aztec, inca civilizations
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Maya, Aztec, Inca Civilizations. The Mayans. Civilization begins around 2000 BCE, but Classical Period of civilization is 250 – 900 CE Located in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico Covered highlands in the mountains, lowlands that were covered in thick jungle. Accomplishments of the Mayans. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
MAYA, AZTEC, INCA CIVILIZATIONS
THE MAYANS• Civilization begins
around 2000 BCE, but Classical Period of civilization is 250 – 900 CE• Located in the Yucatan
peninsula in Mexico• Covered highlands in
the mountains, lowlands that were covered in thick jungle
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE MAYANS• Cities – archaeologists
have found over 50• Government broken up
into independent city-states• Alliances, trade, and wars
between these• Government of all city-states
centered around religion – a theocracy
• Built large stone pyramids in cities
• Cities also had ball courts for games
ADVANCES BY THE MAYANS
• Math – math system that included zero• Own number system similar to Egyptian• Calendars – used to time agricultural season
properly• One calendar for religion, one based on the sun• Writing system – most advanced in Western
hemisphere at the time
COLLAPSE OF THE MAYANS
• Mysterious – no one really knows why civilization collapsed• Cities emptied out in the late 800s• Possibilities include war, overfarming, population
growth, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47kRdCLALgo – Mayan calendar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA8Bjzj-aLs – human sacrifice
AZTECS• Begins around 1200 CE• In Mexico, as well –
northwest of Mayans• Extremely hot and dry• Lots of valuable resources and
fertile soil• Obsidian – volcanic glass that
was valuable in trade• Extremely religious – a
theocracy• Worshipped gods like
Quetzacoatl (serpent god) or sun gods
• Religion dictated everyday life – everything centered around it
CONQUERORS• Aztecs were an empire
– looking to expand• Forced conquered
people to pay tribute (taxes)• Slaughtered villages
when they failed• Many conquered
people were used in human sacrifices
CITY BUILDERS• Aztecs built cities in
what they felt were important religious sites
• Most famous was Tenochtitlan • Population between
200,000 and 400,000• Built on an island – very
advanced bridges built to get to island
• City was completely planned out
FALL OF THE AZTECS• 1502 – many tribute
states revolted – tired of huge taxes, human sacrifices
• Leader at the time was Montezuma II – tried easing the taxes, but not enough
• Eventually, Spanish conquerors arrive in search of God, glory, and gold – wipe out Aztecs
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nS6MpVbB_g - Tenochtitlan
INCAN CIVILIZATION• Begins around 1200 in
Andes Mountains in western South America• Believed their ruler
was a descendant of their sun god
INCA EMPIRE• Empire stretches for
2,500 miles over Andes Mountain range – one of biggest mountain ranges in the world
• Government had complete control over people• Complete control over
economy – distributed goods to people
• Very little trade – positives and negatives of this?
CITIES• Cities built high up in
mountains• Carefully planned,
connected by roads• Famous cities include
Cuzco, their capital, and Machu Picchu• Cities were carefully
planned
MACHU PICCHU• Famous city that was
re-discovered in early 1900s• Built high up in the
Andes – a resort town for high class members of society• Carefully planned• Many of the ruins have
been reconstructedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2YBVlgqqco
WHY DO THEY DISAPPEAR?• Disease – smallpox
wipes out large part of civilization• Civil war – weakens
entire empire• As civil wars are going
on, Spanish arrive, finish off civilization