Olmec Olmec Civilization:Civilization:

LocationLocation: : Gulf Coast of Gulf Coast of MexicoMexico

The Mesoamerican The Mesoamerican FrontrunnersFrontrunners

(1200 BC – (1200 BC – 500 BC)500 BC)

•Highly Highly centralized centralized governmentgovernment

•Strict hierarchyStrict hierarchy•No No specific rulers specific rulers are are knownknown

Olmec Olmec CivilizationCivilization

Olmec Olmec CivilizationCivilization

•PolytheisticPolytheistic•Practiced bloodletting Practiced bloodletting as a form of sacrifice as a form of sacrifice

•Human sacrifice Human sacrifice (maybe?)(maybe?)•Religious activities Religious activities performed performed by a combination of rulers & by a combination of rulers & priestspriests

Olmec Olmec CivilizationCivilization

•May have been the May have been the first first civilization civilization in the in the western western hemisphere hemisphere to to develop a develop a system of written languagesystem of written language

•CalendarCalendar•Concept of zeroConcept of zero

Olmec Olmec CivilizationCivilization

•Possible Explanations for Possible Explanations for DeclineDecline::

•Not knownNot known•Outside invaders?Outside invaders?•Internal destruction?Internal destruction?

Mayan Mayan CivilizatiCivilizati

onon (AD 250 – (AD 250 – 900)900)

LocationLocation: : Yucatan Yucatan PeninsulaPeninsula

Mayan Mayan CivilizationCivilization

•Composed of city-states Composed of city-states •Each containedEach contained::

•Its own Its own rulerruler, farmland , farmland & an & an urban center urban center built built around ceremonial around ceremonial templestemples

•PolytheisticPolytheistic•Offerings of food, Offerings of food, flowers & incense flowers & incense

•Sacrificed humans Sacrificed humans (generally peasants)(generally peasants)

•Worshipped Worshipped nature godsnature gods

Mayan Mayan CivilizationCivilization

•Written language; Written language; similar similar to hieroglyphics to hieroglyphics

•System of numbers System of numbers that included that included zerozero

•Accurate 365-day Accurate 365-day solar calendar solar calendar

Mayan Mayan CivilizationCivilization

•SocietySociety::•Men cultivated Men cultivated crops, while crops, while women women processed themprocessed them

•To support Mayan cities, To support Mayan cities, farmers paid taxes in foodfarmers paid taxes in food

Mayan Mayan CivilizationCivilization

Mayan Mayan CivilizationCivilization

•Possible Explanations Possible Explanations for Decline: for Decline:

•Frequent warfareFrequent warfare•Overpopulation Overpopulation over over farming farming soil exhaustionsoil exhaustion

•Peasant revoltsPeasant revolts

Aztec Aztec CivilizatiCivilizati

onon(AD 100 to (AD 100 to

1500s)1500s)

LocationLocation: : Mexico Mexico ValleyValley

Aztec CivilizationAztec Civilization•Single ruler – unified empireSingle ruler – unified empire•Theocratic government Theocratic government characterized by frequent characterized by frequent warfarewarfare

•Built an empire in Built an empire in TenochtitlanTenochtitlan by by conqueringconquering neighboring civilizationsneighboring civilizations

Aztec Aztec CivilizationCivilization

•PolytheisticPolytheistic•Worshipped over Worshipped over 1,000 1,000 gods gods, but the , but the sunsun god god was the was the most important; his name was most important; his name was HuitzilopochtliHuitzilopochtli

•Made Made human sacrificeshuman sacrifices

Aztec Aztec CivilizationCivilization

•Social Hierarchy:Social Hierarchy:•KingKing•NoblesNobles (officials, judges, etc.) (officials, judges, etc.)•WarriorsWarriors•CommonersCommoners (farmers) (farmers)•SlavesSlaves (criminals & POWs) (criminals & POWs)

Aztec CivilizationAztec Civilization•Explanation for Decline:Explanation for Decline:•Conquered by the Spanish Conquered by the Spanish (led by (led by Hernando CortesHernando Cortes) )

•Conquest led to destruction Conquest led to destruction & epidemic disease, & epidemic disease, specifically smallpoxspecifically smallpox

Incan Incan CivilizationCivilization(1400s – 1500s)(1400s – 1500s)

LocationLocation: Peru (South : Peru (South America)America)

•Incan Incan Government Government::

•Very efficient Very efficient with many with many different levels different levels

•Record keeping & tax Record keeping & tax collectioncollection

Incan Incan CivilizationCivilization

Incan CivilizationIncan Civilization•The emperor (aka The emperor (aka the Incathe Inca) ) had total control over the had total control over the empireempire

•Claimed that he Claimed that he was the was the son of the sun, or divine…son of the sun, or divine…

•Therefore, he also served Therefore, he also served as the as the chief religious leaderchief religious leader

Incan Incan CivilizationCivilization

•PolytheisticPolytheistic•Believed in nature Believed in nature gods gods

•IntiInti, the sun god, was , the sun god, was most most importantimportant

•Offerings of food & clothing Offerings of food & clothing

•Built Built 12,000 miles 12,000 miles of road to unite of road to unite empire empire

•Runners were posted along Runners were posted along Incan roads to Incan roads to relay relay messages of rebellions & messages of rebellions & natural disastersnatural disasters

Incan CivilizationIncan Civilization

Incan Incan CivilizationCivilization

•No flat land for No flat land for farming farming

•In order to overcome In order to overcome this challenge, this challenge, farmers used terraces farmers used terraces – – strips of flat land carved strips of flat land carved into steep hillsidesinto steep hillsides

Incan CivilizationIncan Civilization•Explanation for Decline:Explanation for Decline:•Weakness within the Weakness within the empire led to vulnerability empire led to vulnerability

•Conquered by the Spanish Conquered by the Spanish (led by (led by Francisco PizarroFrancisco Pizarro) )