The Americas

•The first people in the Americas supported themselves as hunters and gatherers

-came over to North American on a land-bridge called the Beringia in order to find wild game, which was their food source…such as Mammoth

-gradually learned about agriculture and planting-maize: also known as corn became known as the most important crop for survival; Others planted included squash, beans, avocado, and beans

The Americas

• Agriculture led to:1. Population growth and settlements2. Differences in social classes arose3. Allowed societies to become more

complex and develop into civilizations

….and is why complex civilizations developed

•In South America:- 1st people survived on seafood from

the Pacific Ocean and small game -the first Advanced cities developed in

the West

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The Olmec Early Mesoamerican Civilizations

Olmec Beginnings• Civilization begins in Mesoamerica around 1200 B.C.• Mesoamerica— central Mexico to northern Honduras ; first complex societies arose• Olmecs are the “mother culture” of Mesoamerica• Olmecs—people who create earliest advanced civilization in southern Mexico

The Rise of Olmec Civilization• First sign of Olmec culture: massive sculpture of heads found in 1860• Olmec live along the Gulf Coast of Mexico until 400 B.C.

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Gulf Coast Geography• Area hot and humid, with swamps, jungles, thick

vegetation• Heavy rainfalls lead to flooding• Area has resources: salt, tar, clay for pottery,

wood, rubber, stone• Rivers provide transportation, fertile land for

farming• San Lorenzo, oldest Olmec site, dates to 1150 B.C.

The Olmec

Continued . . .

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Olmec Society• San Lorenzo has earthen mounds, pyramids,

sculptures• Great Pyramid of La Venta has 100-foot-high

mound of clay and earth, possibly a tomb & religious center

• Olmec probably worship nature gods, includingjaguar spirit

The Olmec

Trade and Commerce• Olmec trade spans north and south• Boosts the Olmec economy &• Trade spreads Olmec influence

Decline of the Olmec• Reasons for Olmec collapse—by 400 B.C.—not

known

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Zapotec Civilization Arises

Peoples of the Oaxaca Valley• The Oaxaca Valley of southern Mexico is hub for many civilizations• Zapotecs—people who build a new civilization in Oaxaca Valley

• Unique Zapotec culture shows some Olmecinfluence

• For centuries Zapotec live in many scatteredsettlements

• By 1000 B.C., Zapotec build San José Mogote

• By 500 B.C., Zapotec develop writing andcalendar

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The Zapotec Flourish at Monte Albán• Around 500 B.C. Zapotecs build Monte Albán—first city in America• Population of Monte Albán about 25,000 people• City has impressive stone buildings, plaza,observatory• Stone sculptures there show Olmec influence• Known for building temples and creating an early form of hieroglyphics• Zapotec decline shortly after A.D. 600 for unknown reasons

Zapotec Civilization Arises

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The Early Mesoamericans’ Legacy

The Olmec Leave Their Mark• Olmec art and construction affect future cultures like the Maya• Olmec develop ceremonial centers, ritual ball games, and ruling class• Later cultures in Mesoamerica adopt Olmec ways

Zapotec Contributions• Zapotec legacy: writing and calendar systems, first city builders• Monte Albán inspires other cities in America

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Societies Arise in the Andes

Early Civilizations of the Andes

Settlements on the Coastal Plain• Andes Mountains climate, environment make travel,

farming difficult• Harsh deserts lie along Pacific coast• Coastal areas with rivers have good soil; are settled

3600–2500 B.C.• Around 3000 B.C. agriculture starts; by 1800 B.C.,

communities arise

Continued . . .

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The Chavín Period• Chavín—first influential culture in South

America, religion is most important• Arises in mountains; flourishes from 900

B.C. to 200 B.C.• Named for major ruin, Chavín de Huántar• City has pyramids, plazas, and massive

earth mounds• Chavín culture spreads over north and

central Peru• “Mother culture” in Peru—influences later

cultures - specific influence can be seen not only in religion but in art as well- developed patterns that became the basis of later civilizations

Societies Arise in the Andes

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Other Andean Civilizations Flourish

Nazca Achievements

• Nazca—culture on southern coast of Peru• Flourishes from 200 B.C. to A.D. 600

• They build irrigation systems; create puzzling designs on land known as the Nazca Lines in the plains of Peru

•Nazca also make beautiful pottery and textiles

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Other Andean Civilizations Flourish

Moche Culture• Moche—culture that thrives on northern coast of Peru• Flourishes from A.D. 100 to 700• Moche build large irrigation systems to water

wide range of crops…like the Nazca• Images on Moche tombs and pottery reveal

how they lived• Neither Moche religion nor fall of culture are

understood

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Maya Create City-States

Maya Kings and Cities

The Land of the Maya• Maya live in southern Mexico and northern Central America• Land, vegetation of this region varies• Maya culture influenced by Olmec civilization 

Continued . . .

Urban Centers• In Classic Period (250 to 900),

Maya build spectacular citiesCities, like Tikal, have pyramids,

temples, palaces, stone carvings• Each has a court where ritual ball game

is played

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Maya Create City-States

Agriculture and Trade Support Cities

Cities linked by alliances & trade• Farming maize, beans, squash is foundation of Maya life• Maya use different farming

techniques

Kingdoms Built on Dynasties

• Farming success leads to rise of social classes

• King is leader• Noble class includes: priests & warriors• Middle class: merchants &artisans• Bottom: peasants

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Religion Shapes Maya Life The Importance of Religion• Maya believe in many gods, who

could be good, evil, or both• Each day is a god whose behavior could be predicted with

calendars

Continued . . .

Religious Practices

• Many ways of worshiping: prayer, offerings, giving blood

• Maya also make human sacrifices to please gods and balance world

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Religion Shapes Maya Life

Math and Religion• Religion leads to advances in calendar, math, astronomy & they

support one another• Develop their calendar on careful

observation of the planets, sun, & moon

• Maya use two calendars: one religious (260 days), one solar (365 days)• Use calendars to find best days

for life activities

Written Language Preserves History • Writing system has 800 hieroglyphics aka.

glyphs— symbols• Use writing to record history in a

codex— bark-paper book• Popul Vuh— famous codex that contains Maya story of creation

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Mysterious Maya Decline

The End of the Maya• In late 800s, Maya abandon cities; cause for abandonment unknown• Signs of social problems:

- In 700s, fighting among many Maya city-states

- Population growth, over-farming might have hurt environment- By 1500s when the Spanish arrive, the Maya dynasty had already

declined & the remaining people lived in small, weak city-states

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The Valley of Mexico

Geography• Mountain basin 7,500 feet

above sea level, large lakes, fertile soil

• Teotihuacán and Toltec settle in valley, develop civilizations

The Aztecs Control Central Mexico

Continued . . .

An Early City-State• Teotihuacán city-state rises in first

century A.D.• At peak, in 500s, city has up to 200,000 people• Serves as center of trade, especially of obsidian—

volcanic glass• City quickly declines; by 750 is abandoned

Toltecs Take Over Mexico• About 900, Toltecs rise to power; rule

for about 300 years• Build pyramids and temples• A warlike people, they rule by conquest• They worship fierce war god and

offer human sacrifices• Toltec ruler Topiltzin tries to change

religion, end human sacrifice • Encourages worship of a new god

Quetzalcoatl—“Feathered Serpent”-upon his return would start a golden age; Aztecs also worship

• He is exiled to Yucatán Peninsula; by early 1200s, Toltec rule ends

The Valley of Mexico

The Aztec Empire Arrival of the Aztecs• Aztecs (or Mexica) arrive around 1200, begin working as soldiers• By own legend, a god leads them to found the island city of Tenochtitlán

Aztecs Grow Stronger

• Triple Alliance—1428 agreement of Aztec

and the two other city-states

of Texcoco & Tlacopan• By early 1500s, Aztecs

have large empire and rule 5–15 million people

• Power comes from tribute resulting from conquests

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Nobles Rule Aztec Society• Noble class—military leaders, officials, priests—rules Aztec society• Nobles own vast estates, live life of wealth and luxury• Commoners: merchants, artisans, soldiers, farmers• Lowest class: enslaved people• Emperor’s power is absolute, lives in palace, is revered

The Aztec Empire

Tenochtitlán: A Planned City

Extraordinary Urban Center• Causeways connect island city to

mainland areas• Canals enable people to carry goods

to city and its huge main market• Chinampas, floating islands, used to

grow crops• Central area has palaces, temples,

government buildings

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Religion Rules Aztec Life

Many Gods• Religion includes 1,000 gods, many adopted from other peoples

Religious Practices• Center of religion is public ceremonies to win gods’ favor• Many religious festivals throughout year

Sacrifices for the Sun God• Most important rituals are for sun god, Huitzilopochtli• He needs human sacrifices to be strong• Aztecs engage in war to provide captives for these sacrifices

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Problems in the Aztec Empire A New Ruler• In 1502, Montezuma II becomes

emperor; he calls for more tribute• These sacrifices lead to revolt in

outlying areas• Emperor tries to make life easier,

but Aztecs worry about future• Soon after, Spanish arrive

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The Inca Build an Empire

The Inca Create a Mountain Empire

Incan Beginnings• Inca live first in high plateau of Andes Mountains• By 1200s, they have a kingdom in Valley of Cuzco• Inca believe that their ruler is descended from sun

god, Inti

Pachacuti Builds an Empire• Pachacuti, a powerful and ambitious emperor,

takes control in 1438• Under Pachacuti, Inca conquer lands holding 16

million people• Inca use diplomacy and military force to achieve

conquests

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Incan Government Creates Unity

Organized Rule• Inca divide conquered lands into smaller units to

govern easily• Make Quechua official language of entire empire

Incan Cities Show Government Presence• Inca build cities with same architecture for

government buildings• Capital is Cuzco, which has temples, plazas,

palaces• Inca are very skilled builders

Continued . . .

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Incan Government• Inca government controls economy and

society• Use ayllu—extended family group—to

control how people live, work• Divides society into groups of 10; 100;

1,000; 10,000• Chain of command stretches from central

government to smallest unit• Demands mita—requirement that people

work for state; it was a labor tribute• Cares for the aged and disabled

Incan Government Creates Unity

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Public Works Projects• Government creates public works,

including 14,000-mile road network

• Runners carry messages along the roads to different places

Incan Government Creates Unity

Government Record-Keeping• Inca do not develop system of writing• Use quipu—set of knotted strings—as accounting device• Might also have had elaborate two-calendar system

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Religion Supports the State

Inca Gods• Inca have fewer gods than Aztecs• Creator god and sun god are most

important

Religious Practices• Priests draft young women to assist in ceremonies• Some young men also become specialized religious workers

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Discord in the Empire

Problems Arise• In early 1500s, Inca Empire reaches its height under Huayna

Capac• Capac dies, perhaps of smallpox,

while touring newly conquered Ecuador

• In 1520s, his sons Atahualpa and Huascar split empire

• Atahualpa wants control of whole empire and begins civil war

• This war weakens Inca state just before Spanish arrive.

Africa• Geography

- diverse; coastal plains to snow-capped mountains- 2nd largest continent in the world- approx. ½ of the continent is covered by deserts &

savannas- 1/5 of the earth’s land surface- minimal harbors or inlets along the coast- deserts aren’t very suitable for human life- Most people live on the savannas- which are grassy plains with mountains and swamps

*Africa’s geographic features have led to its diverse cultures.

Sahara Desert- largest of Africa’s deserts- the Sahel is the land on the coastline that the desert

continues to take over

Africa

The Early Inhabitants• The earliest people were hunter-gatherers• They later learned how to domesticate and raise a variety of animals• They then developed agriculture which led to specialization and permanent villages

• Grain grew well in the savannas•The rain forests of the south & east added cattle raising to their agricultural way of life

AfricaSocial Life•The family was the basic social unit

•Including parents, children and extended family•Called lineages

•People coming from the same common ancestor…linking past and future generations• They were the chief means of social and political organization in stateless societies (no central gov’t; balance of power between lineages)•In stateless societies, conflicts were commonly settled through discussion and negotiation

•Lineages were traced in two ways•Patrillineal- traced through the father; inheritance passes from father to son•Matrillineal- traced through the mother; inheritance passes from mother to son and men still hold positions of authority

Religious Life•Animism- a religion in which spirits are present in animals, plants, and other natural forces. They also take the form of the souls of ancestors•Spirits played an important role in regulating daily life•Led to connection between the family, the village, nature, and ancestors

History•In West Africa

•Storytellers were called griots• only way record history….oral tradition from parent to child•Ensured knowledge was passed from generation to generation

Africa

•Migration- is a permanent move from one country or region to another• It occurs for one of three reasons: environmental, economic, or political

•Push-Pull Factor- factors that either push people out of an area or pull them into an area

•Language Analysis•If two languages have similar words, it is likely the people who spoke them were in close contact

Africa

Africa

The Great Migration•Early Africans made some of the greatest migrations

•Bantu-speaking people moved southward through Africa for several years (Bantu- “the people”)

• from the Savanna to Nigeria• they were nomadic farms, ranchers, & iron-makers•Their unique form of agriculture caused them to migrate every few years in search of new land to supply food for their growing population

Results of the Bantu Migration• 60 million African people speak one of the Bantu languages• there is a diversity of cultures and widespread family of Languages in Africa

A similarity between the Aryan migration and the Bantu is thatboth moved in search of additional food sources as a result of growing populations

Another interesting tie to other cultures:• The Iron Age of West Africa was unique in that it skipped over both the Copper Age and the Bronze Age

Africa

The People AfricaThe Aksumites of East Africa

•Aksum- kingdom located on the south of Kush on the Red Sea; part of modern-day Eritrea & Ethiopia• This area is often called the Horn of Africa

•Trading settlements were established here for interaction with people in the East; colonies of traders and farmers were established•Eastern Africans offered raw materials to Asia

•Made it a trading hub for routes to Egypt & Meroe•It became an international trading power•People were attracted to the city or Adulis, which was the chief seaport & center of trade of Askum

The People AfricaThe Aksumites of East Africa

Daily Life•A blend of African and Arabic people and many other cultures due to trade•Greek stood out as the official language• Like other ancient Africans, they believed in one god; but there were also animists•One of the ideas that was exchanged during trade with Christianity•Thus, Aksum is unique in that Christianity becomes the official religion of the areas under the rule of King Ezana

Inventions•One of the 2 African kingdoms to develop a written language•First kingdom south of the Sahara to mint it’s own coins•Created a new method of agriculture called Terraces- step-like ridges down mountain slops preventing rainfall erosion

The People AfricaAksum Falls• After 800 years of reign, Aksum falls due to conflicts with invaders from Islamic traditions who conquered many territories & destroying Adulis

•Additional Factors to the Fall:•Isolation from other Christian states•Loss of its international trading power•Depletion of its depletion of forests and erosion after moving the capital to a geographically isolated location

•Lasting Legacies:•Eastern Orthodox Christianity•Stone Architecture•Terrace Farming

Islam in AfricaIslam plays a significant role in North Africa

•Ultimately, Islam spreads throughout Africa from trade and conquest• One of the groups of people who converted were the Berbers

Islam reformer groups developed•1. The Almoravid Empire:•2. The Almohads Empire: overtake the Amoravid

The People Africa

West African Civilization

The Empire of Ghana•Ghana- in 700s, the kingdom in the Soninke region which its rulers weregrowing rich by takin the goods the traders carried through their territory•The two important trade items were gold and salt•Ghana become an empire in 800•Chief ruler acted as a religious leader, chief judge, and military commander•Ultimately, converts to Islam

The People AfricaWest African Civilization

Empire of Mali “where the kind lives”•South of Ghana• Mali’s wealth was built on gold like Ghana•Mali’s first great leader was Sundiata

•He helped the empire grow powerful and wealthy because he promoted agriculture and reestablished the gold-salt trade

•Mansa Musa- later ruler who is Muslim•Builds mosques, attends public prayers, and support the preaching of holy men of Muslim•Take a trip (hajj) to Mecca in the 1300s, and ordered the building of new mosques and trading centers of Timbuktu and Gao….allowing Islamic learning & culture to have a major influence on the Mali Empire•Timbuktu becomes one of the most important cities in the empire…even has universities

The People AfricaWest African Civilization

Empire of Songhai•People under the rule of Ghana broke away and gained control of the all-important trade routes

Hausa•Named after their language•Had city-states•Southern most state of Zazzau traded enslaved persons

Yoruba•Spoke common language•Yoruba kings were “divine” and served as religious & political leaders

Benin•Traded with the Portugal for pepper, leopard skins, ivory, 7 enslaved persons

The People Africa

Eastern African City-States

•Bantu-speaking groups spread blended with the Arabic traders of the East (Arabia, Persia, & India)….creating the Swahili language•By 1300, more than 35 trading cities dotted the eastern coast

•Gold and ivory helped these cities become rich

•Arab Muslim traders exported enslaved persons from the East African coast…kidnapping them and sending to Arabia, Persia, & Iraq

•The numbers were small however, only in the 1,000s•Europeans made this trade explode

The People Africa

Southern Africa & Great Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe• Was developed by Shona people and grew its empire with gold•Location stood near the important trading route linking the goldfields with a coastal trading city; benefitting by taxing traders•Great Zimbabwe is the capital of a southern empire & became the economic, political, and religious center of its empire•Yet, by 1450 the people left….no one is sure why this is.

Africa

The ancient cities of Ghana, Aksum, Kush, & Mali demonstrated that advanced societies developed in

Africa before Europeans colonized this region!