Unit One: Before European Contact (Pre-1492)

Part 3: Great Civilizations in the Americas

Objectives:

1. Identify where the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilizations flourished.

2. Describe achievements of these three civilizations.

I. The Earliest American Civilizations

A.  A civilization is an advanced culture. Features of civilizations include:

•  the building of cities •  a well organized government •  a system of social classes •  a complex religion •  a method of record-keeping

I. The Earliest American Civilizations (con’t)

B. The earliest known civilization in North America was the Olmecs, located along the forested areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Little is known about this group of people.

C. The greatest civilizations in the Americas were

the Maya, Aztec, and Inca.

II. The Maya A. This civilization emerged

about 3,000 years ago in the rain forests of present day Mexico and Guatemala.

B. The Mayas grew corn in

cleared swamplands and forests.

C. The Mayas lived in homes

made of mud walls and thatched roofs.

II. The Maya (con’t) D. Several large cities were

built having separate rulers and pyramids were built for religious purposes- each having a temple at the top.

E. Trade was common

among cities and warfare also existed from time to time.

Mayan Pyramid

II. The Maya (con’t) F. Advances in Mayan Civilization 1.  Creating an accurate 365 day calendar. 2.  Studied astronomy and math 3.  Developed a number system with a concept of zero 4.  Had a form of writing called hieroglyphics

Example of Mayan hieroglyphics found at Palenque, Mexico

II. The Maya (con’t) G. Social Classes in Mayan Society

Slaves and Prisoners of War

Peasant Farmers

Nobles, warriors, and government officials

Priests who performed services that assured good crops and victory in battle.

Mayan Social Hierarchy

II. The Maya (con’t)

H. Decline of the Mayan Civilization

Around 850 A.D. the Mayas abandoned their villages for unknown reasons. Possible theories include civil war, disease, or famine. Mayan language is still spoken today in portions of Mexico and Guatemala.

III. The Aztec A. The Aztecs were a wandering group of

people until the 1300’s when they settled after finding a sign told to them previously by an Aztec god. When they found the sign they were to build their empire at that place.

Sign: An eagle perched on a cactus with a

snake in its beak. The Aztecs found this sign at Lake Texcoco

in central Mexico. The city was built on an island in the middle of the lake and was given the name Tenochtitlan. The city was connected to the mainland by raised roads of packed earth called causeways.

Tenochtitlan

III. The Aztec (con’t) B. The Aztecs grew crops on floating

gardens called chinampas. C. The Aztecs conquered many other

groups of peoples until the 1400’s. D. Tenochtitlan was the center of

commerce and trade. E. Religion was key to Aztec life. They

worshipped the Sun. The gods told them when to plant, when to harvest, and other key events of the future. The Gods were pleased by the offering of human sacrifices.

Chinampas of Tenochtitlan

III. The Aztec (con’t) F. Aztec Society:

III. The Aztec (con’t)

G. Aztec government was run by an emperor who had

absolute power over the people he ruled. The emperor was treated much like a god.

IV. The Incas

IV. The Inca A.  The Incas were located in South America

along the Andes Mountains (About a 3,000 mile stretch).

B.  The capital of the empire was Cuzco.

C.  The Empire had a population of more than 10 million people.

D.  The head of the empire was known as the Sapa Inca and he controlled all the land and riches of the empire. The emperor was believed to be a descendent of the sun god.

IV. The Inca (con’t) E. They used terrace farming along the

mountain sides to grow food, especially potatoes.

F. They built aqueducts to carry water

from rivers to terraced farm areas. G.  They stored surplus crops in

warehouses.

H.  Records were kept of each family’s production.

I.  The Incas were expert builders and stonemasons.

Inca terrace farm

IV. The Inca (con’t) J. Built a complex network of roads with rope bridges. K. Had a message system consisting of runners. L. Had medicines (quinine) for treating diseases like

malaria,performed brain surgery, and discovered pain medicines.

M. The Sun God was the most important god. Temples

were lined with gold to honor the Sun God. The gold was taken by Spanish conquistadors in the 1530’s.