Transcript Mayan Civilization

Mayan
Civilization
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Location: Mexico and
Central American rain
forest
Government: city-states
ruled by a king
Economy: Agriculture and
trade
Religion: Polytheistic and
built pyramids
Declined for unknown
reasons
Cities/Government

Each city was ruled
by a chief (king).
Cities traded with
each other, but they
also went to war
with one another.
Mayan People
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Most people were
farmers, but the soil
was so good, they
really only had to
farm 50 days out of
the year. The main
crop was maize
corn)
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They spend the rest
of the year with
community projects
(building things to
honor the chief)
Scientific Advancements
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The Mayans had a
form of written
language
(hieroglyphs) that
allowed them the
keep records and
write stories.
Mayan’s and Math
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The Mayans
developed a number
system and math
skills early. It looks
similar to tally
marks.
Mayan Astronomy
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The Mayans also
studied astronomy.
They watched the
sun and the planets.
This allowed them
to develop an
accurate calendar.
Religion
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The Mayans were
polytheistic. Gods
were based on
nature (sun, rain,
maize, etc.)
Mayan Gods
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Their were over 150
different gods, and
religion played a huge
role in Mayan life.
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Many Mayan
customs, especially
religious ones,
required human
sacrifice.
Recreation
 Mayans
loved to
sing, dance,
and play
sports.
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The most popular
game they played
was called Pok-aTok. Teams of
players would try
to get a rubbery
ball through a hoop,
but you could not
use your hands or
feet (only body,
legs, or arms).
Beauty
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The Mayan people
preferred long, flat
heads. So, when
babies were born,
and their skulls were
still soft, they would
make them wooden
vices to shape their
heads.
Beauty
 Having
a large,
prominent
nose was also
a sign of
nobility.
 Most hairstyles
entailed a
ponytail
Mayan Civilization
Represented by Chichen Itza
Aztec Civilization
Location: In arid (dry)
valley in Central Mexico
 Government: Ruled by an
emperor
 Economy: Agriculture
 Religion: Polytheistic and
built pyramids where the
Gods were thirsty for
human sacrifice
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Aztec Civilization
Sacrificed 20,000 to 50,000 people each year
 Aztecs were engaged in much warfare
 Sacrificed those they conquered
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Aztec Civilization
Represented by Tenochtitlan
Farming
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Farming was the major industry for the
Aztecs. Corn was a staple crop. They
also hunted and fished.
Family
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Aztec men supported their families and
his government (by paying taxes). Aztec
women ran the house and raised the
children.
Homes
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Aztecs has simple homes with simple
furniture. Houses had beds, a low table, a
kitchen, and a small shrine for the gods.
Bathrooms were in separate buildings.
Aztec Society
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The easiest and
most common way
to climb through up
the social ladder
was to show
courage in battle.
One of the main
reasons to go to
war was to capture
enemies for
sacrifice.
Aztec Civilization
 Invented Tlachtli:
◦ A ballgame that
uses a rubber ball
or heads of
sacrificed victims
◦ No use of hands
◦ Shoot the ball
into a hoop on
the side of a wall
Religion
 Aztecs
also
believed in many
gods. The sun was
very important to
the religion and
they worshipped
it.
Religion
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They believed that
one day the sun
would erupt and the
world would end
violently. To stop
this, they fed the sun
human blood
(sacrifice).
Aztec Written Language
The Aztecs had
a written
language, but it
was
pictographs.
 They also had a
number system
for counting.
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Incan Civilization
Location: Andes
Mountains of South
America
 Government: Ruled
by Emperor
 Economy: Agriculture
in high altitudes
 Religion: Polytheistic
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Incan Civilization
Represented by Machu Picchu
Incan Civilization
Prevented water
from running off
 Agriculture in
too quickly.
high altitude in
the mountains
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Used
Terracing
Farming
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Terracing allowed
the Incans to use
more land for
cultivation. It also
helped to resist
erosion of the
land by wind and
rain. Staple crops
were potatoes,
corn, and quinoa.
Cities
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People either lived
on the coast or in
the highlands.
 They lived in simple
houses made of
either stone bricks
or of mud.
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Commoners paid
the taxes to support
the civilization (not
the nobility or the
sick and elderly)
Family
Men were responsible
for working (usually on
farms) and supporting
the family.
 Women were
responsible for taking
care of the home and
children.
 Commoners had to
educate their children.
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Religion
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The Incans worshipped many gods, shrines
and objects, especially the sun.
They believed in an afterworld. So, they
were buried with things they thought
might be useful
Human Sacrifice
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Human sacrifice was
 The Incans believed that
common in religious
the gods had sacrificed
ceremonies. It was
themselves in the
usually done by priests
creation of the sun and
and was an act of
moon, so people had to
communion with the
do the same thing.
gods.
Medicine
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Incans believed
disease was
supernatural. They
treated sickness
with herbs, but
also with urine,
and bleeding the
sick.
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Surgeons could bore
holes in the head or
amputate limbs
when necessary.
Record Keeping
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The Incans did
keep records, but
it was with
knotting strings.
Based on length
of strings, color,
types of knots,
and position of
strings. They did
not WRITE!
Incan Civilization
 Used
QUIPU –
system of knots
on a cord to
record
important
information
 Road System