Transcript Chapter 5 - School City of Hobart

Chapter 5
Mayans, Aztecs, and the Incas
Section 1- The Maya
Mesoamerica
 Stretches from the central part of
Mexico south to include part of
northern Central America
 Basically- Mexico and Central America
Geography and Early Maya
 Thick tropical forests
 Cleared to farm
 Main crop was Maize- Corn
 Forest provided resources
 Food
 Deer, rabbits, and monkey
 Building Materials
 Trees and other plants
 Lived in small villages
The Classic Age
 Height of civilization 250-900 AD
 40 Large cities
 No single ruler
 Linked through trade
 Trade routes
 Built temples and pyramids
 In Palenque, Pacal built a temple to
record his achievements
The Classic Age CONT…
 Built Canals
 Used to get water into places where
none existed
 Terraces
 Turning a hillside into stair steps for
farming
Maya Culture
 Social Structure
 Religion
Social Structure
 King
 Highest position
 Upper Class
 Priests, rich merchants, and noble
warriors
 Lower Class
 Everyday people
 Did the farming, cooking, cleaning,
hunting
Religion
 Worshiped Many Gods
 Sun god
 Moon god
 Blood prevented disasters
 Sacrifices
 Offering of blood- Piercing
Achievements
 Observatories
 Calendars
 365
 260
 Writing system
 Created amazing works of art
Decline of Maya
 Many possible reasons
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Lower class rebels
More warfare
Not enough food
Drought
 Or even a mix of several of these
reasons
Section 2- The Aztecs
Building of an Empire
 Farmers who migrated from the north
 War was a key factor to rise in Aztec
power
 Received goods from conquered people
 Gold, cotton, food
 Huge trade networks
Tenochtitlan
Causeways
Canals and Chinampas
Life in the Aztec Empire
 Society
 Religion and Warfare
 Cultural Achievements
Society
 Aztec Emperor- Highest power
 Attended to law, trade, tribute, and warfare
 Upper class
 Tax collectors, judges and government officials
 You were born into this class
 Upper Middle class- highly respected
 Warriors and priests
 Middle Class
 Merchants and Artisans
 Lower class
 Farmers and laborers
Religion
 Worshiped many gods
 Believed to control nature and human
activities
 Human Sacrifices
 Done to please the gods
 Most victims captives or slaves
 10,000 a year
 An average of 27.39 people a day!!!!!
Cultural Achievements
 Art and Beauty
 Fine stone pyramids and statues
 Used gold, gems, and bright feathers to
make jewelry and masks
 Embroidered clothing
 Knowledge
 Astronomy
 Historical records
 Riddles
Cortes Conquers the Aztecs
 Late 1400s the conquistadors arrive in the Americas
 Montezuma II cautiously welcomes them
 Gives gold and other gifts
 Cortez takes him prisoner anyways
 Montezuma II killed
 Conquistadors driven out
 Conquistadors return
 Gathered help
 Brought better army and weapons
 Cannons, armor, swords
 Aztecs fall to smallpox
Section 3- The Incas
The Incas Create an Empire
 Same time as Aztecs
 South America
 Begin in small tribe in Andes
Mountains
 Cuzco became their capital
Central Rule
 Did not want conquered people to
have to much power
 New leaders
 Trained children
 Official Language
 Quechua
 All official business had to be done in this
language
Well Organized Economy
 Strictly controlled
 Each household told what to do
 Everything went to the empire
 Rations were divided by the government
Life in the Inca Empire
 Social Division
 Religion
 Achievements
Social Divisions
 Two main classes
 Upper Class
 Emperor, government officials, and priests
 Lived in the best houses
 Wore the best clothes
 Lower Class
 Farmers, artisans, and servants
 Plain clothes
 By law could not own more than needed
Religion
 Rulers related to the sun god
 Believed they never really died
 Sacrificed animals (lamas)
Achievements
 Master builders
 Cut stone so well they needed no mortar
 Major network of roads
 Art
 Pots
 Gold and silver jewelry
Pizarro Conquers the Incas
 Atahualpa went to meet the
conquistadors
 They attacked
 Atahualpa gave them a room of gold
 They killed him anyway
 Spain took over and ruled for the
next 300 years