Transcript Unit II – 600 CE – 1450 CE “New Patterns of Civilization” - Lyons-AP

Unit II – 600 CE – 1450
CE “New Patterns of
Civilization”
Periodization & Native America
Periodization
 Begins after the collapse of the great classical civilizations –




China and Europe went through period of decentralization –
China will recover, Rome will turn into regional kingdoms.
New centers arise in Mesoamerica & Africa.
Islam will become dominant player. Religions will become
unifiers of new nations as well as transcend political
boundaries.
More integrated than ever – thanks to movement of Turks
and Mongols – increase in long-distance trade and continued
spread of religions; Movement of peoples will cause new
epidemic diseases.
Although patriarchal, women gain new prominence through
new monastic life of Buddhism & Christianity.
As period ends, world shifts as Europeans look outwards to
explore world using “Southern” technologies and ideas
(compass and gunpowder).
Pre-Columbian America
 No conclusive evidence of human
occupation before 13,000 BCE.
By 9000 BCE hunting bands had
reached southern tip of South
America.
 Over hunting of mega fauna.
 Farming of three principal crops
“three sisters” of corn, beans and
squash – slowly introduced to
North by 1000 BC to adapt to
colder environment
North America
 Anasazi of Chaco Canyon
(900-1150), New Mexico.
 Well-planned towns
(pueblos), villages of less
than 1000
 “Ritual” road – completely
straight, no
accommodations for terrain
 Lived in “kivas” – round
buildings for social
meetings – during festivals
people would make
pilgrimages.
 Collapse due to 50 year
drought, harsh and semiarid environment
North America
 Mississippian Period (800-1500).
 5x increase in population, development of true urban
centers w/sophisticated forms of government.
 Social stratification, military conflict spread rapidly as
competed for prestige.
 Cahokia – largest city in pre-Columbian North America –
30,000 (same as contemporary London); Monk’s mound
– huge earthern temple (larger than Great Pyramid); one
king’s burial – several beheaded male sacrificed, 50
women strangled
 Decline – warfare led to political fragmentation
Mesoamerica – General Features
 Political – centered around city-states and temple
centers. Urban life highly developed (Teotihuacan had
250,000 people – one of largest cities in premodern
times).
 Economics – agriculture highly
organized (swamp lands and
chinampas) w/o use of draft
animals; extensive trade w/large
market plaza (some
international)
 Religious – large portion of
resources went to construction of
temples; polytheistic – nature
gods, war gods, city gods
Mesoamerican – General Features
 Social – highly stratified w/bureaucracy highly
trained in religion; patriarchal
 Intellectual/Technological – although some metal
were used for ornamentation – mostly stone; dual
calendars for use in agriculture.
 Art/Literature – hieroglyphic writing for religious
purpose; codices burned by Spanish conquerors so
little known
Olmecs (1500-400 BCE)
 First civilization – organized in order to
build complex irrigation projects in
swampy delta.
 Competition between city-states (large
scale portraits of rulers to show strength;
massive temples and tombs glorifying
“divine” ruler)
 Oldest known writing system, ball court
and calendar system used by rest of
Mesoamericans.
 Decline – either by outside invaders or
civil war.
Teotihuacan (100-650 CE), near
Mexico City
 Imperial Conquest – strong military, aggressive




merchant class, by 200 had established
hegemony over most of highland Mexico
At height – city was 8 sq. miles, grid system,
dominated by massive pyramid to sun (80,000
sacrificed at dedication); Imperial Palace w/royal
apartments, temple to Quetzalcoatl, defensive
walls
Section of city for foreign merchants (international
trade) – trade of cacao, rubber, feathers, obsidian
and vegetables
Foundation for predatory militarism of Toltecs
(900-1250) and Aztecs (1325-1519)
Destroyed by warfare , economic and cultural
collapse and foreign nomadic invaders (similar to
Romans)
Maya (200-850) - Political
 Comparable to classical Greece
w/independent, competing city-states
 Political competition will lead to patronage of
art and architecture
Tikal
Palenque (dynasty
of Pacal who traced
heritage from
mother’s side so
needed to prove his
right to rule through
massive architecture
and glyphs) – pop of
100,000
Maya (200-850) - Political
 Each city-state had a leader of government
(hereditary).
 Council – high priests (Ah Kin) and
administrators.
 Collapse – elite overthrown by
starving/overworked peasants – revolution?,
outside invasion by wandering barbarians
(comparable to Roman collapse)
 Population decline from 12 million in 750 to 1.8
million by 900.
Maya (200-850) - Economic
 Extremely intensive agriculture (due to
population pressure move from solely slashand-burn to new swamp irrigation –
chinampas)
 Maximal exploitation of natural resources
(analysis of tree rings indicates major
drought around 850)
 Intense competition for resources led to
frequent warfare
Cacao Beans
 Cacao beans constituted
both a ritual beverage and a
major currency system in
pre-Columbian
Mesoamerican civilizations.
 The buying power of quality
beans was such that 80-100
beans could buy a new cloth
mantle.
 In some areas, such as the
Yucatan, cacao beans were
still used in place of small
coins as late as the 1840s.
Maya (200-850) - Religious
 Gods ranked hierarchally.
 Could be evil like Jaguar
God.
 Believed that to avoid the
end of the world had to
appease gods with blood
sacrifice (for some an
honor, others – sacrificing
captives honors their
strength)
 Ball courts – gave was
symbol of the portals to
the after world – sacrifice
dead (sometimes women
teams)
Maya (200-850) - Social
 Forced labor for agriculture and temple
projects.
 Social tensions
 3 million (majority) were farmers
 Aristocrats – wealth based on land
ownership – could become priests, scribes,
or artists (honored profession)
 Eventually small middle class of tradesmen
Maya (200-850) - Intellectual
 Sophisticated
mathematics, concept
of zero and place
notation
 Records of astronomy
and movement of
heavenly bodies
(arrival of Venus was
traditional time for war)
Side Note – Mayan Calendar end on
Dec. 21st, 2012 (winter solstice – also
birthday of such people as Osiris,
Dionysus, Mithras, and Christ
[before the Julian calendar])
Maya (200-850) – Art/Literature
 Art was religious or royal
theme – sculpture, basrelief, mural painting,
ceramic decoration, and
jade jewelry
 Literate society – works
of poetry, literature,
history and religious
thought but very little
survives.
Toltecs (900-1250)
 One of the most important
of the nomadic barbarians
that sacked Teotihaucan.
(pillars of the warriors)
 Extensive trade – with
colonies throughout
Mesoamerica; sea trade
through Gulf of Mexico;
land trade as far north as
Anasazi.
 Metallurgy introduced from
South America (ca. 800)
 Collapse – drought,
nomadic barbarians,
rebellions.
Aztecs (1325-1521) - Political
 Began as Chichimec barbarians – hired as
mercenaries; would raid weaker civilizations
 1193 began to settle around Lake Texcoco – later
forced to move onto an island.
 Aztecs were one minor city-state surrounded by more
powerful neighbors.
 By late 1300s
began forming
alliances.
 During reigns of
Itzcoatl (14261440) and
Moctezuma I
(1440-1468)
began policy of
military conquest
Aztecs (1325-1521) - Political




Military Tyranny
1. Demands of tribute from subdued neighbors (who
had considerable political autonomy)
2. Control over regional trade through warriormerchants
3. Wars to capture enemies and sacrifice to gods
4. Overall policy of terror in governing conquered
peoples (similar to Assyrian)
Ruler claimed descent from gods – but not primogenitor –
chosen among royal family. Prime Minister held great
power as support to ruler. Power of calpulli diminished.
Moctezuma II (1503-1520) – height of Aztec power, capital
of Tenochtitlan had pop. of 200,000.
Within two decades band of 500 Spanish adventurers led
by Cortes in alliance with oppressed Aztec vassals defeat.
Aztecs (1325-1521) - Economic
 Chinampas – floating
gardens
 Much of agricultural
produce of peasants
was donated to gods in
the form of taxes
 Trade fairs coincided
with religious festivals –
½ population lived in
urban settings and
involved in trade
Aztecs (1325-1521) - Religious
 Polytheistic – over 100 –
relatively fatalistic (fight
between good/evil), world
would end – to postpone
day would make blood
sacrifice to sun god,
Huitzilopochtli (priest
would be covered in
blood or he would wear
flayed skin of victim;
sometimes flesh eaten).
 Quetzalcoatl represented
forces of creation, virtue
and learning (similar to
Shiva)
 Humans could achieve
heavenly salvation but had
to go through a transitional
stage (“purgatory”)
 Warfare was often regarded
as a sacred ritual – fallen
victims regarded as human
sacrifice.
Aztecs (1325-1521) - Social
 Very rigid social structure
 Nobility controlled bureaucracy (especially tax collection),




most could trace lineage to founders (women sometimes
married below them – their children would be the higher
status)
Males would go to temple schools
Females worked in home (especially textiles) – could be
priestesses; could own property, monogamous, arranged
marriages
Majority were landless indentured workers and slaves
(not inherited – could sell yourself to cover debt)
Commoners part of larger kinship groups called calpulli
led by chief (provided tax and conscript labor to king) –
common lands to farm and lived in separate
neighborhoods where controlled all of the crafts
Aztecs (1325-1521) - Intellectual
 Calendar - Aztec year consisted of eighteen
months, each having 20 days = 360 days to
which five dots were added inside the circle.
These dots, known as Nemontemi, were
sacrificial days.
 Writing
 Chinampas
 Knowledge of herbal remedies
Aztecs (1325-1521) – Art/Literature
 Hieroglyphic – no
phonetic significance
but could be used for
religious ideas
 Art – temples, carvings,
and jewelry
South America
 Series of coastal sites
– along quick running
rivers (little fertile land)
 Most abandoned due to
geographic overuse of
only marginally good
land
 Began mountain
terracing to supplement
farming.
 Nazca (400 BC- 450
CE); Moche (1-600
CE); Chimor (9001476).
Nazca (400 BC – 450 CE)
 Evidence of military
struggle (taking heads
of slain enemies as
trophies)
 Famous for
monumental desert
designs only visible
from sky (straight lines
for 7 miles) – shape of
spider, humans, birds
Moche (1-600 CE)
 Pyramid of Sun (but
made of adobe, so not
well preserved)
 Militaristic, 450 miles
 Depicted chewing
coca-leaves
(cocaine)
 Frequent human
sacrifice
 Abandoned due
to shifting sand
dunes.
Incan Geography
Inca (1438-1531) - Political
 Quechua-speaking clans around Cuzco won
control of territory formerly under Huari.
 Topac Yupanqui (1471-1493), conquered
Chimor and extended Inca rule into Ecuador
and Chile.
 Huayna Capac (1493-1527) consolidated the
conquests; by his death, the Inca Empire
stretched from Colombia to Chile, and
eastward to Bolivia and Argentina.
 From 9 to 13 million people were under Inca
rule.
Inca (1438-1531) - Political
 The empire was divided into four
provinces, each under a governor.
Capital at Cuzco
 The Incas had a bureaucracy in
which most of the nobility served.
Local rulers continued in office in
return for loyalty. They were exempt
from tribute and received labor or
produce from their subjects.
 The Quechua language, Incan Trail,
the use of colonists, and the forced
transfer of peoples (like Assyrians)
were important techniques for
integrating the empire and avoiding
rebellion.
Inca (1438-1531) - Economics
 All local resources
were taken and
redistributed: there
were lands for the
people, the state, and
religion.
 Labor on state and
religious land was
demanded rather than
tribute in kind.
 Less trade than Aztecs
Inca (1438-1531) - Religion
 The Inca worshipped the
dead, founding culture
heroes, and their king
whom they regarded as
divine.
 The worship of nature
and its cycles suggest
that for them time and
space were sacred, and
consequently the
calendar was religious
and each month had its
own festival.
 Human and animal
sacrifices were held only
on special occasions
such as the
enthronement of the the
king, when 200 children
would be killed, or in
times of crises such as
famine, or epidemics.
Inca (1438-1531) - Social
 Women had to weave cloth for the court and
religious use. Some women were taken as
concubines for the Inca or as temple servants.
Women worked in the household, wove cloth, and
aided in agriculture. Women could pass down
property.
 Most men were peasants and herders.
 Universal male conscription in army (200,000
strong)
 Inca nobility had many privileges and were
distinguished by dress and custom.
 There was no distinct merchant class because of
the emphasis on self-sufficiency and state
management of the economy.
Inca (1438-1531) –
Intellectual/Technological
 Terrace Farming
 Military Outposts w/fine masonry
 Roads and suspension bridges.
 Lacked wheel
Inca (1438-1531) – Art/Language
 Beautiful pottery and
cloth. Their metallurgy
was among the most
advanced in the
Americas.
 Lacked writing
system, instead using
knotted strings
(quipu) for
accounting.
Comparison - Politically
 Motivations for expansion
– Maya: slaves
– Aztec: territory, sacrifices
– Inca: religious
 Centralization
– Aztec and Maya: city-state autonomy
– Inca: most centralized
• Bureaucracy
• Unified language (Quechua)
• Roads
Comparison - Socially
All
– Peasant majority
– Slavery of conquered peoples
– Women subordinate except
• Inherit land
• Commerce
Maya: Merchant class
Aztec: Warrior elite
Inca: Religious elite, god-king (el Inca)
Compare Aztecs to Romans
1. roads
2. autonomy but tribute
3. adapted ideas from conquered
peoples
4. polytheistic
vs
Practice Question
Which of the following statements accurately compare the
Incan and Roman Empires?
a.
Both emperors claimed to be descendents of the sun
god.
b.
Both empires built effective road systems which aided
communication and trade throughout their empires.
c.
The Incan empire had a tradition of representative
government, while the Romans empire claimed divine
right.
d.
Both empires declined due to nomadic invasions and a
significant decrease in trade.
e.
The Roman Empire incorporated diverse people, while
the Incan Empire was homogeneous.
Practice Question
Which of the following was NOT exchanged
from the Americas to Europe?
a. Tobacco
b. Tomatoes
c. Cattle
d. Potatoes
e. Corn
Practice Question
Most Mesoamerican rulers tended to be both
a. Benign and powerless
b. Warlike and irreligious
c. Scholarly and artistic
d. Despotic and severe
e. Liberal and generous
Practice Question
The strongest basis of the Mayan economy
was
a. Crafts and manufacturing
b. Agriculture, which produced maize,
beans and cocoa
c. Trade with the pueblos to the north
d. Fishing and hunting
e. The silver trade