Transcript Great Civilizations in the Americas

Great Civilizations in
the Americas
The Olmec, Aztec, Maya, and Inca
Map of the Empires
THE OLMEC
 The Olmec Empire
was located in
Mexico, Guatemala,
and Honduras.
Olmec Sculptures
 The Olmec are
famous for their huge
stone carvings.
Olmec Cities
 The Olmecs had large
cities built of stone.
 Agriculture was
important. They had
to grow enough food
for all the people
living in cities.
The Maya
 Location:
 The Yucatan Peninsula
(Mexico, Guatemala,
Honduras, Belize)
Mayan Pyramids
 Mayan pyramids were
made of stone and
built to last.
 They are proof of
how important
religion was to the
Mayan civilization.
Other Mayan Feats
 Agriculture
 Astronomy (365 day
calendar)
 Roads
 Hieroglyphics
The Aztec
 The Aztec was an
empire located in
what is now Mexico.
 The capital of the
Aztec empire was
Tenochtitlan, built on
an island in a lake for
good defense.
Aztec Pyramids
 The Aztec built huge
pyramids for their
religious ceremonies.
War !!!
 The Aztec was a
warlike society.
 They conquered their
neighbors and
captured prisoners of
war.
 They held human
sacrifices to appease
the gods.
Aztec Art
Many examples
of Aztec art
have been
found, including
clay masks and
figures as well
as stone
carvings.
The Inca
 The Inca had the
biggest empire of the
pre-Columbian
civilizations.
 It stretched for three
thousand miles in the
Andes Mountains of
South America.
Incan Engineering
 The Inca built cities
and roads high in the
Andes Mountains.
Incan Agriculture
 How can you grow
food in the
mountains?
 The Inca solved the
problem by carving
terraces into the
mountains.
Characteristics of Civilizations
RELIGION
GOVERNMENT
& LAWS
MONUMENTS
& BUILDINGS
SOME
CHARACTERISTICS
OF CIVILIZATIONS
TRANSPORTATION
AGRICULTURE
Map of the Empires