Transcript The Americas Section 2

Section 2
The Americas
Mesoamerica
Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• The First Civilizations
• The Maya
• Map: Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
• The Aztecs
Section 2
The Americas
Mesoamerica
Main Idea
Civilizations in Mesoamerica were some of the earliest and most
advanced in the Americas.
Reading Focus
• What were the first civilizations in Mesoamerica like?
• What were some characteristics of Maya civilization?
• What made the Aztec empire one of the strongest in the
ancient Americas?
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The Americas
The First Civilizations
Mesoamerica, southern Mexico and northern Central America, was
ideal for farming. Cities and complex social structures arose there too.
Olmec
• Lived in hot, humid lowlands
Society
• 1200 BC to AD 300
• Olmec rulers, families lived in
towns
• Built first large towns in
Mesoamerica
• Lower social classes lived
outside the towns
• Earliest Olmec town
• Elite led ceremonies,
controlled trade network
– Pyramid, courtyard
– Eight giant stone heads
– Thronelike monuments
• Towns served as ceremonial,
political and religious centers
• Trade
– From Gulf to Pacific coast
– Rubber, pottery, furs
– Also beliefs, art, games
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The First Civilizations
Zapotec
Monte Albán
• Southern Mexico 1500 BC to
AD 750
• Huge main plaza with pyramids,
temples, palaces
• May have had contact with
Olmec
• Olmec influence in decorations
• Began as farmers, built capital
city around 500 BC
• Monte Albán, first true city in
Mesoamerica
• Located high above Valley of
Oaxaca
• Large ball court, observatory
• Population of 25,000 at height
• City declined when leaders lost
support of their people
• Still used for high-status burials
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The First Civilizations
Toltec
• Highlands of central Mexico, AD 900 to 1200
• Capital located at Tula, near obsidian mines
– Major trade center
– Pyramids, temples
• Militaristic society
– Fierce warriors established dominance over large region
– Climate change, social conflict led to decline
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Compare
What did the Olmec, Zapotec, and Toltec
cultures have in common?
Answer(s): They all built cities, pyramids, and
temples; the Zapotec and Toltec cultures adopted
some elements of Olmec culture.
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The Maya
Large civilization
• Olmec, Zapotec, Toltec small in
comparison
• Developed around 1000 BC
• More than 40 cities of 5,000 to
100,000 each at height
Rain forest challenges
• Slash-and burn agriculture
• Clearing forest land for crops
• Flat terraces built in hillsides to
control erosion
Early Maya Civilization
• First lived in small villages
• Grew corn, beans, squash
• Good rainfall, rich soils
Trade developed
• Farming did not provide all
needs
• Villages traded for cotton, jade
• Trade of cacao, salt, obsidian
helped villages grow to cities
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The Maya
Cities and Government
• Most cities built between AD 250 and 900, the Classic Age
• Cities Tikal and Copan among the most spectacular in Mesoamerica
• Brightly painted pyramids, temples and palaces found there
City-States
• Each had own ruler and government
• No ruler ever united the cities into single empire
• Cities linked even without central government
Cities linked
• Highlands traded jade, obsidian for cotton, rubber, cacao from
lowlands
• Cities also linked by warfare with each other
• Through battles kings tried to gain land, power
The Americas
Section 2
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The Maya
The Maya worshipped many gods and believed they influenced daily
life; they also believed their kings communicated with the gods. To
keep the gods happy, the Maya performed private and public rituals.
Religious Offerings
• Offering blood by
piercing tongue,
skin
• Human sacrifice
only occasionally
• Ritual ball game,
losing team having
hearts sacrificed to
gods
Upper Class
Society
• Priests, who led
religious
ceremonies
• Professional
warriors, who got
war victims for
human sacrifice
Other Classes
• Merchants,
craftspeople middle
class
• Lower class
– Farmers
– Slaves
– Provided food,
labor for other
classes
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The Maya
Achievements
• Impressive buildings and architecture, including canals
• Advances in astronomy, math, writing
• Observed movements of sun, moon, planets
Calendar system
• Created based on astronomical observations
• 365-day farming, 260-day religious calendars
• More accurate than that used in Europe at same time
Number and writing systems
• Number system included new concepts, including “zero”
• Complex writing system of glyphs, or symbols, representing objects, sounds
• Carved writing in stone, also in bark-paper book called a codex
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The Maya
Decline of Mayan civilization, AD 900
• Caused by number of factors
– Environmental damage, drought
– Warfare increased over competition for land, destroyed
more crops
– Abuse of power by strong kings
• Civilization declined but did not disappear
– Maya moved from forest to coastal cities
– Remained for several hundred years
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Summarize
What were the main characteristics of Maya
civilization?
Answer(s): great cities; trade networks;
achievements in astronomy, math, writing;
accurate calendar
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The Aztecs
About the time that Mayan cities in Yucatán reached their height, the
Aztecs began to rise to power in the north. The early Aztecs were a
small group of unlucky farmers from northwestern Mexico, who in time
created the most powerful empire in Mesoamerica.
Rise of the Empire
• Began as separate farming tribes
• Probably subject of the Toltecs
• Legend: settle where they saw an
eagle on a cactus eating a snake
• Migrated south to Valley of Mexico,
1100s
• Good farmland already taken
Lake Texcoco
• A swampy island in valley
• Site where legend says Aztecs saw
eagle and snake
• Founded city of Tenochtitlán
• From here, continued rise to power
In addition to being farmers, the Aztecs were also fierce warriors. They
began fighting to control other towns around Lake Texcoco.
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The Aztecs
Conquering Warriors
Wealth and Strength
• Aztecs gained strength in 1420s
with alliance with Texcoco and
Tlacopan
• Tribute paid in many forms,
feathers, food, pottery, blankets
• Alliance gained control over
huge region beyond Lake
Texcoco
• Aztecs ruled 400 to 500 other
city states, 5 million people
• Required conquered people to
pay tribute
• Tribute was basis of economy
• Gained wealth and strength
through trade as well
• System of roads aided trade of
goods like jade, cacao
• Merchants also acted as spies
for Aztec emperor
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The Aztecs
Tenochtitlán
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Capital city of Aztec empire
Covered 5 square miles
Population of about 200,000
One of largest cities in world at time
Site of present day Mexico City
Enchanted Vision
Floating Gardens
• Walled compound at city center
• Swampy island in middle of lake
• Pyramid with two temples on top
• Not much land for farming
• Other temples, government
buildings, palaces, a ball court
• Aztecs built floating gardens at
city’s edge
• Political and religious heart of the
empire
• Tenochtitlán connected by canals
and causeways to biggest market
• First Europeans, “enchanted vision”
• Vendors paid tax to support army
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The Aztecs
Just as the economy of the Aztec Empire was highly organized, so
was its society, with the king at the top, followed by priests.
Society and Religion
•
King was part of royal family,
but had to be elected
•
Lived in palace at Tenochtitlán
•
Certain nobles served as
government officials
•
Just below king were priests
– Interpreted calendars
– Performed religious
ceremonies
Religious Ceremonies
• Believed gods needed blood
• Sacrificed as many as 20,000
victims a year
• European perspective, “walls
splashed and caked with
blood…stank abominably”
• Slaves. prisoners used for
sacrifices
• Certain warriors who captured
victims also upper class
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The Aztecs
Other classes
• Merchants, artisans wealthy,
respected
• Merchants rich from trading
• Artisans important, made goods
required for tribute
Chance for improvement
• Farmers could become warriors
or study at special schools
• All attended school until 15
• Continuing in special schools
led to work in government
Lower class
• Most were farmers, very poor
• Did not own their own land
• Paid so much in tribute, it was
difficult to survive
Slaves
• Suffered most in Aztec society
• Most had been captured in
battle, or could not pay debts
• Some worked as farmers,
laborers; some sacrificed
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The Aztecs
Achievements
Sciences
• Aztecs known for achievements
in art and science
• Kept written records, though not
as advanced as Mayan
• Artisans made bright feathers
into headdresses, shields,
costumes
• Composed poetry, riddles,
historical accounts
• Metalworkers fashioned gold,
silver, copper into jewelry,
masks
• Stoneworkers decorated
temples with elaborate statues
• Used astronomy to create
religious and solar calendars
much like the Maya
• Aztec Empire lasted less than
200 years, brought to end by
European contact, 1500s
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Identify Supporting Details
What aspects of the Aztec Empire made it
the strongest in Mesoamerica?
Answer(s): good farmers, fierce warriors, founded
capital of Tenochtitlán, well-organized economy
and society, created calendar