Transcript Early civilizations in Mesoamerica The Olmec and the Mayan

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS IN MESOAMERICA
Middle America or Mesoamerica
■ Areas of Mexico and Central America where ancient empires
flourished.
Olmec 1500 BC and 400 BC
■ First known civilization in Mesoamerica (Discovered in 1940’s)
■ Main god = Jaguar like
■ Skilled artisans known for carving a series of over 10 ft. tall human heads without
metal tools. Also build pyramids.
■ Influenced the Mayan culture (calendar, numerical system, ceremonial game)
■ Biggest city San Lorenzo and La Venta
■ Declined: unknown
Mayas
■ Developed in the Yucatan Peninsula
■ Built cities in the jungle under hard conditions.
– 2 major Mayan cities are: Chichen Itza and Tikal.
■
Chichen Itza was the most important political and religious center of the Mayan
civilization. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyvw6G9Max0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJorTyIFnSY
■
During the classic period of Mayan culture they were most successful.
■ Built large buildings and pyramids with limited tools.
■ Did not have wheel or metal
■ Main crop was corn
■ Use irrigation system to transport water
■ Use the slash and burn technique for farming.
Mayan Social Structure
■ Nobles – highest social class in Mayan society.
■ Priest – important members in the Mayan society. Many went to special
schools.
■ Artist and merchants - where the artist and traders of the civilization.
■ Free workers (peasants) – were given a piece of land to farm in exchange
they gave back a portion of the crops to the ruler of the city.
■ Slaves – lowest class. The Mayas took slaves and offered some of these
slaves as human scarifies to the gods.
– People became slaves due to:
■ Debt
■ Committed a crime
■ Lost war
The collapse of a culture
■ The Mayan population is estimated to have been about two million.
■ However ,for fewer people lived in the region by AD 900.
■ Decline Theories:
– Mayas destroyed each other through war.
– An environmental crisis due to the abuse of the slash and burn techniques left
them without any good land to farming.
Toltec AD 900 AD 1200
■ Invaders from the north.
■ Warlike people
■ Tula was their capital
■ Made statues known as Atlantes
■ Decline: the Aztecs conquered them and destroyed the city of Tula.
■ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBH8DwBtl3M
Aztecs AD 1150 – AD 1521
■ Conquered the Toltec and destroyed Tula
■ Settled and built a city in lake Texcoco because of a legend that says they need it to
settle where they see an eagle perched on a Nopal cactus and eating a serpent.
■ Their name the Tenochtitlan and it became the Capital of their Empire.
– Technotitlan: built on top of lake Texcoco.
– Had artificial lands where they planted their crop.
– City was connected to land by raised roads.
■ Aztecs tried to keep the order of the Universe by making sacrifices to the sun. they
believe the sun needed to feed of human blood and hearts.
■ Quetzalcoatl = Main Aztec god (feather serpent)
Aztec decline
■ In 1519, the Spaniards arrived in Technotitlan. Hernan Cortez was their leader.
■ Two years later in 1521, the Spaniards destroyed the city of Tenochtitlan and Aztec
Empire.
– They also destroyed many works of art and writings that went against the
Christian religion.
■ Mexico city, which is the capital of Mexico today, was built over the ruins of
Tenochtitlan