Humans migrate into the Americas from Asia

While civilizations were developing in While civilizations were developing in Africa, Asia, and Europe, they were Africa, Asia, and Europe, they were also emerging in the Americas. also emerging in the Americas. Human settlement in the Americas is Human settlement in the Americas is relatively recent compared to that in relatively recent compared to that in other parts of the world. However, it other parts of the world. However, it followed a similar pattern. At first the followed a similar pattern. At first the ancient people of the Americas ancient people of the Americas survived mainly by hunting. Over survived mainly by hunting. Over time, they developed farming methods time, they developed farming methods that ensured a more reliable supply of that ensured a more reliable supply of food. This in turn led to the growth of food. This in turn led to the growth of the first civilizations in the the first civilizations in the AMERICASAMERICAS..

The OLMEC CIVILIZATION• Mesoamerica’s first known

civilization (around 1200 B.C.E.). The Olmec influenced neighboring groups, as well as the later civilizations of the region, they’re often called Mesoamerica’s “mother culture”

• First major city – Teotihuacán “Place of the Gods”

Early people of Mesoamerica

• Most were farmers who farmed along the muddy riverbanks in the area; The City was a busy trade center (tools, weapons, pottery, jewelry); Temples and palaces, all dominated by the pyramid of the sun

• Olmec civilization collapsed (reasons are not fully understood), people believe that outside invaders caused their destruction around 400 B.C.E.

THE MAYAS

• On the Yucatan Peninsula east of Teotihuacan, the highly sophisticated Mayan civilization flourished between 300 to 900 C.E.

• Cities were built around a central pyramid topped with a temple to the gods.

MAYAN CIVILIZATION• Composed of city-states, each ruled

by a hereditary ruling class• Ruling chief for each city, believed

they were descended from the Gods• Captured nobles and war leaders

were used for human sacrifice.• Other war captives were enslaved.• Like other ancient peoples in Central

America, one way the Maya appeased the gods was through human sacrifice.

• Human sacrifice was also performed on certain ceremonial occasions.

MAYAN SOCIETYMAYAN SOCIETY• Rulers claimed to be descended from Rulers claimed to be descended from

the gods.the gods.• Society included nobles, military Society included nobles, military

leaders, public officials, scribes, leaders, public officials, scribes, townspeople, artisans and merchantstownspeople, artisans and merchants

• Most were farmersMost were farmers• Labor divided along traditional Labor divided along traditional

gender lines.gender lines.

A detail from a sacred Maya mural at San Bartolo — the earliest known Maya painting, depicting the birth of the cosmos and the divine right of a king

TIKAL

• Urban centers such as Tikal may have had a 100,000 inhabitants.

DEADLY GAME (Pok-a-Tok-Read p. 354)

• Nearby were temples, palaces, and a sacred ball court

• The game had religious meaning because the court symbolized the world, and the ball represented the sun and the moon.

• The defeated team or winning captain was sacrificed.

MAYAN BALL COURT

Cenote

Chichén Itzá• The Toltec's built great palaces and

pyramids, controlling the upper Yucatan Peninsula from Chichén Itzá

• declined around 1200 C.E.

Mayan ContributionsHighly skilled Mayan mathematicians and

astronomers calculated the solar year at 365.2420 days

• 365 day calendar • understood concept of #0 before the

Europeans• giant stone heads• Astronomy• Pyramids• hieroglyphics: wrote on bark/ folded

in accordion w/plaster cover

ITZAMNA• Itzamna was the supreme god of the

Mayans, and some gods, like the jaguar god of the night were evil.

• belief: all life is in the hands of divine powers was crucial to Mayan civilization.

HIEROGLYPHSHIEROGLYPHS• The Mayans created a writing system The Mayans created a writing system

using hieroglyphs, or pictures.using hieroglyphs, or pictures.• Unfortunately, the Spaniards Unfortunately, the Spaniards

assumed the writings were evil assumed the writings were evil because they were not Christian, and because they were not Christian, and they destroyed many Mayan books, a they destroyed many Mayan books, a pattern the Spanish would repeat pattern the Spanish would repeat throughout their conquest in the throughout their conquest in the Americas.Americas.

MAYAN STELLE

THE TOLTECSTHE TOLTECS

• Began in 900 C.E. • Center of empire – Tula (Present day

Mexico City)• Were a fierce and warlike people who

conquered the Mayan lands including Guatemala and Yucatan

TOLTEC STAR PRINCESS

Toltec Religion• Polytheistic• Quetzalcóatl – god of Fertility and

Wind• Xochipilli – god of love, music and

song

THE AZTECS

THE AZTECS• Sometime during the 12th century

CE, the Aztec began a long migration to the Valley of Mexico.

• Capital – Tenochtitlan on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco, where Mexico City is today.

Tenochtitlan

Aztec Legend• According to legend, the Aztec

believed that a sign would come from the god of war and of the sun, Huitzilopochtli, telling them where to settle.

GOD OF SUNGOD OF WAR

LAKE TEXCOCO• In 1325 they were driven into the

swamps and islands of Lake Texcoco, where they saw an eagle standing on a cactus growing out of a rock with a serpent in his beak, the sign that had been foretold.

TENOCHTITLAN• They built a magnificent city of

temples, other public buildings, and roadways linking the islands and mainland.

TENOCHTITLAN AT TIME OF CONQUEST

Aztec Government

• government: single ruler and nobles served as officials, judges, and governors

• The Aztec Kingdom was a collection of semi-independent territories governed by lords.

• The Aztec ruler supported the lords in return for tribute—goods or money paid by conquered people to their conqueror.

AZTEC WAR LORDS PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE KING

VALLEY OF MEXICO• By 1500 up to 4 million Aztecs lived

in the Valley of Mexico• Power was in the hands of the god-

king, who claimed descent from the gods.

ANCIENT AZTEC RUINS—VALLEY OF MEXICO

AZTEC SOCIETY• The Aztec population consisted of

commoners, indentured servants, and slaves, who were war captives and worked in the houses of the wealthy. diet of dried corn;

• Children were taught courtesy, respect for their elders, truthfulness, and self-control.

• Language: Nahuatl

GENDER DIVISION• Women were not equal to men, but

could inherit property and enter into contracts, something not often allowed in other world cultures of the time.

• They were also allowed to be priestesses.

Aztec Religion

• Quetzalcóatl was the feathered serpent god.

• According to Aztec tradition, he left his homeland and vowed to return in triumph.

• This became part of a legend about a prince whose return from exile would be preceded by a sign of an arrow through a sapling.

SPANISH CONQUISTADORS• When the Aztec saw the Spanish with

a cross n their breastplates, they mistook the Spanish for Quetzalcoatl's representatives because the cross looked like the sign they had been waiting for.

AZTEC RELIGIONAztec religion was based on the belief in an unending

struggle between the forces of good and evil, which led to the creation and destruction of a series of worlds.

• Polytheistic:• Huitzilopochtli – God of the Sun and War

who demanded human sacrifice (most important)

• Tlaloc – God of rain, demanded sacrifice of infants

• Xochiquetzal – god of Family• Chicomecoatl- goddess of Fertility• Xipe – God of spring• Tezcatlipoca (father-creator of all, spirit) and

Coatlicue (mother earth) son, Huitzilopochtli (god of sun), sister Coyolxauqui (goddess of moon)

HUMAN SACRIFICE• Aztec religion practiced human

sacrifice to postpone the day of destruction of their world, the 5th world.

• A massive pyramid at the center of the capital was topped with shrines to the gods and an altar for human sacrifice.

In 1519, a Spanish force under the command of Hernán Cortéz marched to Tenochtitlán and conquered them two years later.

THE INCAS• Around 1400 C.E. • Equador to Chile• Cuzco, capital of the Incan empire in

Peru

Government• God-king had complete control of

everybody and everything• Emperor who was considered the

son of the sun was also the religious leader

• Gvt built an amazing system of roads to unify the empire (ordinary people forbidden on roads) -- Better than that of the Romans; Had bridges and tunnels through hills; 12,000 miles of roads

Society/Religion• Lives were strictly controlled by govt• Language: Quechua (All people had

to speak the Incan)• Govt officials decided who had what

job and even arranged marriages• Polytheistic – linked to the forces of

nature• Festivals – dance to the young maize

to the festival of the water• Farmers – gov’t stored grain for hard

times

Contributions• The Incas constructed Hundreds of

miles of roads• Ruins in Machu Picchu 7,000 feet

above sea level (discovered in 1911); finest example of Incan architecture

• Mesoamerica: name given to the areas of MX and Central America that were civilized before the Spaniards arrived

• Francisco Pizarro conquers the Incas in 1531 and establishes new capital in Lima