Civilizations of Mesoamerica

1. Civilizations of Mesoamerica

2. The Olmec • Earliest American civilization – Olmecs • Located in the tropical forests along the Gulf Coast of Mexico • Lasted from 1500 B.C. to 400 B.C.

3. The Olmec • Little information about where they came from. • Remains of temples and art suggest that they had a powerful class of priests and nobles at the top of their society. • Elite class ran government • Military • Religion • Politics • Art mostly carved from stone. • 50 stone heads made of basalt, weighing 40 tons each – required advanced technology to move the stones over 50 miles • Had a calendar. • Had a system of writing.

4. The Olmec • Worshipped a god that was part jaguar, part human. • Considered the “mother culture” of Mesoamerica because other cultures adopted their advances. • Unclear how the civilization ended – simply disappeared.

5. The Maya • Heavily influenced by the Olmec. • Located on the Yucatan Peninsula and through much of Central America. • Lasted from about 300 B.C. to 1200 A.D.

6. The Maya • Society • Each Maya city had its own ruler – usually male. • Nobles served as military leaders, tax collectors, law enforcers, etc. • Merchants formed the middle class. • Majority of Mayans were farmers. • Grew maize, beans, squash, fruit trees, cotton, and tropical flowers. • Some cities had slaves.

7. The Maya • Culture • Large temples and palaces made of stone • Had elaborate sculptures on many of their buildings. • Developed a hieroglyphic writing system. • Famous for the 365-day calendar based on the movement of the sun.

8. The Maya • Religion • Center of society • Very complex – worshipped many gods • Closely tied to agriculture – one of the most important gods was the god of rain • Offered sacrifices to the gods in hopes of a good harvest.

9. The Maya • Decline of Mayan Civilization • Around 900 A.D., the Mayans abandoned many of their cities. • By the time the Spanish arrived in 1500 A.D., the remaining Mayans usually lived in farming villages. • Reasons for the decline of the empire are unknown, but it is suspected that constant wars, or overpopulation could have caused the civilization to decline.

10. The Aztec • Around 1200 A.D. bands of nomadic people migrated to the Valley of Mexico – in the high plateau of central Mexico.

11. The Aztec • In 1325 A.D., the Aztec founded their capital city at Tenochtitlan. • To create more farmland the Aztecs built chinampas – artificial islands. • Used these “floating gardens” to grow beans, squash, and maize. • Filled in part of lakes and created canals that linked them to the mainland. • Agriculture was the center of the economy. • People would sell their crops at markets, or trade with others.

12. The Aztec • Government & Society • One emperor – elected by a council of nobles, priests, and military leaders. • Nobles served as judges and governors of conquered provinces. • Warriors – could rise to the noble class by doing well in battle. • Middle class – long distances traders • Commoners – farmed the land. • Serfs & slaves – prisoners of war & debtors – still had rights.

13. The Aztec • Religion & Mythology • Polytheistic • Believed that each god had power over different natural elements, or parts of life. • Huitziloopochtli – patron god of the Aztecs • Quetzalcoatl – feathered serpent who reigned over earth and water • Gods would sacrifice themselves to help the people • Nanahuatzin – sacrificed himself to become the sun; Aztecs made human sacrifices to give the sun the strength to rise each day.

14. The Aztec • Decline of the Empire • The Aztec empire grew very quickly, but also declined very quickly. • The Aztecs had forced the people they conquered to pay heavy taxes. • These people became upset and caused problems in the empire. • These problems led to the decline of the empire.

15. The Inca • Most powerful Andean civilization • Located on the western coast of South America • Lasted from about 1100 A.D. to 1500 A.D.

16. The Inca • Worshipped the sun and moon, as well as many other gods & goddesses. • Expanded to become a vast empire that stretched to include parts of modern-day Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile. • Capital of the empire was Cuzco • Never developed a system of writing. • Many medical advances – surgery on the human skull, etc.

17. The Inca • Farming was very important. • Built step terraces for farming. • Stone walls kept the land from being washed away by rain. • Farmers spent part of the year working the land for their community; the other part working the land for the government. • The government kept most of the harvest in case of natural disaster. • The extra was given to specific groups of people.

18. The Inca • Also famous for metalworking and weaving. • Used copper and bronze to make useful objects. • Used gold & silver for making statues of gods and goddesses, or silverware or decorations for the nobles. • Wove cotton and wool into clothing.

19. The Inca • Decline of the Empire • Empire ended by civil war which weakened the civilization to Spanish invaders. • Spanish explorers arrived in South America during the time of the Inca. • Brought diseases such as smallpox, which the Inca had no immunity to. • The diseases quickly destroyed the population. • The Spanish took control over what was left of the area.