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Mesoamerican Civilizations

Mesoamerican Civilizations. Glencoe World History pages 352-362. The Olmec Civilization. First signs of civilization before the Spaniards (1200 BC) Large cities that were centers of religious rituals Carved colossal stone heads to represent their gods

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Mesoamerican Civilizations

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  1. Mesoamerican Civilizations Glencoe World History pages 352-362

  2. The Olmec Civilization • First signs of civilization before the Spaniards (1200 BC) • Large cities that were centers of religious rituals • Carved colossal stone heads to represent their gods • Around 400 BC declined and eventually collapsed

  3. The Mayan Civilization • On the Yucatan Peninsula (Southern Mexico and Central America) another civilization had arisen. • Flourished between AD 300 & 900 • One of the most sophisticated civilizations in the Americas.

  4. The Mayas • Built splendid temples & pyramids • Developed a calendar • Many theories surround their decline including invasion, internal revolt , or a natural disaster. • Whatever the reason, the cities were abandoned & covered by dense jungle growth.

  5. Mayan Political Structures • Built around a central pyramid topped by a shrine to the gods • Some scholars believe urban centers such as Tikal had as many as 100,000 people • Composed of city-states ruled by a hereditary ruling class • Captured soldiers became slaves; their leaders were sacrificed • Rulers claimed to be descended from the gods • Most Mayans were peasant farmers • All life was in the hands of divine powers. • Polytheistic; supreme god- Itzamna

  6. Mayan Writings & Calendar • Sophisticated system based on hieroglyphics • Spanish made no effort to respect & destroyed their writings – 4 survived. They were written on bark & covered with plaster • 2 different systems for measuring time • Solar calendar (365 days; 18 months- 20 days/ea) • Sacred calendar (260 days; 13 months- 20 days/ea. • Palenque holds one of the most important collections of Mayan hieroglyphics

  7. Chichen Itza The ruins of Chichen Itza are remnants of the Toltec Empire of the Mayan civilization.

  8. The Aztec Civilization • The 12th century AD began a long migration that brought the Aztecs to Mexico • They established a capital at Tenochtitlan on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco(What is now Mexico City) • Conquered by the Spaniards in the 1500’s

  9. Rise of the Aztec • 1325 they established their capital • Outstanding warriors who consolidated rule over much of modern Mexico • A collection of semi independent territories

  10. Political and Social Structures • By 1500, 4 million Aztecs • Monarch claimed he was descended from the gods • Men were warriors; women expected to work in the home, weave textiles, and raise children

  11. Religion and Culture of the Aztecs • Polytheistic • God of war, sun & the nation was Huitzilopochtli • Unending struggle between good & evil • Practiced human sacrifice to delay their destruction • Monumental architecture

  12. Destruction of the Aztec • 1519 Hernan Cortes landed at Veracruz • Arrived with a small body of troops • Received a friendly welcome from Moctezuma • Offered gifts of gold • Eventually tension arose and the Spanish captured Moctezuma • In 1520, they drove the Spanish out • With the help of Moctezuma’s enemies Cortes attacked the city and after 4 months the Aztecs surrendered • Many Aztecs died from European diseases such as smallpox • They leveled the pyramids, temples and palaces and used the stones to build government buildings

  13. The Inca Empire Late 1300’s the Inca were a small community in the area of Cuzco (high in the mountains of Southern Peru) In the 1440’s, the Incas brought the entire region under control

  14. Incan Political Structures • Inca means ruler • Empire included perhaps 12 million people • State built on war; all men required to serve • Supplies carried by llamas • Spoke Quechua • Built roads (24,800 miles of roads) • Extended from Columbia to a point south of Santiago, Chile

  15. Incan Social Structures Incan Building & Culture Great Builders Close fitting stones & no mortar to withstand frequent earthquakes Machu Picchu No writing system- used knotted strings called the quipu • Highly regulated • Lived chiefly by farming • In Mountains, the farms were terraced

  16. Francisco Pizarro

  17. Incan Conquest • 1531 Francisco Pizarro brought 180 men, steel weapons, gunpowder, and horses • Epidemic of small pox hit the empire- including the emperor • After the emperor’s death, sons fought a civil war for control • Atahualpa took control but was captured and executed • The Spanish marched on the Incan capital • By 1535, Pizarro had established a new capital at Lima

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