1 / 47

The cultures and civilizations of the “Americas”

The cultures and civilizations of the “Americas”. Where did the Native Americans come from?. Migrations from Asia ca. 30,000 – 15,000 yrs ago over Bering strait land bridge ; Isolated for at least 15,000 years!. Kingdoms and & Empires of the Americas.

Download Presentation

The cultures and civilizations of the “Americas”

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. The cultures and civilizations of the “Americas”

  2. Where did the Native Americans come from?

  3. Migrations from Asia ca. 30,000 – 15,000 yrs ago over Bering strait land bridge; Isolated for at least 15,000 years!

  4. Kingdoms and & Empires of the Americas

  5. Who was in Meso-America? (“Middle America”) • Olmec • Teotihuacan • Maya • Toltec • Aztec

  6. OLMEC • 1500 -300 BCE; Gulf of Mexico • Carved enormous stone heads of volcanic rock • Chief god - human-like with jaguar face • urban centers; astronomy • Kings, elite, merchants, laborers • Hieroglyphics; calendar • Corn, beans, squash, manioc Former kings?

  7. Teotihuacan • Temples • Quetzalcoatl • Chinampas • Apartment housing for commoners • Obsidian tools • Aristocratic govt • Military protected long distance trade • Decline – violence…

  8. Teotihuacan Pyramid of the Sun Pyramid of the Moon

  9. Maya

  10. MAYA • Yucatan Peninsula • City States; hereditary • Swidden agriculture; no metal tools • Complex religion - 3 layers (heavens, now and underworld); trances • Elite, tatoos, human sacrifice (elite capt) • Writing, ball playing (pok-a-tok), astronomy, • Calendar (365) math system(zero) • Elite women – high; women important • demise - war, drought, infighting **Mayan math computation

  11. Ritual “divine” cycle calendar Solar “civil” calendar “long count” calendar Mayan Calendar • first date is actually written 13.0.0.0.0. • three possible equivalences: • 13.0.0.0.0 = 13 Aug 3114 BCE (Gregorian)13.0.0.0.0 = 11 Aug 3114 BCE (Gregorian)13.0.0.0.0 = 15 Oct 3374 BC (Gregorian) • Assuming one of the first two equivalences, the Long Count will again reach 13.0.0.0.0 on 21 or 23 December AD 2012 • 13.0.0.0.0 may have been the Mayas' idea of the date of the creation of the world.

  12. Maya / Aztec Calendar

  13. Palenque

  14. Mayan Temples

  15. Toltec • Transmitted Teotihuacan & Mayan culture to the Aztecs • Conquest state; military power • Violent culture • Rivalries • Tula art ----- • Decline & invasion by the Aztecs

  16. The Aztecs

  17. AZTECS • Nomads; settled on islands • in Lake Texcoco • Adopted agriculture; gradually grew into an independent power, then empire • Capital city - Tenochtitlan – • Ruler chosen by nobility • War – religious significance (of course) – legitimized the ruler • War also increased holdings of nobles • War to get captives for human sacrifice

  18. Society - hierarchy with Aztec ruler & nobility at top & slaves/criminals/debtors at bottom; women had rights • Tremendous inequalities - nobility vs commoners • Elaborate ritual; Huitzilopochtli; war/sun • Human sacrifice • Political tribute system; pd in food; goods • Economic: chinampas; barter • Dike in lake: salt/fresh water

  19. Who was in Meso-America? (“Middle America”) • Olmec • Teotihuacan • Maya • Toltec • Aztec

  20. Pyramids of Tenochtitlán

  21. Huitzilopochtligod of war & sunneeded human hearts

  22. TlalocGod of Rain

  23. Quetzalcoatlgod of wind & knowledge

  24. Canoe moving about the chinampas

  25. Aztec Society in Transition • Increasingly hierarchical • Conflict between nobles and growing “middle” • Violence • Discontent tribute tribes; sacrifice! • Empire under Montezuma II conquered by Spaniards (Cortes)

  26. Montezuma II Cortes

  27. Andean Societiesenvironmentalchallenges… Moche

  28. Andean Cultures • Background: • Early – small coastal & foothills villages • by 2600 BCE cf - Old Kingdom Egypt Chavin (900-250 BCE) • Trade routes; controlled; linked regions • Maize <----> quinoa, potatoes, llamas • Adobe & stone; 1st metals; jaguar-man • Social stratification: priests, elite, etc.

  29. Technologies to meet the needs • Compensations: • Calendar • New varieties potatoes & grains • Terraced farming • Freeze-dried vegetables & meat • Llama & alpaca wool • Environmental challenges: • Altitude • Frosts • Arid / drought • Only llamas!

  30. Andean culture • Khipus • Ayllu • Hereditary aristocracy & kings • Mit’a • Coca (not cacao) • Colonists

  31. khipus

  32. Moche • Ca. 600 CE • Maize, quinoa, beans, manioc, sweet potatoes • Irrigation, canals, aqueducts • Alpacas & llamas • Textiles • Stratified society; theocratic • Women weavers

  33. Moche ceramic sculpture

  34. The Inca

  35. INCA • huge empire & strong central gov’t • extending length of South America • Large professional military • Built paved roads & suspension bridges - used running messengers; quipus • Pastoralists; men and women • Capital Cuzco; sun god; royal family • Local rulers/chiefdoms; control by hostage taking

  36. Inca terraces;Machu Picchu

  37. Machu Pichu

  38. suspension bridge

  39. Northern Peoples Southwestern desert • Aztec influence incl. maize, squash, beans • Hohokam irrigation canals • Anasazi – kivas; cliff dwellings & canyon “appts”, pottery, weaving • Chaco canyon; Mesa Verde

  40. Anasazi cliff dwellings

  41. Mississippian culture • Oldest mounds – 3000’s BCE • “mound-builders” • Chiefdoms • “Hopewell” cultures • Towns – central plaza surrounded by mounds; burial mounds, temple mounds • Social stratification; trade • (not accepted as product of the Native Americans until late 1800’s!)

  42. How Mississippian towns might have looked

  43. Cahokia mounds city; Illinois Had more inhabitants than Paris at that time (1150)

  44. Etowah Indian Mound

More Related