who were the earliest americans?. student who comes closest gets a prize (2 mins)
TRANSCRIPT
THE AMERICASWho were the earliest Americans?
GUESS HOW MUCH THE STATUE WEIGHS!Student who comes closest gets a prize (2 mins).
8 TONS/16,000 POUNDS!!!!
INTRO VIDEO
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/28709-discovery-atlantis-olmec-civilization-and-atlantis-video.htm
36a explain the rise and fall of the Olmec, Mayan, Aztec and Inca empires
36b compare the culture of the Americas including government, economy, religion, social structure, technology and the arts of the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas
AKS 36
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Who were the Olmecs and what was their contribution to civilization in the Americas?
THE EARLIEST CIVILIZATIONS
HOW DID THEY GET HERE?
REVIEW OF EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURE
HOW DID PEOPLE SURVIVE BEFORE SETTLED AGRICULTURE?
The Olmec
EARLY CIVILIZATIONS
OLMEC CIVILAZATION
Mesoamerica’s first civilization builders What does “Mesoamerica” mean?
Began carving out a society around 1200 BC in the jungles of southern Mexico
Thrived 800-400 BC San Lorenzo – the oldest site
OLMEC HEARTLAND
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE OLMEC ENVIRONMENT WAS LIKE?
WHERE WAS THE OLMEC CIVILIZATION LOCATED?
THE ENVIRONMENT
• Hot and humid and covered with swamps and jungles– Rainfall often caused rivers to flood
• Large deposits of salt and tar and clay to make….?
• Wood and rubber from rain forest• Flooded plains near rivers provided…?
OLMEC SOCIETY
Earthen mounds, courtyards, and pyramids
Planned ceremonial centers
Stone symbols – writing?
Ritual ball games
OLMEC CULTURE
What do you think these monuments, mounds, and colossal heads tell us about their culture? May have
represented particular Olmec rulers
Elite ruling class
OLMEC RELIGION
Believed to have prayed to a variety of nature gods
“The Jaguar Spirit” Half-human, half-jaguar Powerful rain god? Earth, fertility?
TRADE AND COMMERCE
Olmec trade spanned north and south!!!
Trade spread Olmec influence
DECLINE (BY 400 BCE)
What do you think happened to the Olmec?
LEGACY/IMPACT
The Olmec left their mark Olmec art and construction affected
future cultures like the Maya Olmec developed ceremonial centers,
ritual ball games, and ruling class Later cultures in Mesoamerica adopted
Olmec ways Influenced Mayan writing system Origin of the Mayan calendar system
SUMMARY
3 – things you learned 2 – things you want to find out more
about 1 – question you have
THE MAYANS
Who were the Mayan’s and what triggered their decline?
ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE
THE MAYANS
TIKAL PYRAMIDS
MAYAN CIVILIZATION
Southern Mexico into northern Central America
Includes dry scrub forest of the Yucatan Peninsula
Also – dense, steamy jungles Maya took on Olmec influences and blended it with their local customs
REVIEW
What was the climate like for the Mayans?
Where was their civilization located?
MAYAN CIVILIZATION (CONT)
AD 250-900 = “Classic Period” of Maya civilization
Built many cities (Tikal) in northern Guatemala Each city-state
Which means what for its government? Giant pyramids, temples, palaces, and
elaborate stone carvings Tens of thousands of people surrounded
the city center
REVIEW
How was each Mayan location set-up in terms of government?
RECREATION
Each Maya city featured a ball court What happened to the
losers? Religious and
political significance Maya believed the
playing of this game would maintain the cycles of the sun and moon and bring rain
BALL GAME GEAR
Exact rules and method of scoring are unknown. Inscriptions
indicate that players could not use their hands or feet to move a solid rubber ball. Members
of the losing team might be sacrificed by beheading.
AGRICULTURE AND TRADE
City-states exchanged their local products and craft goods
No unifying currency, cacao (CHOCOLATE) beans sometimes served as one
Maize, beans, and squash provided the basis for Maya life
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
King sat at the top and was regarded as a holy figure (hereditary)
Noble class (priests and leading warriors)
Merchants and specialized skills
Peasant majority
RELIGION
What type of religion do you think they practiced? Polytheism – gods of corn, of rain, of
war, etc. How did they worship?
Prayed, made offerings of food, flowers, incense
Offered their blood to nourish the gods
Human sacrifice – of captured enemies
MATH AND RELIGION
Mayans believed that time was a burden carried on the back of a god
Very important to have an accurate calendar to know which god was in charge of the day
260 day religious calendar 365 day solar calendar
MAYAN NUMERALS
WRITTEN LANGUAGE
800 hieroglyphic symbols (glyphs) Carved glyphs into a bark-paper
book known as a codex (only 3 survive) Burned by Spanish priests in 16th
century Popul Vuh – the Maya’s version of
the story of creation“Before the world was created, Calm
and Silence were the great kings that ruled. Nothing existed, there was nothing”
MAYAN WRITING
REVIEW
Why was math and religion important to the Mayans?
Describe their social structure.
DECLINE
In the 800s, the Maya suddenly abandoned many of their cities
Invaders from the north moved into the lands.
Reasons? Frequent warfare
between kingdoms Population growth =
needed more land
USE YOUR CREATIVITY
In one paragraph, write a short story about what you think happened to the Mayans?
THE AZTECS
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Who were the Aztecs? How did their civilization function, thrive, and ultimately decline?
THE AZTECS
SETTING THE STAGE
Greatest empire in Mesoamerica Heart of civilization located around
modern Mexico City Ancestors of the Olmec
LOCATION
TEOTIHUACÁN
“City of the Gods” First major city-state of Central Mexico Peak population ~150,000 – 200,000 Obsidian – Green or black volcanic
rock used to make razor sharp weapons Abandoned by 750 AD
TEOTIHUACÁN
PREVIEW
THE AZTECS
Arrived in the Valley of Mexico ~1200 AD
The god of sun and warfare told them to create a city
Based power on military conquest Demanded tribute from their neighbors
(gold, jade, maize, cacao)
AZTEC SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Emperor Nobles: Military, Priests,
Government Officials Merchants, Artisans,
and Soldiers Merchants formed a
subgroup of elite Enslaved People
TENOCHTITLAN
TENOCHTITLAN
Established by the early 1500’s Population 200,000 – 400,000 (larger
than London or other European Cities at the time)
Built on an island surrounded by marshland/water
AZTEC RELIGION
Worshipped sun god Human sacrifice was a way to please
the gods Enslaved, war prisoners Without blood, the sun would not rise
REVIEW
Describe the beginning of the Aztecs. What was their social structure? What was their religion? How did they decline?
HUMAN SACRIFICE
DECLINE
Montezuma II became Emperor in 1502 and the Empire began to decline He called for more tribute and sacrifice
The Spanish Conquistadors eventually arrived
SUMMARY
Describe: 3 traits of the civilization 3 strengths leading to power 3 weaknesses leading to decline
THE INCAS
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Who were the Incas and what were some of their social innovations unique to Pre-Columbian culture in the Americas?
ORIGINS/LOCATION
Descended from many different civilizations in the region
Believed Incan ruler was descended from sun god
Located in the Andes Mountains of Peru
Founded capital Cuzco around 1100 AD
INCAN GOVERNMENT
Governed by central bureaucracy? What is bureaucracy?
Roads tied the empire together The heart of the empire of the city of
Cuzco Ayllu – extended families that
performed tasks to large for a regular family A chief lead each group but they reported
to the emperor
ROADS (14,000 MILES)
WELFARE STATE
Compared to modern socialism
Mita – Annual labor tribute Work on roads, make goods,
etc Messages travelled on road
system (postal system) No writing system Kept detailed numerical
records using quipu Cared for entire population
RELIGION
Incan king was considered a descendent of sun god
Worshipped sun, moon, rain, thunder gods
Young men and women would be drafted into a lifetime of service
Great cities – Machu Pichu Sun Temple (center), public buildings,
central plaza
DECLINE
During the 1500’s the empire split between two sons after death of emperor Civil War ensured weakening the empire Spanish (Pizarro) arrived during the last
days of the war
SUMMARY
3 – Name 3 things you learned 2 – Things you want to find out more
about 1 – Question you have!
It is good to have questions!