Early Civilizations/Discovering the AmericasChapter 12

South America & IncasHow do you feel about sacrificing

children?

Child Sacrifice

INCASIncas- powerful empire that ruled

South America in the 14-1500’sAndes Mnts.- Where the

civilization was located

Geography of the AmericasMountainsValleysPlainsJunglesDesertsRiversOceans

Incan Mountain EmpireAt its peak, the Empire was 2500

miles wideEarly 1200’s Incas settled in the

AndesCapital City was Cuzco (Koos

Koh)Center of Incan Govt & ReligionCuzco means “Center”Population grew through

conquests and take overs

Incan GovernmentRuler called “Sapa Inca” which

means “the emperor” Emperor was related to the sun

godSapa Inca owned all the land and

divided it upUnder Sapa Inca was the Noble

class who oversaw the govt.The Inca had a census (official

count of the population)

Incan Govt. continuedCensus helped keep track of:

◦Taxes◦Soldiers◦Empire workers (road/gold miners/

etc)◦Farmers◦Farmers gave a portion of their crops

to the govt.◦What did the govt. do in return?

LanguageOfficial language – Quechua

(kech wuh)No written languageUsed quipu (kee poo) to keep

records

Greatest AchievmentsThousands of miles of paved

roadsMassive walls (constructed

without mortar) (how was this successful?)

Mountain top buildingsTerraces (with aqueducts)

The DeclineReasons for failure

◦Fighting amongst the ruling family◦Workers rebelling against the strict

govt.◦Francisco Pizzarro and the Spanish◦Lies, Weapons, and Disease

Cultures of Middle AmericaObjective:Understand the MayansDiscover the Aztecs

The MayansMayans- culture established in

the middle Americas at the southern tip of Mexico

Height of the culture was from 250 AD to roughly 900 AD

Farming cultureSlash and burn techniqueCrops: maize, squash, beans,

avacados, peppers, papayas

MayansBecause maize was so important,

three of the main gods were the corn god, the sun god, and the rain god

Mayan Religion & Govt.Civilization divided into city-

statesEach had their own ruler and an

area that was the center for govt. and religion

Priests and nobles also had some power

Leaders lived in large palaces in the city

Regular people lived on the edges of the city

Mayan CitiesCities held festivals to celebrate

the godsLarge temple were the site of

these celebrations and for human sacrifices

Skilled mathematicians and priests made calendars to follow the seasons and plan religious celebrations

Used hieroglyphics (made books of info from fig tree bark)

GamesPak-ta-tok- Mayan ball gameMix of soccer and basketballHard rubber ball had to be put

through a hoopCouldn’t use hands or feet and

ball cant touch the ground

Abandoning the CitiesAD 900 the civilization declinesReasons (probable)

◦Drought◦Crop failure◦Disease◦War◦Overuse of natural resources◦People rebelling◦(there are still Mayans living in

Mexico)

The Aztecs1325 Aztecs began looking for a

place to start a cityAccording to legendAztec war god said, “Build in the

place where you see an eagle perched on a cactus holding a snake in its beak.”

That place: Tenochtitlan

Tenochtitlan

Waterways and GardensWhat you would find in the city

◦Open plazas◦Pyramid temples◦School (for sons of nobles only)◦Raised walkways (causeways)◦Aqueducts to bring in fresh water◦Floating gardens (trees held the land

together)

Religion & LearningAztecs needed good harvestsGood harvests need goo sun to growAztec belief is that the sun needs human

blood to surviveLots of human sacrificeAztec Scholars and priests created a

calendar modeled after the Mayan one13 20 day monthsCapital city of Tenochtitlan offered schools

for sons of nobility to teach them how to run schools, govt., or scribe.

Aztec SocietyClass Structure: Emperor, royals, nobles,

priests, and military leaders, soldiers, artisans, Farmers, and lastly, slaves

War was a major part of lifeBoys over 15 servedGovt Officials and Priests did not serveWomen could not go into battleThey could train as priestessesThey were expected to create clothesBefore they could do that they were

expected to make meals

The EndSpanish conquistadoresWeapons and diseaseConquered tribes helped the

Spanish

Cultures of North America

The Eastern Mound BuildersFrom Minnesota to Louisiana (N to S)From Mississippi to the Atlantic

Ocean (E to W)Typically found by water sourcesHunted/Fished and gathered fruits

and nutsEventually began farming and

established colonies3 main groups: Adena, Hopewell,

Mississippians

The Adena

Located in the Ohio river valleyAdams County

What was in the mounds?Used as:

◦Burial sites◦Hide tools/weapons◦Decorative objects◦Items not found locally like shells

and copper◦(little known about their daily life)◦(died out around 100 BC)

Hopewell CultureLocated all along the Ohio and

Mississippi river valley’sNo “one” leader, each community had a

local leaderCivilization farmed (wide variety of

crops)Mounds show evidence of trade from

the Rockies to the Atlantic (E to W) and from Canada to Florida (N to S)

Change in climate and over populaiton are probable causes

MississippiansLocated in the Mississippi valleyFarmed for survival grew corn

(maize) and beans (could be dried and saved for drought years)

Built tallest mound on US soil (100 ft tall)

No one is sure why their civilization dissapeared

Ancestral PueblosAKA the Anasazi ancient SW

American tribeBegan around 100ADChaco Canyon in New Mexico is

the supposed trading center.Why?

Ancient PuebloansNew Mexico had cold dry winters

and hot dry summersPueblos built (pueblos) stone

hutsHad round rooms called kivas for

religious gatheringsMajor droughts in the region

caused them to leave, they never returned

Later PueblosLived in the same region and

built similar pueblosMade crafts by hand such as

baskets and potteryAlso farmedHad irrigation systems and

hunted for extra foodPrayed to kachinas (spirits who

controlled animals, crops, and rain)

Plains IndiansLocated West of the Mississippi but East

of the RockiesMidwest (flat lands)Multiple different groups with different

languages (used signing to communicate with other tribes)

The Mandan lived in fenced in villages with lodges and homes

The Souix lived in Tipis that were easy to close up and take with them to follow animals

Arrival of EuropeansThe European settlements

pushed the plains Indians farther west

Introduction of railroads, guns, and horses changed the Indians history forever

Big push today to revive the culture

People of the WoodlandsLocated in Canada and the USHunted and fished for survival also cleared

farm landCreated totem polesUsed much like a family crestTotem poles and potlatches showed wealthCreated the Iroquois league (Mohawk,

Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Oneida)Best political group in the Americas before

the arrival of the Europeans