ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

WHAT SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS DID THE MAYANS, INCANS, AND AZTECS POSSESS, AND WHY DID THEIR CIVILIZATIONS FAIL?

Peoples and Empires of the Americas

Pre-Columbian Societies

Pre-Columbian – before the arrival of Christopher Columbus

Art highly advanced Gender roles established at birth Women held various roles including

harvesting grain, preparing food or tending animals as well as home and children

The Maya

Earliest civilizations in the region were the Olmecs and Toltecs who were replaced by the Maya

Mayan territory stretched from Southern Mexico to Northern Central America

City- States included Tikal, Copan and Chichen Itza; and were ruled by different god- kings

Most were peasant farmers , but a small class of skilled craftsmen emerged

Nobles were from a small hereditary class

Cities were the center of trade and religious ceremonies and included large palaces, temples and pyramids

City-states were linked through trade, trading maize, beans and squash

Mayan Empire- Yucatan Peninsula

Chichen Itza Pyramid

Mayan Religion

Polytheistic Religious practices included human

sacrifice Calendars- 260 day religious calendar

and a 365 day solar calendar made by observations of astronomers

Glyphs- 800 symbols for writing Popol Vuh- Mayans creation story

Mayan Glyphs

Mysterious Mayan Decline

800’s- Mayan cities were abandoned Evidence now points to

environmental factors caused by a prolonged drought causing a disruption of trade and agriculture

Central Mexico/Aztec Empire

Aztec Empire was located in Central Mexico

125,000 people Pyramid of the Sun at center of the city Crops were grown on floating gardens

in wet marshy lands (Chinampas) Aztecs aligned their temples based on

their astronomical observations of the sun and moon

Mexican Flag

Aztec Society and Trade

Class System Nobles ( warriors, priests, government

officials) Commoners (Merchants, artisans, soldiers,

farmers) \Slaves (captives) Trade brings wealth to the Aztecs Tenochtitlan- located on an island

1500 was larger than any European capital raised roads connected the city to the

mainland

Tenochtitlan

Aztec Religion

Polytheistic Centered around public ceremonies Human sacrifices were made to

ensure that the universe would stay in motion Sacrifices to the Sun god ensured the

sun would rise each day Sacrifice also encouraged war Goal of an Aztec warrior was to bring

back live prisoners for sacrificial purposes

Aztec Religious Human Sacrifice

Problems in Aztec Empire

Montezuma II called for more tributes and human sacrifices from provinces led to rebellion

Montezuma II reduced the number of government officials

Weakened by civil war the Aztecs were not able to defend themselves from the Spanish

Rise of the Inca

Began as a small kingdom in the Valley of Cuzco in South America

Incan leaders were believed to be descendants from the sun god

Only people from the 11 noble families could be king

Worshipped dead rulers who where preserved as mummies

King Pachacuti- Used military conquest to conquer west coast of South America

Incan Empire

Incan Government Empire divided for easy management Standard economic system Uniformed speaking language (no written

language) Schools Road system Mita- labor tribute to Incan leaders

Citizens worked certain days of the year Government controlled all economic

activity Land was organized in geographic regions

Each producing a different good

Incan Religion

Polytheistic focused on key nature spirits

Sacrifice of llamas, humans and goods

Temple of the Sun in Cuzco decorated in gold

Temple of the Sun

Decline of Inca

Early 1500’s height of Incan power King Huayna Capac dies of disease Civil war breaks out between his sons at

the same time the Spanish arrive