CIVILIZATIONS OF THE AMERICAS

Section 1: Civilizations of Mesoamerica

PEOPLE SETTLE IN THE AMERICAS

People first migrated to the Americas sometime between 60,000 and 18,000 B.C.

They may have crossed a land bridge into Alaska or come by boat.

They domesticated plants and animals sometime between 8500 and 2000 B.C.

By 3000 B.C. in South America and 1500 B.C. in Mesoamerica, farmers began settling in villages.

CIVILIZATION ARISES WITH THE OLMECS

The earliest American civilization was that of the Olmecs along Mexico’s Gulf Coast.

This civilization arose in 1500 B.C. and influenced a wide area through trade.

They invented a calendar and wrote with hieroglyphs.

THE MAYA BUILD WIDESPREAD CIVILIZATIONTHE_EXPLORERS__ANCIENT_CIVILIZATIONS_OF_MEXICO__THE_MAYA_AND_THE_AZTEC.ASF

By 300 B.C., Mayan cities such

as El Mirador were appearing.

The cities were mostly

independent, although some

were more powerful than others

and carried great influence.

Most Maya were farmers, who

also worked on construction

projects, Merchants, nobles, and

rulers could grow rich through

trade between city-states.

CULTURAL LIFE OF THE MAYA Maya culture included advances

in the arts, writing, astronomy,

and mathematics.

Maya cities centered around

stone temples and palaces with

sculptures on many of the

buildings.

The Maya system of writing told

their history and described

astronomical events and the

rituals that were timed by them.

Maya priests developed a 365-

day calendar and used the

concept of zero in their

numbering system.

THE AZTEC EMPIRE FORMS IN MEXICO

Around A.D. 1200, nomadic

peoples who spoke the same

language began to settle in the

Valley of Mexico.

We call these tribes the Aztecs.

They founded their capital,

Tenochtitlán, on an island in

Lake Texcoco.

They built floating gardens and

created canals for

transportation.

The city was linked to the

mainland by stone causeways.

Aztec rule eventually spread

across most of Mexico.

AZTEC SOCIETY TAKES SHAPE

A single ruler reigned over the Aztec empire. Society had a class structure that valued nobles, priests, military leaders, and warriors.

Traders became a powerful middle class, while farmers and slaves held the lowest status levels.

Aztecs believed in many gods and performed human sacrifices in their honor.

Aztec God of Death (picture)

LOOKING AHEAD

Not all of the people who

had been conquered by

the Aztecs were happy to

be part of the empire.

When the Spanish

conquistadors arrived, they

found many ready allies

among the native peoples