wh chapter 7 olmecs and mayas
TRANSCRIPT
CHAPTER 7Olmecs and Mayas
LEGACY OF THE OLMECS
The earliest American civilization emerged in the tropical forests along the Mexican Gulf Coast
The Olmec civilization lasted from about 1400BC-500BC
Archaeologists know very little about the Olmecs
Rich tombs and temples suggest that a powerful class of priests and aristocrats stood at the top of Olmec society
The Olmecs did not build cities---instead they built ceremonial centers
OLMEC MAP
OLMECS
LEGACY OF THE OLMECS
The most dramatic remains of the Olmec civilization are the giant carved stone heads found in the ruins of a religious center at La Venta
No one knows how the Olmecs moved these colossal 40-ton stones from distant quarries without wheeled vehicles or draft animals
OLMEC STONE HEAD
LEGACY OF THE OLMECS
Through trade, Olmec influence spread over a wide area
The Olmecs invented a calendar and used carved inscriptions as a form of writing
Their most important legacy may be the tradition of priestly leadership and religious devotion that became a basic part of later Middle American civilizations
THE WORLD OF THE MAYAS
Between 300AD-900AD Mayan city-states flourished from the Yucatan in southern Mexico through much of Central America
Mayans used a unique method of farming in the tropical environment---they cleared land the dense rain forests and then built raised fields that caught and held rainwater
They also built channels to drain excess water
This complex system produced enough maize (native corn) and other crops to support rapidly growing cities
YUCATAN PENINSULA
YUCATAN PENINSULA AND MAYAN EMPIRE
MAYANS
MAIZE
TEMPLES AND PALACES
Towering pyramid temples dominated the largest Mayan city of Tikal, located in present-day Guatemala
Priests climbed steep temple stairs to perform sacrifices while the people watched from the plazas below
The Mayan pyramids remained the tallest structures in the world until 1903 when the Flatiron Building skyscraper was built in New York City
TIKAL
TIKAL
TEMPLES AND PALACES
Tikal also boasted large palaces and huge stone pillars covered with carvings
The carvings recorded event in Mayan history Much of the wealth of Tikal and other Mayan
cities came from trade Goods traded included: honey, cocoa, cotton
cloth, and feathers
CHICHEN ITZA
CHICHEN ITZA
TULUM
TULUM
TULUM
TULUM
TULUM
SOCIAL CLASSES
Each Mayan city has its own ruling chief Nobles served as military leaders and
officials who managed public works, collected taxes, and enforced laws
Rulers were usually men, however, Mayan records and carvings show that women occasionally governed on their own or in the name of young sons
Priests held great power because only they could conduct the elaborate ceremonies needed to ensure good harvests and success in war
SOCIAL CLASSES
Most Mayans were farmers They grew corn, beans, squash---the basic
food crops of Middle America---as well as fruit trees, cotton, and brilliant tropical flowers
Men grew the crops while women turned them into food
To support the cities, farmers paid taxes in food and helped build the temples
ADVANCES IN LEARNING
The Mayans developed a hieroglyphic writing system, which has only recently been deciphered
Mayan scribes kept their sacred knowledge in books made of bark (Spanish conquistadors later burned most of these books but a handful were taken to Europe and are in museums)
Many priests were expert mathematicians and astronomers and developed an accurate 365-day solar calendar
Mayan priests invented a numbering system and understood the concept of zero
DECLINE
About 900AD, the Mayans abandoned their cities, leaving their great stone palaces and temples to be swallowed up by the jungle (some of these were not “rediscovered” till modern times)
No one knows for sure why the Mayan civilization declined
Some causes may have been---frequent warfare, overpopulation and overfarming, and heavy taxes
Some remnants of the civilization survive today: millions of people in Guatemala and southern Mexico speak Mayan languages and are descendents from the original Mayans