The Americas, 900 B.C.E C.E.

The Maya

● In 900 C.E., A Native American civilization, known as the Maya, developed in present-day Mexico. ● Mayan civilization reached its peak between C.E. ● Geography/Topography: o The Maya settled an area of land known as the Yucatan Peninsula.The Yucatan Peninsula had a diverse topography, including:  Highlands  Lowlands  Coastal Plains ● The Maya had to adapt to the diverse topography of the Yucatan Peninsula, and did so by developing different farming practices, languages, and governments.

The Maya

● Mayan Government: o Because of the harsh topography of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Maya were not able to unify into one empire, but instead developed independent kingdoms and city-states, which were linked by culture, political ties, and trade. o Mayan Kings: Mayan kings were both political and religious leaders.  Politically, the Mayan kings were responsible for governing their people; providing them with safety and protection; overseeing trade; and creating laws.

The Maya ● Mayan Religion:  Religiously, the Mayan kings were responsible for teaching their people about the Otherworld, a spiritual world made up of gods, the souls of ancestors, and supernatural creatures.  The Mayan kings performed rituals and ceremonies to satisfy the gods. ● Human Sacrifice: The Maya would kill people to honor their gods.  The Mayan kings constructed plazas, temples, and huge pyramids (for religious festivals and ceremonies).

The Maya

● Mayan Accomplishments: Science o The Maya developed a system of mathematics. o The Maya developed accurate calendars:  A 260-Day sacred calendar  A 365-day solar calendar o The Maya used the calendars to predict eclipses, schedule religious ceremonies, and determine times to plant and harvest their crops.

The Maya

● Mayan Accomplishments: The Mayan Economy o The Maya developed an economy based on agriculture and trade. o Maya farmers grew:  maize, beans, squash, pumpkins, chili peppers, and tomatoes. o How did they farm? The Mayans had to adapt to the topography of the Yucatan Peninsula, they did so by developing two methods of farming:  Slash-and-Burn Farming: The Maya would chop down and burn all plant life, leaving behind fertile soil.  Canal Farming: The Maya would create raised farming plots surrounded by canals.

The Maya

● Mayan Accomplishments: The Mayan Economy (continued) o Maya farmers traded their crops in the cities for cotton cloth, jade ornaments, pottery, fish, deer meat, and salt. o Maya merchants established long-distance trade routes throughout Mexico and Central America. ● Mayan Accomplishments: Mayan Writing o The Maya were one of the first Native American civilizations to develop a writing system. o The Maya wrote books about the genealogy of their kings, Mayan mythology, history, ritual practices and trade.

The Maya

● The End of Maya Civilization: o Around 900 C.E., the once great Maya civilization disappeared. o To this day, historians are still unsure about what happened to the Maya.  Possible Theories: ● Warfare ● Agricultural breakdown

Summary ● Who: ____________________________________________________________ ● What: ____________________________________________________________ ● When: ____________________________________________________________ ● Where: ____________________________________________________________ ● Why/How: __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

The Aztec Empire

● During the 1200s C.E., a group of hunters and warriors moved from the North to Central Mexico. ● Geography of the Aztec Civilization: o In 1325 C.E., the Aztecs founded the capital city of their empire - Tenochtitlan, present day Mexico-City. o Tenochtitlan was an island in the center of Lake Texcoco. ● Topography of the Aztec civilization: o Good land for farming in the capital city was scarce. Therefore, the Aztecs developed chinampas, tiny artificial islands that floated in Lake Texcoco.  The chinampas were “floating gardens,” in which Aztec farmers grew corn and beans.

The Aztec Empire

● Government: o By the 1500s C.E., the Aztecs had created an empire that stretched from north-central Mexico to the border of Guatemala, from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. o The Aztec Empire existed from C.E. o All people conquered by the Aztecs were forced to pay tribute to the Aztec Empire; in the form of food, clothing, raw materials, or prisoners for human sacrifice.

The Aztec Empire ● Aztec Society: o The Aztec Empire developed a structured social hierarchy. o The Aztec Empire was divided into four different social classes:  Nobility (the wealthy)  commoners (priests, merchants, artisans, and farmers)  serfs (farmers tied to noble lands)  slaves (criminals, debtors, female and child prisoners of war)

The Aztec Empire ● Aztec Religion: o The Aztecs borrowed many religious ideas from the Mayans.  They built tall pyramids for religious festivals and ceremonies.  The Aztecs also practiced human sacrifice, they believed it was necessary to keep the gods happy and prevent droughts, floods, and other natural disasters.  The chief Aztec god was named Huitzilopochtli (sun god).

The Aztec Empire

● Aztec Arts: o Like the Mayans, the Aztecs created two different calendars:  They created a 360-day religious calendar (for farming & going to war).  They created a 365-day solar calendar. o The Aztecs decorated their temples and pyramids with scenes of their gods and warfare. ● The Collapse of the Aztec Empire: o In 1521 C.E., the Aztec Empire was ended by the invasion of the Spanish conquistadors.

The Aztec Empire

Summary ● Who: ____________________________________________________________ ● What: ____________________________________________________________ ● When: ____________________________________________________________ ● Where: ____________________________________________________________ ● Why/How: __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

The Inca Empire

● The Geography of the Inca Empire: o The Inca Empire was located in western South America. ● The Topography of the Inca Empire: o The Inca Empire was located in the Andes mountains range, a topographic feature that made trade and communication difficult. o The topography of the empire included coastal deserts, dry highlands, fertile river valleys, and rainforests.

The Inca Empire

● The Inca Government: o The capital of the Inca Empire was named Cuzco. o The Inca conquered many other tribes, and created a vast empire throughout western South America.  The Inca Empire included present-day Peru, Chile, and parts of Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina. o The most famous Inca ruler was Emperor Pachacuti.  Under his leadership, the Incas created a complex system of tribute collections, courts, military posts, trade inspections, and local work regulations.

The Inca Empire

● The Inca Economy: o The Inca emperor owned all of the land in his empire. o Therefore, the emperor was responsible for the growing and distribution of foods, including potatoes and quinoa. o Due to the topography of western South America, the Incas had to adapt to their environment in order to produce enough food to sustain their growing population.  Terrace Farming: The Incas developed a farming technique known as terrace farming to adapt to their environment. In Terrace Farming, the Inca farmers cut step terraces into hillsides to produce farmable land.  In the dry coastal plains, the Incas built irrigation systems to produce arable land for growing crops.

The Inca Empire

● The Inca Economy (continued): o Due to the challenging topography of the Andes mountains range, the Inca government built roads and suspension bridges throughout the mountains that would link the empire as one. ● Inca Religion: o Like the Mayans and Aztecs, the Incas were a polytheistic people. o The Incas also believed in using human sacrifice to please their gods. ● Inca Writing: o The Incas did not develop a formal writing system. Instead, they kept records by using quipu, a rope with knotted cords of different lengths and colors.

The Inca Empire

● The Fall of the Inca Empire: o Like the Aztecs in central America, the Inca were conquered by the Spanish conquistadors in 1531 C.E..

Summary ● Who: ____________________________________________________________ ● What: ____________________________________________________________ ● When: ____________________________________________________________ ● Where: ____________________________________________________________ ● Why/How: __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________