Section 1 Civilizations of Mesoamerica

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  A ball court in Monte Albán Mesoamerican Ball Game  A Ballcourt goal (tlatchtemalacatl)  A modern player of the game Ulama. The game is often likened to netless volleyball, and the ball is hit off of the hip.

  Mesoamerica consisted of  Mexico  Central America  Theories of Migration  People migrated from Siberia through Alaska by way of  Land bridge  Humans followed herds of animals across the bridge  Others believe people came along the coast using small boats Settlement

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  Had to adapt to different climates  rainforests, deserts, treeless lands, mts.  Neolithic people learned to farm  populations grew > cities developed Adaptation

Olmecs  Located tropical rainforests on the Gulf Coast of Mexico  Not much known about them  Priests and nobles > top of society  Most Olmec art is carved stone  Known as “mother culture”

  250 A.D. Mayan Golden Age > Classical Period  Developed two farming methods in rainforest  Burned forest and cleared the area for farming  Built raised fields to counter annual floods  Never built an empire instead had powerful city-states  Smaller city-states governed by larger ones  City-states connected through economic exchange Mayans

Mayan Society  Ruler  Nobles  Supported ruler  military leaders  Scribes, painters, and sculptors  Highly respected  Merchants > middle class  Majority were farmers  Some slaves

Mayan Culture  Made advances in learning & arts  Art is evident in their towering temples  Stela > sculpted tall stone monument  Developed writing system  Developed accurate 365 day solar calendar  Also created a number system > concept of 0

  Mayans abandoned their cities  Theories  Frequent warfare  Overpopulation > exhausted soil  Remoteness allowed them to survive encounter with Spanish  Millions of Maya people today Mayan Decline

Aztecs Settle  Nomadic people from the north migrated to the Valley of Mexico  Aztec name comes from birthplace Aztlan  Capital city > Tenochtitlan (area of Mexico City)

Aztec Farming  Farm on lake environment > chinampas?  “floating gardens”

  Aztecs expand empire  Fierce conquests & shrewd alliances  Tribute made empire rich  Government  Aztecs had a single ruler  Many social classes  Nobles  Warriors  Priests  Middle Class > Traders  Commoners > farmers > majority of pop.  Serfs and slaves Aztecs

Aztec Religion  Polytheistic  Teotihuacan > important religious city  Sacrifices to the sun to make it rise  Usually prisoners of war

  Priests recorded laws and historical events  365 day solar calendar  Made advances in astronomy, math, and medicine  Example > steam bath to cure certain illnesses  Still use today Aztec Knowledge