Classical Maya and American Civilizations

Mayans (1500 BCE-1500 CE) City-states ruled by a king Claimed descent from a god Rule usually passed from father to son Occasional female rulers Fought against each other to collect tribute Used for sacrifices Priests and scribes helped to run the government Commoners paid taxes with crops and performed military service when necessary

Maya Classic Period (ca. 200-900 CE) First written language in the Americas Used 850 pictures and symbols Advanced astronomical knowledge Predicted lunar and solar eclipses and planetary movements Used data to make decisions Calendar was more accurate than Europeans’ calendar Dictated religious festivals and rituals

Mayan Agriculture Slash-and-burn agriculture to clear fields Ashes provided fertilizer Milpa: 2 years of cultivation, 8 years of lying fallow Different crops grown together Three Sisters: maize, squash, beans Also grew chili peppers Hunted and raised deer

Mayan Religion Gods represented the creator, sun and moon, crops, prominent families, and occupational groups Priests offered (sometimes human) sacrifices to appease the gods Women could serve as priestesses Ritual ballgame to honor the gods Tikal

Chichén Itzá

Mayan Decline After 900 CE, many Mayan cities were abandoned Cities became overcrowded from population growth Large-scale agriculture and monumental architecture in many places ceased Deforestation and drought caused many Mayans to resume a more rural lifestyle

Teotihuacán Largest Mesoamerican city at its peak Population of 150,000 Thriving trade, religious, and political center 100 BCE-550 CE Polytheistic, multicultural, laid out in a grid Interacted with Maya and other Mesoamerican societies Exported pottery, obsidian artifacts

Temple of the Sun

Teotihuacán

Moche (200-700 CE) Developed along Moche and Chicham river valleys in northern Peru Used irrigation to facilitate agriculture Grew beans and corn, domesticated llamas Created pottery, jewelry, textiles Trade was mostly local Social hierarchy based on extended family units called ayllus

Moche Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna Temples to their gods Also venerated their ancestors Fortified cities surrounded their temples Periods of heavy rains and drought likely led to the decline of the Moche May have weakened rulers who claimed to be able to predict the weather