Ancient America

North America Hopewell Culture – 200 BCE to 500 CE Mississippi and Ohio River valleys Built thousands of burial/ceremonial mounds Mississippian Culture – 800 to 1500 CE Traded throughout the Mississippi, Ohio, and Missouri River valleys Leading City was Cahokia (40,000 people) Anasazi Culture – 100 BCE to 1300 CE Agricultural society between the Colorado and Rio Grande Rivers Ceremonial center at Pueblo Bonito Used adobe bricks to build pueblos (villages)

Mesoamerica Olmecs – first major civilization in region – 1200 BCE – 400 BCE Began with the domestication of Corn Maya – 1900 BCE – 900 CE Mathematics – First to use ZERO Astronomy – Created an Accurate Calendar Engineering – Built massive pyramids & palaces Writing – Created an elaborate system of writing Teotihuacan – 200 BCE – 535 CE City had 150,000 people at it’s peak Controlled trade of green obsidian for tools & weapons Religious center Aztec – 1427 – 1521 CE Ruled an empire of over 5 million people Tenochtitlan – Capital 200,000 people Capital was built on an island in a lake

The Maya

South America Caral, Peru – 2600 BCE – 2000 BCE Norte Chico civilization. Built large pyramids Chinchorro - 7020 BCE - 1100 BCE Culture in Northern Chile Mummified their dead Tiwanaku – 200 CE - 800 CE Built a city high in the Andes Nazca & Cahuachi Culture - 100 BCE to 800 CE Created the Nazca Lines

South America Inca - 1476 CE – 1534 CE Controlled a 2000 mile long empire Modified their environment Built a network of roads Created terraces for farming