Civilizations In the Americas How did they get here? Why would they migrate (push/pull factors)

Early Human Migrations

Sculpture from the Americas Origins of the Peoples of the Americas?

Major Pre-Columbian Civilizations

The Mayans

Heirs of the Olmecs The Maya lived in the highlands of Guatemala Besides maize, they also cultivated cotton and cacao Tikal was the most important Maya political center, 300 to 900 C.E. Maya warfare: warriors had prestige; captives were slaves or victims Chichén Itzá, power by the ninth century; loose empire in Yucatan Maya decline began in 800 C.E.; many Mayans deserted their cities

Lands of the Mayans The Yucatan Peninsula

Maya Society and Religion Maya society was hierarchical Kings, priests, and hereditary nobility at the top Merchants were from the ruling class; they served also as ambassadors Professional architects and artisans were important Peasants and slaves were majority of population The Maya calendar had both solar and ritual years interwoven Maya writing was ideographic and syllabic; only four books survive Religious thought Popol Vuh, a Maya creation myth, taught that gods created humans out of maize and water Gods maintained agricultural cycles in exchange for honors and sacrifices Bloodletting rituals honored gods for rains The Maya ball game: sporting, gambling, and religious significance

Chichen-Itza - Pyramid

Chichen-Itza - Observatory

Chichen-Itza - Ball Court

Mayan Cultivation of Maize Chac, God of Rain 

Mayan Underground Granaries: Chultunes

Overview of Tikal (Guatemala) Temple of the Masks

Tikal Jungle View at Sunset

Tikal: Temple of the Masks

Tikal - Wall Mask of the Rain God

Mayan Glyphs sky king house child city Mayan Mathematics

Mayan Glyphs

Mayan Drinking Cup for Chocolate

Pakal: The Maya Astronaut

Quetzalcoatl: The God of Wisdom & Learning

Teotihuacan The city of Teotihuacan in the highlands of Mexico Colossal pyramids of sun and moon High point between 400 and 600 C.E.; two hundred thousand inhabitants Paintings and murals reflect the importance of priests Teotihuacan society Rulers and priests dominated society Two-thirds of the city inhabitants worked in fields during daytime Artisans were famous for their obsidian tools and orange pottery Professional merchants traded extensively throughout Mesoamerica No sign of military organization or conquest Cultural traditions: ball game, calendar, writing, sacrifices Decline of Teotihuacan from about 650 C.E.; was sacked and destroyed mid-eighth century

The Aztecs

Toltec Society – A Precursor Toltecs in the 9th & 10th centuries after the collapse of Teotihuacan Established large state, w/ powerful army Tula Toltec decline after twelfth century Civil strife at Tula Nomadic invaders after 1175 State = mid 10th c Tula was the Toltec capital city and center of trade Maintained close relations with societies of the Gulf coast and the Maya Civil strife at Tula, beginning in 1125 Nomadic invaders after 1175

Mexica (or Aztecs) Arrival of the Mexica (or Aztecs) in central Mexico mid-thirteenth century Warriors and raiders Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) Chinampas style agriculture Military Conquest/Alliances 15th century, Aztecs launched military campaigns Oaxaco in southwestern Mexico Alliances with Texcoco and Tlacopan Controlled subject peoples with oppressive tribute obligations Tribute from 489 subject territories Warriors and raiders Built capital city, Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City), about 1345 Developed productive chinampas style of agriculture Conquered and colonized Oaxaco in southwestern Mexico Made alliance with Texcoco and Tlacopan Built an empire of twelve million people, most of Mesoamerica

Lands of the Aztecs

Aztec View of Tenochtitlan

Mexica (Aztec) Society Mexica warriors were the elite From the Mexica aristocracy Wealth, honor, and privileges Mexica women had no public role, but were honored as mothers of warriors Mexica women active in commerce and crafts Primary purpose to bear children: women who died in childbirth celebrated Most information comes from Spanish sources, recorded after the conquest Courage Culture

Ruins of the City Center, Tenochtitlan

The Codex Mendoza : The Founding of Tenochtitlan

Tenochtitlan: The “Venice” of the Americas

Aztec Chinampa or Floating Garden: 15ft. to 30ft. wide

Tenochtitlan - Chinampas

Religion Deities Practices adopted from prior Mesoamerican cultures Tezcatlipoca Quetzalcóatl Practices Ritual bloodletting common to all Mesoamericans Human sacrifice to Huitzilopochtli Large temple at the center of Tenochtitlan, thousands of skulls

Aztec Writing Aztec Math

Aztec Sun Stone -- Calendar

Aztec Sun Motifs

Aztec Codex (15c Manuscript)

The Aztecs Were Fierce Warriors

Aztecs Sacrifice Neighboring Tribes to the Sun God

Heart Sacrifice on an Aztec Temple Pyramid

Wall of Skulls, Tenochtitlan

Sacrificial Statue, Tenochtitlan

Aztec Gold

The Incas

Early Andean Society and the Chavín Cult Early migration to Peru and Bolivia region By 12,000 B.C.E. hunting and gathering peoples reached South America By 8000 B.C.E. they began to experiment with agriculture Complex societies appeared in central Andean region after 1000 B.C.E. Andean societies were located in modern-day Peru and Bolivia Early agriculture in South America Main crops: beans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, cotton Fishing supplemented agricultural harvests By 1800 B.C.E. the people produced pottery, built temples and pyramids The Chavín Cult, from about 900 to 300 B.C.E. Complexity of Andean society increases during Chavín Devised techniques of producing cotton textiles and fishing nets Discovered gold, silver, and copper metallurgy Cities began to appear shortly after Chavín cult Early Andeans did not make use of writing

Mochica Early Andean states: Mochica (300-700 C.E.) in northern Peru Irrigation, trade, military, no writing Artistic legacy: painting on pottery, ceramics

Lands of the Incas

The Coming of the Inca Kingdom of Chucuito dominated Andean South America after the twelfth century Cultivation of potatoes; herding of llamas and alpacas Traded with lower valleys; chewed coca leaves Chimu, powerful kingdom in the lowlands of Peru before the mid-fifteenth century Irrigation networks; cultivation of maize and sweet potatoes Capital city at Chanchan had massive brick buildings The Inca settled first around Lake Titicaca in the Andean highlands Ruler Pachacuti launched campaigns against neighbors, 1438 Built a huge empire stretching four thousand kilometers from north to south Inca ruled as a military and administrative elite Use of quipu for record keeping Capital at Cuzco, which had as many as three hundred thousand people in the late fifteenth century Extensive road system linked north and south Official runners carried messages; spread of Quecha language

Cuzco: Ancient Capital of the Inca (11,000 ft. above sea level)

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Incan Suspension Bridges

Society Trade limited Inca society was also a hereditary aristocracy Local barter in agricultural goods Fewer specialized crafts Inca society was also a hereditary aristocracy After death, mummified rulers became intermediaries with gods Peasants worked the land and gave over a portion of their produce to the state Besides supporting ruling classes, revenue also used for famine relief Peasants also provided heavy labor for public works

Religion Inca priests served the gods Venerated sun god called Inti Creator god, Viracocha Ritual sacrifices practiced, but not of humans Inca religion had a strong moral dimension: rewards and punishments

Incan Terrace Farming

Incan Digging Sticks

Maize in Incan Pottery & Gold Work

Over 100 Different Types of Potatoes Cultivated by the Incans

Produce from a Typical Incan Market

Incan Ceramic Jars Peanut Potato Squash Cacao God Cacao Pod

The Quipu: An Incan Database

Incan Mummies

Inca Gold & Silver