Mexican American History Mesoamerica

Timeline 40000 BCE – 8000 BCE Paleoindians 5000 BCE – Archaic Indians. Nomadic Came during last Ice Age 5000 BCE – Archaic Indians. Agriculture 2000 BCE – 200 CE Formative or pre-Classic Organizational evolutions Population growth 200 – 900 CE Classic “The Golden Age of Mesoamerica” 900-1519 CE post-Classic era

Mesoamerica Literally mans middle America. ONE of six “cradles of civilization”

Bering Migration Theory Paleoindians migrated across Bering Land Bridge during the last Ice Age Carbon Dating Alternative Thesis to Bering Land Bridge

Maize – “The Corn People” Domesticated ~9000 BCE Unifying Factor Development Agricultural surplus Population growth Specialization Craftsmen Religious leaders Identity

Olmeca Asia, Africa, or…? Mother Culture Origins Settlement “gente del pais del hule” Role of maize

Olmeca… Pottery Patriarchal Colossal stone heads Trade Number zero Decline

Maya – emerge abot 1800 BCE Capitals Prosperity Writing Codices, Hieroglyphs, Books Fr. Diego de Landa Social structure Decline

Teotihuacán – “city of the gods” Social structure Strong central government Trade Decline

Zapoteca and Mixteca Oaxaca Monte Albán Trade Social structure Writing

Tolteca 950-1150 CE Michoacán Chichimecas Tula Decline “Temple of Ce Acatl” Decline

Tarasco 150 BCE ~1530 CE Same basic area as Tolteca Tzintzuntzán Military focus Trade Social Structure Aztec relationship

Azteca 1325-1520 Mexica Aztlán Tenochtitlán Lake Texcoco Chichimecas

Azteca Schools Empire Gender roles Human Sacrifices Quinto Sol Calmecac school (future leaders) Empire Gender roles June Nash Gender parallelism Human Sacrifices Huitzilpochtli Quinto Sol

Northern Frontier Nortenos Hohokan Anasazi Mogollon Mississippians Pueblos Mogollon Mississippians Cahokians