Chapter 16 The Americas Section one- The First Americans Section two- Life in the Americas Section three- Fall of the Aztec and Inca Empires

Book Source: City of the Gods: Mexico’s Ancient city of Teotihuacan by Caroline Arnold and Richard Hewlett Warm- Up- Listen to an excerpt of the exploration of the ruins and examine some of the pictures.

Key terms Glacier- huge sheet of ice Monopoly- control by one group of the sale of a product

WARM-UP Question How did people first come to America?

Pathway to the Americas Scientist believe that people from Asia, followed animals across a land bridge known as Beringia which is named after Vitus Bering, a European explorer. The land bridge as between Asia and Alaska and appeared after the Ice Age when much of the earth’s water froze into huge sheets of ice called glaciers. As the ice froze, the seas fell and thus dry land appeared.

Pathway to the Americas How many years ago did the first people arrive??? Based on scientific study scientist think between 15,000-40,000 years ago. The Ice Age ended about 10, 000 years ago. The glaciers melted and the water went back into the seas. The land bridge to America was once again covered by water!!

Hunting and Gathering in the Americas Fished Gathered nuts, fruits, or roots Hunted huge animals such as the woolly mammoth, antelope, caribou, and bison. Some of these animals would become extinct with the end of the ice age.

First American Civilizations The invention of farming led to the first civilizations in the Americas. Farming began 9,000-10,000 years ago in Meso-america or Middle America. This area includes lands from the Valley of Mexico to Costa Rica in Central America. Meso-america had rich soil from volcanoes and a warm climate. The first american crops included pumpkins, peppers, squash, gourds, and beans. The most important crop was corn or maize!!

Mesoamerican civilizations The Olmec The Teotihuacans The Maya The Toltec The Aztec

The Olmec Established a trading empire around 1200 B.C. that lasted about 800 years. They lived near what is today Vera Cruz, Mexico. Traded salt and beans for jade to make jewelry. They also traded for obidian, or volcanic glass, to make sharp knives. They would use a shiny volcanic stone to make polished mirrors. They used basalt for carving big stone head sculptures. The Olmec used the area’s many rivers for trade, but in time the inland peoples took control of the trade.

The Teotihuacan Peoples Planned the first city in the americas. The city was known as Teotihuacan which means “Place of the Gods.” The city was its most powerful around A.D. 400. Between 120,000-200,000 people lived in the city.

The Maya Lived in the wet rainforest of the Yucatan Peninsula. Paddled along the coasts making it easy for them to trade. The Mayan cities were at their best in the A.D. 400s and 500s. The Mayan civilization lasted until A.D. 950 where their cities were empty and covered in vines.

The Toltec Built the city of Tula which is northwest of present day Mexico city. Controlled trade and held a monopoly. They were the only ones who could trade in obsidian. This meant other people could not make weapons as strong as Toltec weapons. The Aztec warriors took over Tula and copied their ways and would eventually rule over about 5 million people by the A.D. 1500s.

The Moche Located in South America Lived in the dry desert of present day Peru Ruled from A.D. 100 to A.D. 700 Known for irrigation- dug canals to bring water from the Andes mountains so that they could grow crops in the desert. Corn, squash, beans, and peanuts. Hunted llamas and guinea pigs and fished in the Pacific ocean Known for their art- pottery

The Inca Located in the Andes mountain ranges of present day Peru Lived in high river valleys Built up the largest empire in the ancient americas Cuzco was their capital and was founded in A.D. 1100

North American Civilizations- based on farming and trade Hohokam Anasazi Adena Hopewell Mississippians

The Hohokam people Around A.D. 300 Hohokam people planted gardens on lands between the Salt and Gila Rivers. They dug over 500 miles of canals to carry water to their fields. Corn, cotton, beans, and squash. Made pottery and turquoise jewelry Made the world’s first etchings, or pictures made with acid. They used cactus juice to eat through the top of shells. Mid 1300s moved away- not sure why

The Anasazi Around A.D. 600, the Anasazi moved into the area’s canyons and cliffs. They also farmed. They used the water that ran off the cliffs during heavy rains instead of using water from rivers. The anasazi culture was at its highest point at Chaco Canyon which is present day New Mexico. Controlled trade in turquoise and used it like money to buy goods from many areas, including Mesoamerica. Lived in big houses dug into cliffs which had hundreds of rooms and held thousands of people. These houses are called pueblos- spanish word meaning village. Lived well until the A.D. 1000 and then moved away- maybe no rain.

The Moundbuilders- the Adena and Hopewell Settled lands from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly lived as hunter-gatherers Tamed wild plants like the sunflower, gourds, and barley. Traders probably brought corn to the area around A.D. 100. These traders were looking for materials to make weapons, jewelry, and carving and have been found in the mounds with the dead.

The Mississippians Their home is in the Mississippi river valley. Lands reached from present day Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, south to the Gulf of Mexico. Plants grew well along the river and they became full time farmers. Corn, squash, and beans. This farming led to the growth of cites with as many as 10,000 people. The largest city was Cahokia with 30,000 people located in southwest Illinois. Built pyramid shaped mounds with flat tops Monks mound has a base of 16 acres and is more than 100 feet high where rulers would look down at the smaller mounds. The flat tops of the mounds held temples, homes for the rich, and graves. In the early 1300s, the Mississippian civilization ended and their cities were left empty- don’t know why