By: Maurice Bumbu, Austin Evans, Britney Jahn, Paige Press, and Quan Tran

Little is known of the cultures of the early societies in the Americas and Oceania as there was no developed writing system at the time and the sparse knowledge we have is based on archaeological findings. From studying their work, however, it is apparent that both societies were complex and had developed rich cultural traditions. Early societies in the Americas: Built ceremonial centers reflecting religion and politics Were very artistic, leaving behind sculpture, metalwork, and painting Developed knowledge of astronomy and mathematics Early societies of Oceania: Experienced a spread of agriculture technology by trading and settling throughout the Pacific Formed the Lapita society, stretching from New Guinea to Tonga Olmec Ruler

Distinct Social Classes:  Rulers  Priests  Architects and sculptors (specializing in public buildings)  Artisans (pottery, tools, textiles, etc.)  Peasants and slaves (physical labor; they were ultimately the reason why people received food)

Culture  The Maya built on Olmec astronomy, math, and writing.  Priests studied astronomy and created the 365 day calendar.  Scribes kept agricultural records and wrote history, poetry, and myths using ideographic characters and utilizing symbols to represent syllable sounds.  The Mayan peoples believed that human sacrifice would please the gods, resulting in more rain and a better agricultural season.  The Mayan ball game consisted of two to four players. Object of game was get the small rubber ball in a ring without the use of hands. The defeated were usually tortured and killed.

Teotihuacan  This city flourished in central Mexico due to the surrounding lakes which carried plenty of fish and water.  Expanding human population → congregation of people in cities → complex societies.  Between 400 and 600 C.E. Teotihuacan had almost 200,000 inhabitants.  By this point, neighborhoods, temples, workshops, and markets had been developed. This allowed for trade and exchange networks to appear within the city.  From what paintings of the time show, Teotihuacan was most likely a theocracy led my priests.  The city had very little external defense and by the middle of the 8 th century invaders had sacked and burned the city; later on, it was eventually completely destroyed.

Early Inhabitation  The first wave of migration took place about 13,000 B.C.E.  Humans reached the southernmost part of South America by 9500 B.C.E.  The earliest human inhabitants of Americas lived exclusively by hunting and gathering.  Agriculture began around 7500 B.C.E when hunting became difficult.  By 7500 B.C.E. many species of large animals were well on the road to extinction.

The Olmecs  Between 8000 B.C.E. to 7000 B.C.E, the peoples of Mesoamerica began to experiment with the cultivation of beans, chili peppers, avocados, squashes, and gourds.  Their diet was rich in cultivated foods prepared by human laborers.  The Olmecs were located by the Gulf of Mexico.  Ceremonial centers and other more elaborate complexes were built by the end of the second millennium B.C.E.  Rulers began to show their powers by constructing large pyramids.  The Olmecs began to gain wealth by trading jade and obsidian. Agriculture Trade and Commerce

Heirs of the Olmecs: the Maya  The Maya were located in the highlands of Guatemala.  Human population grew dramatically when the Maya appeared.  The most important Mayan political center was called the Tikal.  The Maya fertilized and plowed cotton and cacao.  Mayan decline began in 800 C.E., when Teotihuacan was sacked and burnt, resulting in the desertion of much of the population.

Early Andean Society  When people migrated from central America to South America, they began to experiment with agriculture in order to survive against environmental barriers.  In the early Andean society, trade from Mesoamerica to the Andean region began to flourish. -Maize and squash from Mesoamerica eventually migrated to the Andean area. -Copper, Gold, and Silver traveled from the Andean area to Mesoamerica. Migration/Patterns of Settlement  Trade and Commerce

Chavin Cult  Around B.C.E., the Chavin Cult had appeared.  They made complex carvings representing their divinity which featured humans and wild animals.  As the society developed within the cult, cultists tested their abilities with weaving, arts, and craftsmanship. -Their designs grew in intricacy and design. -Jewelry, Cotton string fishnets, and textiles were all created in this period.  The Chavin Cult had apparently disbanded circa 300 B.C.E. Regional Organizations

Early Andean States  Conquers organized valley regions into individual societies to create states. -The builders of the states did this intentionally, and worked hard to have a functioning state.  Mochica was a state on the foot of a valley, next to the Moche River. -Dominated northern Peru from C.E. -Excavators found a evidence of Mochica, by studying the art and pottery that was left behind.  Forms of Governance

 The first migrants arrived in Australia and New Guinea at least sixty thousand years ago using watercraft; these were most likely early canoes built with sails. Since migrants had reached Australia and New Guinea before animal domestication and crop cultivation had been developed, inhabitants of both areas were hunters and gatherers. It is likely that early peoples migrated between Australia and New Guinea during their foraging.  Since migrants had reached Australia and New Guinea before animal domestication and crop cultivation had been developed, inhabitants of both areas were hunters and gatherers. It is likely that early peoples migrated between Australia and New Guinea during their foraging.  However, this ceased ten thousand years ago, when the glaciations connecting the two islands melted, disallowing land travel between islands.

 After the glacial melt discontinued travel between New Guinea and Australia, the Aboriginal peoples continued to forage for food as hunters and gatherers until the 19 th Century C.E., when European explorers established settlements.  As hunters and gatherers, they exploited the natural resources of the various regions. -Their diet was mainly constituted by fruits, berries, roots, seeds, shoots, and green leaves. -They consumed at least 141 different species of plants and utilized more than 124 plants as medicines, ointments, and for other medical purposes. -Axes, spears, clubs, nets, snares, boomerangs, and other paraphernalia were used to hunt prey including waterfowl, kangaroos, and fish.

 Unlike their Aborigine cousins, the peoples of New Guinea turned to agriculture instead of foraging after the glacial melt. Settlers in New Guinea cultivated root crops and domesticated livestock beginning around 3000 B.C.  Yams and taro were among the crops cultivated by the peoples of New Guinea; they also bred pigs and chickens as well.  The Austronesians visited New Guinea c B.C., where they established trade and eventually settled in their own communities.  These Austronesians were most likely the reason the residents of New Guinea settled and adopted agriculture over foraging.

 Early Austronesian peoples possessed great agricultural prowess, allowing them to establish settlements in the islands of the Pacific Ocean.  They built canoes for safe travel and crop transport, as well as domesticated animals, enabling them to create agricultural societies on other islands.  After setting, Austronesians began to voyage to previously unpopulated islands, spreading to Fiji by 1300 B.C.E., Tonga and Samoa by 1000 B.C.E., and New Zealand by 700 C.E. Migration

 The first Austronesian migrants to establish settlements in the Pacific islands were known as the Lapita. Their society was situated from New Guinea to Tonga between B.C.E.  The region extended over 2,800 miles (roughly the size of the U.S.) Trade and Expansion The Lapita peoples: -Established agricultural villages, planting crops used by their ancestors. -Made distinctive pottery decorated with geometric designs. geometric designs. -Established networks of trade. -These trade networks halted after 500 B.C.E., When the seperate Lapita settlements became large enough to support themselves. They established a political organization, with power passed down from a chief to the eldest son.