The student will demonstrate an understanding of the development of societies in Central and South America.

Made up of Mexico & Central America Settled near coastal areas Moved from hunter- gatherers to domesticating animals & plants

OLMECMAYAAZTECINCA LOCATION GOVERNMENT ECONOMY RELIGION ART

RISE:  Earliest American civilization; “Mother culture”  Located: along Gulf Coast of Mexico  Little is known  Powerful priest & noble class  Art: carved stone  Engaged in trade  Religion: polytheistic (based on nature/animals) FALL:  Not sure of decline  Huge depopulation occurred  Possibly due to changes in the environment that did not allow farmers to continue living there

RISE:  Located: Yucatan Peninsula  Political Organization  Made up of independent city-states  Each city had its own king  Economic Organization  City-states connected through trade  Religious Organization  Polytheistic  Human Sacrifice Human Sacrifice  Social Organization  Majority farmers  Slaves  POWs  Intellectual Organization  Writing  Hieroglyphics  Ball Game Ball Game  Calendar  Astronomy and Mathematics

900 AD: Abandoned many of their cities Possible warfare, overpopulation, or exhaustion of the soil are some theories

RISE:  Located: Valley of Mexico  Capital: Tenochtitlan; today, Mexico City  Religion: polytheistic  Human sacrifice very important  One single ruler; nobles & priests important  Mostly farmers  Chinampas: floating gardens for growing food FALL:  Conquered many people, led to discontent & rebellion  Sided with the Spanish  War raged between Spanish & Aztecs, smallpox infected Aztecs; huge decrease in population

RISE:  Located: South America in the Andes Mountains  Capital: Cuzco  Stretched from Ecuador to Chile  One ruler; nobles ruled different areas  Mostly famers; terraces  Metalwork & weaving  Religion: polytheisitc  Trade not important  Quipa: collection of colored strings knotted to represent numbers (record keeping)  Road networks connected empire  Brain surgery

Emperor died Civil war broke out over next successor Weakened empire right as Spanish invaders arrived

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