A Proper Tribute to a Long-Gone Civilization Mesoamerica A Proper Tribute to a Long-Gone Civilization

Mesoamerica

Mesoamerican Timeline PRE-CLASSIC (2000-100 BC) CLASSIC (100 BC-900 AD) POST-CLASSIC (900 AD-Present Day) This lecture will be dealing with only the Pre-Classic Period Rise of Mayan Culture Giant Statues of Olmec Kings Daily Life in Mesoamerica

First “American” Civilization The OLMEC precede later Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Toltec, Maya, and Aztec The name "Olmec" means "rubber people" in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec people Later accounts seem to refer to their ancient name as "Tamoanchan"

Giant Olmec Statues The heads range in size from the Rancho La Corbata head, at 3.4m high, to the pair at Tres Zapotes, at 1.47m Almost all of these colossal heads bear the same features - flattened nose, wide lips, and capping headpiece

The Calendar Round Variously known as the tzolkin or tonalamatl, a period of 52 years would elapse before the 260-day calendar would come back into phase with the 365-day calendar

Glyphic Writing GLYPHIC writing refers specifically to the letters or characters within a writing system and may or may not be attached to particular sounds Most Mesoamerican glyphics are only pictographic symbols used to express ideas

The Ballgame The “ball” was made from hardened rubber from the sap of a fig tree, used specifically for its ability to bounce There were versions played only with the hands, others which used the hips and the elbows, and another in which a bat was used

A World of Indifference French word for it is Caoutchouc and it comes from a South American Indian word meaning “the wood that weeps” Juice is found in the bark of the hevea brasiliensis tree, the source of most of the world’s natural rubber

Mayan Traditions The Maya developed a complex, hierarchical society divided into classes and professions headed by kings who ruled territories with clearly defined boundaries in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador

Old-Time Religion The name Popol Vuh means "The Collection of Written Leaves“ The book begins with the Maya civilization's creation myth followed by the history of the Quiché kingdom It was composed in the form in which we now possess it by a Christianized native of Guatemala

Xocolatl of the Gods The word chocolate is derived from the Nahuatl language of Mexico xocolli (bitter) atl (water) Chocolate is made from the fermented, roasted, and ground beans taken from the pod of the Theobroma cacao tree

Teotihuacan The name is from the Nahuatl language and means “place of becoming gods” The Avenue of the Dead was the main street of Teotihuacan and ran for more than 2.5 km The avenue divided the city into two sections, with pyramids on both sides of the avenue

Decline of Mayan Culture The decline and disappearance of the Mayan culture of Mesoamerica makes them difficult to understand Mayans believed that the world has been created five times and destroyed four times This description became the fundamental basis of Mesoamerican religion from 900 AD onwards when it was adopted by the Toltecs