1. Civilizations of the Americas Mayas Aztecs Incas

2. American Civilizations Mayas Aztecs Incas

3. Mayan Civilization Located in present day Mexico and Central America.

4. Mayan Civilization Situated in the rainforest

5. Mayan Government Group of city-states Each city-state ruled by a king

6. Mayan Economy Based on agriculture and trade Farmed the rainforest: mostly maize, beans and squash

7. Trade Cities traded items like flint, salt, cotton textiles and jade ornaments.

8. Mayan Religion Polytheistic: believed in many gods including gods of rain, sun, maize and creation. Believed that each day, month, and year was a living god

9. Mayas made sacrificed food, flowers, incense, and sometimes humans to please the gods.

10. Mayan Contributions Hieroglyphic writing system 365 day calendar Mathematics: number system Pyramids (largest structures in the Americas until 1903).

11. Mayan Writing: Hieroglyphs The most advanced writing system of the Americas “Glyphs” had multiple meanings-they could stand for sounds or words Codex: paper-bark books

12. Mayan Mathematics Number system including zero Base 20 system

13. Mayan Calendar Mayans developed an accurate 365 day solar calendar based on observations of the sun, moon and planets Also developed a 260 day religious calendar

14. Mayan Observatories Used to create the calendars

15. Mayan Cities Chichen Itza: One of many religious and ceremonial centers

16. Chichen Itza Chac Mool: Rain god Offerings, including the still beating hearts of victims, were placed in the bowl Steps to main pyramid

17. Mayan Sports Mayans played a handball like game in which the losers were sacrificed.

18. Aztec Empire Located in Central Mexico (North America)

19. Aztec Civilization Situated in an arid (dry) valley (the Valley of Mexico)

20. Aztec Capital: Present-day Mexico City Built in the middle of a swamp Tenochtitlan

21. then now

22. Aztec Economy Based on agriculture Chinampas: Man made floating gardens used to grow maize, beans, and squash.

23. Aztec Rule Governed by an emperor with absolute power Military leaders and priests made up the noble class.

24. Aztec Advances Writing: pictograms Accurate calendar Mathematics Pyramids

25. Aztec Writing pictograms

26. Aztec Calendar The Aztec Calendar had 365 days: 18 months, each with 20 days plus 5 unlucky days. Like the Mayans, each day was ruled by a different god.

27. Aztec Religion Polytheistic religion Worship of sun god required human blood.

28. Aztec Religion Based on warfare Conquests were required to provide sacrificial victims.

29. Incan Empire Located in the Andes Mountains of South America (present-day Peru, Ecuador, and Chile).

30. Incan Beaureacracy Ruled by an emperor who was believed to be a descendent of the sun god, Inti. Set up a complex bureaucracy based on groups of ten

31. Incan Ruins Machu Pichu located on a mountain top

32. Machu Pichu believed to be a religious and/or ceremonial city.

33. Incan Achievements Road System Calendar: developed using mathematics and astronomy Quipu- record keeping system Architecture: buildings have survived many earthquakes (no pyramids)

34. Incan Calendar Calendar system with two types of calendars: one for day and and one for night Like the Mayan and Aztec calendars, it was used mainly for religious purposes.

35. Incan Economy High altitude agriculture Farmed the mountain sides by building terraces.

36. Incan Road System 14,000 mile long network of roads and bridges crossing rugged mountains and harsh deserts Runners carried messages from one end of the empire to another.

37. Inca Trail to Machu Pichu

38. Incan Quipu Language in colored knots Recorded information concerning food storage, census data, and historical records.

39. Incan Religion Polytheistic Believed that rulers were descendents of the sun God, Inti. Worshipped dead rulers who were preserved as mummies.

42. Mayan Music

43. Aztec Pyramids