1. CIVILIZATIONS OF MESOAMERICA
CHAPTER 6.1

2. FIRST SETTLERS Started nomadic (neolithic)
Eventually moved into sedentary farming
@ between 8500 & 2000 B.C.E.
Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Peppers, Squash, Tomatoes, Maize
Domesticated llamas
MULTIPLE SEDENTARY FARMERS WOULD MAKE UP THE FIRST VILLAGES IN THE AMERICAS

3. OLMECS Olmec Civilization
Emerged from tropical forests along gulf coast
Little is known, but believed to have high class of priests and rulers
Olmec art – stone
Engaged in trade & influenced a wide area
Olmec calendar was precursor to todays
Considered “mother culture of Mesoamerica”

4. MAYA Maya culture becomes wide spread
Grows in Mexican Yucutan Peninsula, Guatemala, and other areas of Central America
Strengths –
AGRICULTURE THRIVES
POWERFUL CITY-STATES EMERGE
Ruled over people in and near borders
Set up strong trade network and economic exchange
Honey, salt, cotton, jaguar, jade, feathers.
SOCIETAL STRUCTURE
Strong ruler
Women or men could rule
Other levels similar to Europe
Military, Priests, Scribes, Nobles, Etc.
Nobles held multiple functions to help the ruler
To support the cities, farmers paid taxes on food and worked construction projects…also slaves present

5. MAYA – CULTURAL LIFE Much of the Mayan culture was recorded on stone
STELA – stone monuments that told cultural stories
Often built by scribes
Used hieroglyphic system recently translated
Priests develop astronomy and mathematics
Needed accurate time and calendars for rituals
365 day lunar/260 ritual
Numbering system with place values and “zero”
Decline of Mayan civilization
Began to abandon cities in 900’s
Mostly farmers by 1500’s on arrival of Spanish
Why? Frequent warfare? Inner turmoil? Remoteness of location?

6. AZTEC CIVILIZATION
@ 1200 – bands of nomads migrate into the VALLEY OF MEXICO
Believed to be separate tribes
All spoke same language (NAHUATL)
All believed they came from same place – Aztlan
Formed the name AZTECS

7. Aztecs settle in Valley of Mexico
1325 – found the Aztec capitol of TENOCHTITLAN
Current Mexico City
Lake Texcoco
Built on a farmland/swamp area
Used method called CHINAMPAS to create more farmland
Artificial islands of mud built on floating reed mats
Expanded the empire through conquests
1500’s – empire consisted of most of Mexico & 30 million people

8. Aztec Society War brought immense treasure for Aztecs
TRIBUTE brought $$$ = GORGEOUS CITY
Government structure – single ruler for Empire
Council of priests/nobles/military elected leader
Powerful middle class included long distance traders
Majority were commoners/farmers
Bottom were criminals/slaves/prisoners

9. Religion and Mythology
POLYTHEISTIC
Huitzlopochtli – god of the people
Quetzalcoatl – feathered serpent who reigned over earth and water
Tialoc – rain god
TEOITHUACAN
Believed to be the location the Aztec gods created the Aztec world
Gods sacrificed themselves for the good of the people
Nanahuatzin – sacrificed himself to become the sun
HUMAN SACRIFICES wee offered in return.

10. Aztec knowledge expands
Priests were the keepers of Aztec knowledge.
Recorded laws in ancient hieroglyphics
Ran schools for kids of nobles
“Fortold” the future with astronomy and mathematics
260 day ritual/365 social day calendar
Illness – punishment from the gods
Doctors – natural medicines, set bones, dental, steam baths