1. Latin America – Ancient Cultures
Bell Ringer
Tell me what you know about the Aztec, Incan and Mayan cultures.
B.C.E. (B.C.= Before Christ) stands for "Before the Common Era" when we are discussing historic timelines.
C.E. (A.D.= After Death of Christ) stands for "Common Era" when we are discussing historic timelines.
The western calendar is measured starting with his birth, meaning he was born in the year 0. However, most scholars and historians now agree that he was likely born several years before.
Agenda
Ancient Cultures

2. Early Human Migrations

4. The Mayans

5. Maya

6. Who were the Maya? Where? Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala When?
1000BC to about 1000AD
What kind of people?
Small city states, farmers and traders.
Mathematicians- Invented the 0 in 36BC, before most people.
Astronomers- Maya calendar is still accurate, very complex.
Advanced cities - Chichen Itza, Tulum, Palenque, Tikal
What happened to Maya?
Overpopulated cities collapsed
Survivors dispersed throughout Central America
Culture diffused because of trade and military alliances
Unlike the relatively centralized Aztec and Inca empires, the Maya civilization was a loose aggregation of city-states.

7. Lands of the Mayans
The Yucatan Peninsula

8. Chichen-Itza - Pyramid

9. Chichen-Itza - Observatory

10. Chichen-Itza - Ball Court

11. Overview of Tikal (Guatemala)
Temple of the Masks

12. Tikal Jungle View at Sunset

13. Tikal - Main Court

14. Tikal: Temple of the Masks – Guatemala For more info. click here

15. Mayan Glyphs
sky king house child city
Mayan Mathematics

16. Mayan Glyphs

17. The Aztecs

18. Who were the Aztec? Where Central Mexico
Capital city was Tenochtitlan, on Lake Texcoco.
When?
1300AD to 1500AD
What kind of people?
Hierarchical society
1. Emperor
2. Nobles
3. Warriors
4. Farmers
5. Slaves
Empire centered on war and religious sacrifice
What happened to Aztecs?
Defeated by Hernan de Cortez (Spanish) in 1519, with native allies
Most Aztecs later died from European diseases, such as Smallpox
Mestizo- Interbreeding made a new Mexican “race”, ½ Indian ½ Spanish.

19. Aztecs

20. Lands of the Aztecs

21. Aztec View of Tenochtitlan

22. Ruins of the City Center, Tenochtitlan

23. Tenochtitlan: The “Venice” of the Americas

24. Aztec Chinampa or Floating Garden: 15ft. to 30ft. wide

25. Tenochtitlan – Chinampas

26. Aztec Writing
Aztec Math

27. Aztec Sun Stone - Calendar

28. Aztec Sun Motifs

29. Aztecs Sacrifice Neighboring Tribes to the Sun God

30. Heart Sacrifice on an Aztec Temple Pyramid

31. Wall of Skulls, Tenochtitlan

32. Sacrificial Statue, Tenochtitlan

33. Aztec Gold

34. The Incas

35. Who were the Inca?
Where
Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador ,Chile(Andes Mountains)
Capital was Cuzco, Peru
Machu Picchu was last stronghold of Inca
When?
1200AD to 1533AD
What kind of people?
Similar to Aztec, not as warlike
Empire was large, structured, and advanced
Famous for gold art and statues
Terrace farming on mountainsides,
Extensive road network. (20,000 miles)
Polytheistic religion
Quechua Language – still spoken
What happened to the Inca?
Defeated by Francisco Pizarro in 1533
Incans enslaved to mine gold and silver for Spain.

36. Lands of the Incas

37. Cuzco: Ancient Capital of the Inca (11,000 ft. above sea level)

38. Machu Picchu

39. Machu Picchu

40. Incan Suspension Bridges

41. Incan Terrace Farming

42. Maize in Incan Pottery & Gold Work

43. Over 100 Different Types of Potatoes Cultivated by the Incans

44. Incan Ceramic Jars
Peanut
Potato
Squash
Cacao God
Cacao Pod

45. The Quipu: An Incan Database

46. Inca Gold & Silver

48. The Nazca Lines
The Nazca are shrouded in mystery. Estimated dates of the civilization's existence are 300 B.C. to 800 A.D. Even more intriguing are the Nazca Lines, about 300 geolyphs carved into the Pampa coastal plains of Peru, an area south of Lima and the contours of the Andes. In total, the lines cover almost 400 square miles of desert. But the methods behind the creation and the purpose of the lines are still unknown.
Nazca Lines video - 3 min.

49. Guns, Germs, and Steel
As you watch the video answer the questions that you have written down.