1. CHAPTER 6: EARLY SOCIETIES IN THE AMERICAS AND OCEANIA

2. 1) What is a civilization and what are defining characteristics of a civilization? How did the civilizations of your chapter develop and grow more complex before 600 BCE? What were the effects of this increasing complexity?
Civilization – the process in which a society or place reaches an advanced stage of social development/organization
Characteristics – cities, government, religion, social structure, writing, art
Ceremonial centers got adopted after Olmec’s disappearance, leading to the development of cities.
Social status
Agriculture
Domestication of animals
Trade
Leader

3. 2) Where did the early civilizations of your chapter develop (geography) and why did they develop in those locations?
Olmecs – La Venta, Tres Zapotes, and Lorenzo.
Developed in these location because it became difficult to live by foraging.
Turned to agriculture
Agriculture produced rich harvest
Abundant rainfall
Maya – region now occupied by southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador
Highlands of Guatemala offer fertile soil and excellent conditions for agriculture
Lowlands – flourished by getting artificially retaining rich earth from terraces and increasing the agricultural productivity
Teotihuacan – north in the highlands of Mexico
Abundant supply of fish and waterfowl
Andean – Region now occupied by Peru and Bolivia
Good for agricultural resources

4. 3) What is a state? Who ruled the early states of your assigned chapter? Which segments of society usually supported that ruler?
State – an organized political community under one government
Olmecs – authoritarian
Maya – hierarchical government ruled by kings and priests
Teotihuacan – theocracy
Lapita – Chief to eldest son

5. 4) Was your state able to expand and conquer neighboring states
4) Was your state able to expand and conquer neighboring states? Why/why not?
Maya – Yes, Maya kingdoms fought constantly with each other. Took over their ceremonial centers, bringing back important captives from neighboring kingdoms gave warriors prestige.
Teotihuacan – Yes, although there was little sign of military organization, no defensive walls, works of art rarely depicted warriors, The Maya capital fell under the influence of Teotihuacan
Andean – Yes, surviving stone fortifications and warriors depicted in works of art testify that the early Andean states relied heavily on arms to introduce order and maintain stability
Austronesian – No, they migrated.

6. 5) What role did your pastoral civilizations play in regards to building empires in your assigned chapter?
Olmecs - drainage systems, ceremonial centers, artistic adornment, pyramids.
Maya – temples, pyramids, altars, stone sculptures, tombs for rulers, The Temple of the Giant Jaguar
Teotihuacan – Pyramids of the Sun and Moon
Andean peoples – canals, irrigation systems
Australians – axes, spears, canoes, small boats, irrigation system

7. 6) How did culture play a role in unifying populations in your chapter?
Ceremonial Centers – brought people together and began to from cities
Maya Language – had a set language
Trade – sharing of ideas and goods from other civilizations
Languages – migrations causing adoption of said language
Myths – believed in blood rituals

8. 7) What architectural forms did your early civilization produce?
Olmec: Ceremonial Centers, drainage systems, monumental pyramids, temples, palaces, altars, stone sculptures, tombs for rulers, artistic adornment
Maya – terraces designed to trap silt, cities, The Temple of the Giant
Teotihuacan – Pyramids of the Sun and Moon
Andean peoples – canals, irrigation systems
Australians – axes, spears, canoes, small boats, irrigation system

9. 8) Which social class encouraged the development of art in your ancient civilization?
Ruling and noble classes
Traded finely crafted works of art as a sign of special status
Owning fine and expensive art pieces shows social class

10. 9) What form of writing developed in your ancient civilization?
Olmecs – system of writing but little of it survives
Maya – Maya script contained both ideographic elements and symbols for syllables
Teotihuacan – expanded Olmecs’ graphic symbols into complete writing system
Australia– Austronesian languages

11. 10) What was the relationship between literature and culture in your ancient civilization?
Language – set language
Spanish conquerors – burning Maya books
Myths – Maya believed in blood rituals

12. 11) What pre-600 BCE religions strongly influenced later eras?
The Popol Vuh – myth originating from Maya, taught that gods kept the world going and maintained the agricultural cycle in exchange for honors and sacrifices performed for them by humans
Teotihuacun – polytheism

13. 12) What trade routes and outside peoples did your early civilization utilize?
Olmec - Central and southern portion of modern Mexico to modern Guatemala and El Salvador
Spread influence partly by military force
Maya – long-distance trade
linked the new urban centers and extended influence to all parts of Mesoamerica
Teotihuacan – extensive trade and exchange networks. Region of modern Guatemala City in the south to Durango and beyond in the north
Andean – established trade and exchange networks that tied the highlands, the central valleys, and the coastal regions together
Lapita – large region extending around 4500 km from New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago to Samoa and Tonga

14. 13) How did social and gender identities develop pre-600 BCE in your early civilization?
Social class formed after the development of agriculture
Leaders were appointed
Men – higher status than women
All of the high jobs

15. CREDITS BY: Amy Jung, Kayla Johnson, Briana Baldovinos, Taryn Martinez
Period 6
AP World History