1. Civilizations of the Western Hemisphere
The Mayans, Aztecs and Incas

2. How did humans travel from Asia to North America and into Meso-America
How did humans travel from Asia to North America and into Meso-America? - Came across a land bridge connecting Asia to North America

4. Mayans (Most advanced civilization)
Mayan civilization was located in Mexico and the Central American rainforest.
Mayan civilization was made up city-states that were ruled by a king. Their economy was based on agriculture and trade. The capital city of the empire was Chichen Itza.

5. The Mayans were polytheistic (belief in many gods)
The Mayans were polytheistic (belief in many gods). Religion was closely tied to agriculture. Human sacrifices were also a part of religion. For example, to end a drought, they might have given human sacrifices, so the gods would bring rain.

6. The accomplishments of the Mayans include:
Pyramid shaped temples
Pictographic writing – hieroglyphs
The study of astronomy (prediction of eclipses, agricultural calendar)
Number system

7. Fall of the Mayans
900 A.D. a series of catastrophes took place. No one knows for sure what happened. Explanations include:
Farming methods wore out the soil
War-fare between Mayan city-states
Possible peasant revolt
The results were a serious decline in population and the flight of people from cities.

8. The Aztecs
Around 1200 A.D., several groups invaded Mexico. The group that surfaced as the strongest was the Aztecs.
The Aztec had been “wandering warriors”, but soon created a city known as Tenochtitlan. This would be their capital.
Tenochtitlan grew to include pyramid temples, marketplaces and palaces.

9. Aztec society was very militaristic (warriors held the most power).
The Aztec empire grew rapidly under rule by an emperor. The empire controlled Central Mexico.
The economy of the Aztecs was based on agriculture and tribute from conquered peoples.

10. Aztec religion was polytheistic
Aztec religion was polytheistic. They performed rituals on their pyramids. An example would be that Aztecs gave human sacrifices to the Sun god so that he would remain strong (warfare provided victims).

11. Accomplishments of the Aztecs include:
Metal working, pottery and weaving
Fine art
Calendars and mathematics
Chinampas - this farming method increased the food supply

12. Decline of Aztecs
The Aztec empire declined in the late 1400’s A.D. because of political and social unrest between the Aztecs and surrounding peoples. Those conflicts greatly weakened the empire.

13. Incas – “Children of the Sun”
The Incas created an empire in the Andes Mountains in South America. It was ruled by an emperor.
The capital of the Incan empire was Cuzco.
Incas created fortresses, irrigation systems and roads.

14. The emperor helped to unify the empire by:
Moving villages
Establishing an education system
Creating an official language – Quechua
Building roads and communication systems (relay runners carried messages back and forth)
Building an agricultural economy

15. The Incas religion was polytheistic.
Accomplishments of the Incas include:
Quipue – series of knots on parallel strings as a way of keeping records
Ceramics, textiles, metals
Medicine – used anesthetics and operated on the brain

16. Machu Picchu was a sacred city for the Incans.

17. Achievements of all Meso-American Civilizations include:
a. Calendars
b. Mathematics
c. Writing and other record keeping systems

18. Mexico, Central American rain forest
Civilization
Economy
Religion
Location
Political Development
Maya
Agriculture and trade
Polytheistic
Mexico, Central American rain forest
Made up of city-states ruled by a king
Aztec
Agriculture and tribute from conquered peoples
Mexico
Ruled by an emperor
Inca
Agriculture
South America – Andes Mountains