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Civilizations of Middle America
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The Land Bridge 30,000 years ago humans migrated to America from Asia (Paleolithic Era) across the Bering Strait
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Global Warming 10,000 years ago the land bridge melted
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Agricultural Revolution
The peoples of the Americas learned to farm and domesticate animals
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Limited Growth They had no horses or oxen to bear heavy loads or pull wagons Some areas did have Llamas
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The Olmecs Lasted from about 1400 BC to 500 BC
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Tombs and Temples The Olmecs had a powerful class of priests and aristocrats
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Lack of Cities They had no true cities but ceremonial centers where the people would gather to attend religious ceremonies
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Stone Heads The ruins of 40-ton stone heads were found at a religious center at La Venta
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Mystery Archeologists have no theories how the Olmecs moved the stone from the distant quarries without wheeled vehicles or draft animals
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Influence The Olmecs heavily influenced later American Civilizations:
Art Calendar Religion
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The Mayans
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City-States Each with its own ruler
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Farming in the Rainforest
Cleared dense forests and built raised fields and channels to drain excess water
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Pyramids Served as temples and burial places
Were the tallest buildings in America until the skyscrapers in NYC (1903)
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Trade Exchanged honey, cocoa, cotton cloth, and feathers across roads of packed earth
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Social Classes Ruling chief Nobles Priests Farmers
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Farmers Grew corn, beans and squash
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Advances Hieroglyphic writing system 365 day calendar Concept of zero
Written in bark books, most burned by Europeans when they arrived 365 day calendar Concept of zero
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Decline Around 900 the Mayans abandoned their cities Why?
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Aztec 1200s to 1519
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Lake Texcoco Settled around the lake and began to build a capital city
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Teotihuacan (tay oh tee wah KAHN) Had well planned wide roads
massive temples Large apartment buildings
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Pyramid of the Sun
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Pyramid of the Moon
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Chinampas Artificial islands made of earth piled on reed mats anchored to the shallow lake bed.
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Conquest The Aztecs took over surrounding villages and forced the people to pay tribute and sacrificed their young daughters to the God of War
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By 1500 it is estimated the Empire numbered about 30 million people
Aztec Empire By 1500 it is estimated the Empire numbered about 30 million people
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Emperor Chosen by a council of nobles and priests
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Social Structure Emperor Nobles Warriors Farmers Slaves
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(wee tsee loh POHKT lee)
Huitzilopochtli (wee tsee loh POHKT lee) Chief Aztec god that battled the forces of darkness every night. Human sacrifices strengthened his power
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Advances Writing system Calendar Medicines Set broken bones
Treat dental cavities
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