1. Mayans

2. Location
Yucatan Peninsula
Mexico, Guatemala, & Belize CE

3. Government
City-states
Theocracy
King
God-King OR
Priest-King

4. Society and Culture—Technology
Calendar
Religious and solar calendars
Astronomy
Calculated a year to days
Mathematics
Number zero

5. Society and Culture— Language
Used 800 Hieroglyphics symbols known as glyphs
Codex- books
Less than 5 exist

6. Religion Polytheistic Pyramids were temples Prayed, offered blood
Sacrificed enemies

7. Economy Based on trade and agriculture
Sometimes used cocoa beans for money

8. Downfall Mysteriously abandoned cities in 800 Warfare?
Food shortage/famine?

9. Incas

10. Location
Peru
Andes Mountains

11. Government Central bureaucracy Theocracy Pachacuti
Divided into sections
Theocracy
Ruler (Inca) considered a descendent of the sun god
Pachacuti
Expanded the Inca kingdom into an Inca empire

12. Society/Culture Road system Quipu- counting device used to record data
Used for trade
Quipu- counting device used to record data
Calendar
Day and night

13. Religion Polytheistic Nature gods Sacrificed llamas Machu Piccu
Sun, moon, stars, thunder
Sacrificed llamas
Machu Piccu

14. Economy Based on trade Early form of socialism
Government controlled the economy

15. Downfall Civil war broke out Francisco Pizarro Spanish conquistador
Conquered the Incas in 1535

16. Aztecs

17. Location
Central Mexico
Valley of Mexico
Present-day Mexico City

18. Government
Theocracy
Emperor- absolute power

19. Society/Culture Tenochtitlan—Aztec capital
Built in the middle of a lake
Planned city
Roads
Aqueducts
Causeways

20. Society/Culture cont. Calendar Same as the Mayans 18 months of 20 days
5 extra days were bad luck

21. Religion Polytheistic Adopted from the Toltecs Sun god
Nourished by human blood

22. Quetzalcoatl Feathered serpent god of Meso-America God of learning
Symbol of death, and rebirth
Was overthrown
Legend says he would return to reclaim his throne

23. Economy
Trade
Based on the trade of agricultural products.

24. Downfall
Montezuma II
Last emperor
Demand for more tribute and sacrifice caused oppression
Civil war broke out
Spanish invaded
Hernando Cortez
believed to be the “Feathered Serpent God”--Quetzalcoatl