1. Section 2: Mesoamerica Main Idea
Civilizations in Mesoamerica were some of the earliest and most advanced in the Americas.
Objectives
What were the first civilizations in Mesoamerica like?
What were some characteristics of Maya civilization?
What made the Aztec empire one of the strongest in the ancient Americas?

2. I. The First Civilizations
Mesoamerica - first farming settlements in the Americas

3. The Olmec carved giant heads from basalt that came from 50 miles away
A. The Olmec
1200 BC - AD 300; built first large towns - pyramids, courtyards, giant stone heads
The Olmec carved giant heads from basalt that came from 50 miles away

4. La Venta was the largest Olmec town from 900s BC & 400s BC
A. The Olmec
Rulers, priests, and their families lived in towns. Lower classes lived outside town and supported them
La Venta was the largest Olmec town from 900s BC & 400s BC

5. Artist’s conception of the Olmec city of La Venta
A. The Olmec
Had ceremonies dedicated to the gods & controlled trade from Gulf of Mexico to Pacific coast
Artist’s conception of the Olmec city of La Venta

6. A. The Olmec
Their culture spread through trade & influenced later civilizations – calendar, writing, ball game
Ceramic sculpture from a tomb showing the popular Mesoamerican ballgame

7. B. The Zapotec
1500 BC to AD began as farmers in Mexico; 500 BC - built Monte Albán, first true city in Mesoamerica

8. B. The Zapotec
Monte Albán showed Olmec influence - main plaza with pyramids, temples, ball court

9. B. The Zapotec
Cities abandoned when leaders lost support of their people

10. C. The Toltec AD 900 to 1200 - highlands of central Mexico;
militaristic society - warriors dominated region

11. Tula, capital city of the Toltec
C. The Toltec
Tula was located near obsidian mines and
became important trade center
Tula, capital city of the Toltec

12. C. The Toltec Built pyramid-shaped temples and spread the
worship of their god, Quetzalcoatl

13. II. The Maya 1000 BC - Advanced civ. on Yucatán
peninsula – 10 million people in 40 cities

14. A. Early Maya Civilization
AD 250 to Mayan Classic Age, city-states had own ruler and government
The Great Plaza (center) and North Acropolis (top) at Tikal

15. A. Early Maya Civilization
Worshipped many gods; rituals included blood offerings and an occasional human sacrifice
The shaman is about to perform a cha-chac ceremony: a petition to the god, Chac, to send rain

16. Maya Calendar, called the Sunstone
B. Achievements
Made advancements in:
architecture
math - concept of zero
astronomy – farming & religious calendars
agriculture – slash-and-burn farming
Maya Calendar, called the Sunstone

17. B. Achievements
Writing system – glyphs represent objects and sounds; wrote in stone and in bark-paper books called a codex

18. C. Decline
Several factors:
environmental
warfare
abuse of power

19. Chinampas - "square made of canes" in Lake Texcoco
III. The Aztecs
Early Aztecs - separate farming tribes from northwestern Mexico
Chinampas - "square made of canes" in Lake Texcoco

20. A. Rise of the Empire
AD 1100s – migrated to Valley of Mexico, settled after seeing an eagle on a cactus eating a snake

21. A. Rise of the Empire
Founded Tenochtitlán on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco; added land using chinampas

22. A. Rise of the Empire
Formed alliance with nearby cities & gained control over a huge region

23. A. Rise of the Empire
Fierce warriors, conquered 400 to 500 city states; required people to pay tribute
Aztec Tribute List

24. A. Rise of the Empire Tenochtitlan was the capital city; had temples,
markets, palaces and 200,000 people

25. TYPICAL AZTEC WARRIOR AND WEAPONS
B. Society and Religion
Society organized with king at the top, then
priests, warriors, merchants, farmers, and slaves
TYPICAL AZTEC WARRIOR AND WEAPONS

26. B. Society and Religion
Sacrificed prisoners and slaves to “feed” their
sun god

27. Hernan Cortes and Malinche meet Aztec emperor Moctezuma II
B. Society and Religion
Late 1400s - Declined due to unrest among
conquered peoples; defeated by Spanish in
1521
Hernan Cortes and Malinche meet Aztec emperor Moctezuma II