1. Civilizations of Latin America
Mayans Incas and Aztecs

2. Mayans Mexico- Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala 300 BCE- 900 CE
Slash and Burn Farming and raised fields
City-States that traded among each other
Had a small ruling class-Nobles, warriors, and the majority were farmers
The king ruled all Mayans
There was a court system with local judges
Well organized army who conquered others and took them as slaves

3. Mayans Built temples, palaces, stone sculptures, and pyramids
Writing system, astronomy, mathematics, calendar

4. MAYAN CALENDAR & CHICHEN ITZA
The Mayan calendar began in 3114BC. It has 13 cycles of 400 years each. Therefore, their calendar will end in December Some believe this is the end of the world, but actually a new calendar cycle will begin.

5. MAYAN CHICHEN ITZA COMPLEX

6. CHICHEN ITZA

7. Mayan Religion and Decline
Religion plays a major role in society & rule
They have been known to sacrifice blood for the gods
The king and queen had to do blood-letting to please the gods…if the blood was good then the gods will be happy
The civilization just vanished…some say it was because the last king’s blood was not good enough

8. Mayan Quiz How did the Mayans solve their agriculture problem?
How did the Mayans set up their civilization within the different areas of the empire?
What Mayan cultural item has had the biggest impact on our culture?

9. Aztecs Central Mexico 1200 CE-1519 CE
Chinampas- channels used to water cropland from below “Floating Gardens”
King- each city had its own King (Tenochtitlan-Moctezuma)
A lot like Feudal Europe
Culture was simple and they were not powerful early on
No written records but told stories instead
1376 had first emperor and used military force to take over others who had to pay them in food or other valuables
By 1500s, Aztecs had large empire and a harsh military

10. MESOAMERICAN: AZTEC PYRAMID OF THE SUN & PYRAMID OF THE MOON

11. AZTEC LAKE TEXCOCO & STATUES OF QUETZALCOATL

12. Chinampas
Polytheistic religion- leads to many cultural beliefs in Mexico
Also had human sacrifices in their religion
Calendar, education, and medicine

13. Tenochtitlan

14. End of the Aztecs
European conquerors called conquistadors began taking advantage of the early civilizations
These conquistadors wanted the gold and wealth for their own countries (God, Gold, Glory)
Some also wanted to just explore and discover new places
Hernando Cortes takes over the Aztecs for Spain
He imprisons King Montezuma and kills him after 3 months of fighting

15. Aztecs Quiz How was the Aztec culture set up?
Why would the Aztecs build a city like Tenochtitlan on a lake?
Who came to Mexico to take over the Aztec Empire?

16. Incas
100 CE CE
Andes Mountains, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador
Soil fertilization and irrigation canals - Flat strips of land supported by walls that got water from rain
Used land on the side of the mountain as farms called “terraces”
Empire Structure with one King (Atahualupa-last emperor)
Religion- Sun God
Communicated through runners

17. INCA TERRACES NEAR CUSCO & INCAN ROADS

18. Incas Metal work, medicine, and religion
Building structures, stone building

19. Machu Picchu

20. INCAN MACHU PICCHU & INCAN TRAIL

21. End of the Incas
Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador who wanted the riches of the Incas
He tricked and imprisoned Atahualpa (the Inca emperor)
Pizarro made a deal to free Atahualpa if he was able to fill a huge room with gold…the Incas did it BUT…
Pizarro disagreed saying that Atahualpa was going to attack, put the emperor on trial, and had him executed…Pizarro claimed Inca territory for Spain
(Spoof 3:09)

22. INCAS QUIZ Answer these on lined paper and turn in
How did the Incas farm the land?
How did the Incas communicate across their huge empire?
What eventually happened to the Incas?