1. Mesoamerica: Mayan & Aztec Empires

2. Climate of Mesoamerica
Warm Temperatures
Plentiful Rainfall
Rich volcanic soils
Good for growing crops like maize, beans, and squash.

3. Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
Olmec
(1200 BC to 300 AD)
Zapotec
(1500 BC to 750 AD)
Toltec
(900 to 1200 AD)

4. The Mayan Civilization
Developed around 1000 BC
At its height, Maya civilization consisted of some 10 million people spread among 40 cities.

5. Supporting Large Cities
Trade and agriculture helped support larger populations, and early Maya villages grew into cities.

6. Mayan Farming Practices
Slash and Burn Agriculture- a method of farming involves burning the vegetation to clear land for planting.

7. Mayan Cities & Government
Classic Age
(250 to 900 AD)
Mayans built:
Stone pyramids
Temples
Palaces
Who did they build them for?
Local Rulers (Kings)
Gods

8. Mayan Society & Religion
Kings ruled with absolute power
It was believed they communicated with the gods.
Priests & Warriors
Upper Class
Merchants & Skilled Craftsmen
Middle Class
Farmers & Slaves
Lower Class
Religious Ceremonies
Offering of blood to the gods. (Blood Letting)
Ball Game
Only allowed to use your elbows, knees, and hips to get a rubber ball through a hoop.
Losing team sacrificed.
Human Sacrifice

9. Religion: Major Gods Hun Hunahpu – maize god.
Father of the hero twins
Most important deity for the Maya
He brought about the creation for the present world age.
Chac – god of rain, thunder, and lightning.
Both adored and feared by the Maya
He was portrayed as both a benefactor and a violent warrior.

10. Religion: Major Gods cont.
Gukumatz – Feathered snake god
Taught the Maya the arts of civilization, including codes of law, agriculture, fishing, and medicine.
Ixchel – Earth and Moon Goddess
Goddess of creativity, weavers and childbirth, goddess of medicine and reason, and a bringer of the storms.

11. Mayan Achievements Architecture Astronomy Math Writing Calendar System
Buildings
Canals
Astronomy
Math
Used Zero (0)
Writing
Calendar System

12. Mayan Calendar The Maya had two calendars:
365 day farming calendar
260 day religious calendar
It was more accurate that the European calendar.
Talk to students about 2012, what are the commonalities in the theories?
The Mayan Calendar ends on that day.
The Earth and Sun will align with the center of the galaxy. Happens every 25,800 years.
The Earth’s Axis will complete a procession (full cycle of the rotation axis of a rotating body.) One circuit = 25,771.5 years.
NASA predicts more solar flares and near-Earth objects during the year 2012.

13. Decline of Mayan Civilization
Factors to decline:
Environmental Damage
Overuse of resources
Drought
Not able to feed everyone
Warfare Increased
Competition over lands
Abuse of Power by Kings

14. The Aztecs
Located in modern day Mexico, and Tenochtitlan was the capital city and is located in what is now present day Mexico City.

15. Rise of the Aztec Empire
According to legend, the war god told one of the tribes’ leaders that they should look for a place where they saw an eagle perched on a cactus eating a snake. It was there that they should settle and build a new capital.
They built Tenochtitlan after the prediction came true, and it was on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco.

16. Rise of the Aztec Empire Cont…
Population consisted of farmers & warriors.
Allied with Texcoco and Tlacopan.
After the alliance was formed the empire gained control over many region.
Ruled 400 – 500 other city-states.
5 Million people under Aztec rule.

17. Aztec Empire Conquered people paid tribute.
Tribute was a type of tax.
The Aztec Empire gained wealth:
Trade
Tribute

18. Tenochtitlan Size Population Architecture Five square miles 200,000
Approximately 3200 acres
Population
200,000
Architecture
Walled City
Pyramid
Temples
Palaces
Ball court
“Floating Gardens”
Chinampas
Canals
Markets

19. Aztec Society Social Classes
Though people were born into a certain class it was possible to move up the ranks within a life time.
Also apart of the middle class
Merchants and Artisans

20. Aztec Religion
Main deity in the Aztec religion was Huitzilopochtli and was known as both the sun god and war god.
Human sacrifice was practiced heavily in the Aztec religion.
Believed that these sacrifices gave power to the gods which in turn would insure the survival of the Aztec civilization.

21. Religion War captives were used in the sacrifices
In times of peace the Aztec would have to resort to ritualistic warfar.
In the year 1487 the Aztecs reported killing 84,400 war prisoners in four days at the great pyramid of Tenochitlan.
After a town was conquered the inhabitants where no longer eligible of sacrifice and became Aztec citizens.

22. Aztec Art
The Aztecs also made other religious and non-religious artifacts such as jade masks.
These artifacts were sold in markets by visiting merchants.

23. Aztec Achievements Written Record Astronomy
Glyphs- symbols that represented both objects and sounds.
Kept track of tax record and business details.
Astronomy
Calendar like the Mayans, but they also tracked the movements of some planets.

24. THAT’S ALL FOLKS!