1. Early America’s Mayan’s, Aztec’s, and Inca’s
Astronomy
Mayan Calendar

2. Mayan Political & Economic Structure
Availability of resources led to trade between villages in the Yucatan Peninsula (ECONOMIC)
Trade led to wealth, sharing of resources & exchange of ideas (ECONOMIC)
Group of city-states each with its own king who claimed to be from the sun god (POLITICAL)
Center of city-state was a ceremonial center including temples, palaces, rulers/nobles, ball courts & markets (POLITICAL)
Small villages surrounded the ceremonial center (POLITICAL)
Kings expected people to serve him (POLITICAL)
Royal women married into royal families from other city states (INCREASED TRADE AND ALLIANCES FORMED) (POLITICAL)

3. Mayan Civilization Achievements: Social Structure: Ruler & Family
Nobles & Priests
Craftsman, merchants, traders
Farmers, hunters
Slaves
Religion:
Polytheistic
Temple structure for human sacrifices-games where losers were sacrificed, POWs also sacrificed
Achievements:
Architecture
Astronomy
Calendar
Paper
Mathematics
Temples

4. Mayan Decline Over-farming created a drop in food production
Several Theories
Over-farming created a drop in food production
Attack from enemies
Fighting among city-states
Rebellion of peasants that overthrew king and priests
Drought

5. Aztec Political & Economic Structure
Developed: On an island in Lake Texcoco
Aztecs conquered neighboring city-states to gain control of resources
Political Structure:
Empire ruled by an emperor (who was believed to have descended from the gods)
Council of priests, nobles & warriors
City-states were ruled by local leaders who answered to the Emperor
City-states paid tributes to the Emperor
Economics:
Agricultural
Development of specialized labor
Trade grows as artisans & craftsman sell goods
Wealth from trade & tributes paid by conquered peoples supported by the empire

6. Aztec Civilization Social Structure: Religion: Achievements: Emperor
Nobles, warriors, & Priests
Commoners-craftsmen, merchants, traders, farmers
Unskilled Workers-farm laborers
Slaves
Religion:
Polytheistic
Temples
Human sacrifices (believed this was necessary to prevent gods from destroying the world)
Achievements:
Chinampas
Architecture
Jewelry
Writing
Calendar
Arrows & the use of poison

7. Decline of the Aztec Civilization
Small pox weakened the empire
Technology in warfare gave the Spanish the upper hand
Tribute states joined forces with Spanish explorers by Cortes to overthrow the Aztec emperor

8. Incan Civilization Political & Economic Structure
Developed: Began in Cuzco, high in the Andes Mountains
Pachacuti expanded the Empire
Political Structure:
Emperor (descendent from sun god)
Land was divided into 4 provinces
Tributes were paid in the form of labor tax
Lands were conquered and divided then distributed (Emperor, people, & sun god)
Captured people were made to learn & use the official language (Quechua)
Children of local leaders were educated in Cuzco and then returned to their villages

9. Incan Civilization Political & Economic Structure Cont’d
People grew & created what they needed. Extra was collected by the government & stored in case of disaster
Storehouses were along the highways
Everyone worked for the government & their own family
Labor tax-Everyone worked for the government a few weeks each year
No trade (because government collected & redistributed it)
Command economy- no money, no credit-only small amounts of local bartering  

10. Incan Civilization Social Structure: Religion: Achievements: Emperor
Head Priest & Head of Army
Regional Army leaders
Temple priests, local army leaders, & skilled workers
Farmers, herders, soldiers
Slaves
Religion:
Polytheistic
Mummification
Sacrifices-llamas, cloth, food, occasionally people
Achievements:
Roads
Temples
Suspension bridges
Quipu (a type of calculation-never invented a writing system)
Jewelry
Calendar
Terrace Farming
Medicine
Domestication/use of llamas

11. Decline of the Incas Spanish explorers came to conquer lands
Interaction between Atahualpa & Pizzaro
Incan swords were no match for Spanish guns