1. What is a Civilization?
Maya
Aztec
Inca

2. A civilization is defined as an advanced culture.
What does that mean?

3. Basic Features of a Civilization
1: Building of cities
2: A well organized government
3. A system of social classes
4. Specialized jobs
5: A complex religion
6: Some method of keeping
records

4. The Maya lived on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and
present day Guatemala and Belize.

5. Mayan Cities

6. Structure of the Mayan Cities
Each one had its own ruler
Traded peacefully with each other
Linked together by roads
Stone pyramids towered over each city
On top of each city sat a temple

7. Mayan Society King Priests & Nobles Merchants & Traders
They had a complex
System of
Social
classes
King
Priests & Nobles
Merchants & Traders
Commoners and Farmers
Slaves

8. Mayan Government Each city-stated ruled by a King
Kings had both political and religious authority

9. Mayan Religious Beliefs
They believed in many gods and held religious
ceremonies to worship them and give thanks for their
kindness. This is a dance by nobles to thank the rain
god for watering the crops.

10. Mayan Advances in Learning
Had a written language which used glyphs or pictures to represent words
Had highly developed system of numbers which included the concept of zero
Child House Sky

11. Mayan Hieroglyphics

12. The Aztecs lived in what is today Mexico City, Mexico
Right Here

13. Technochitlan The Aztec capital city—over 30,000 people lived here
Built on an island in the middle of
Lake Texcoco
Built causeways or raised roads to connect the islands to the mainland
The Aztecs made the swampy, shallow lake into
chinampas(islands.) The islands were made by piling
mud from the lake bottom. They farmed on these islands

15. Aztec Religion Religion was extremely important in Aztec life.
War and Sun God
Aztec Religion
Religion was extremely important in Aztec life.
They worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses.
The Aztecs thought that the power of the gods should be acknowledged and thanks given to them.
They built large temples to worship them
Also offered sacrifices, including humans, to keep gods happy

16. The Aztec System of Writing
Like the Maya they used a series of glyphs that represented words

17. Aztec Society The Aztecs were considered
They had a complex and
Strict system of classes
The Aztecs were considered
great warriors. They often had
to defend their boundaries or raid
other people to survive and flourish.
This is why warriors had a high status

18. The Incas lived
along the
West Coast
of South America,
in the
Andes Mountains

19. Inca city of Machu Pichu

20. Inca Society—Also complex
Emperor
Nobles and High Priests
Government Officials—memory experts, messengers
Common People—Farmers, Herders
And soldiers

21. Incan Accomplishments
Built more than 19,000 miles of roads in some of the most mountainous areas on the Earth
Built canals and aqueducts to carry water to dry areas—helped grow many crops
Build long rope bridges over deep canyons
Advances in medicine—surgery and anesthesia

22. Incan Quipus The Incas did not have a system of writing….but
government officials and
traders recorded
information about births,
death, taxes and money on
knotted strings
called quipus

23. Incan Religion They too worshipped many gods
Main god was the sun god—Inti
All Incas were descendents of Inti
Believed in a life after death, they embalmed the dead and placed them in a tomb

24. The End