1. WHI: SOL 11a, b
Mesoamerica

2. Early inhabitants
Migrated from Asia during the last Ice Age, crossing the Bering Strait by foot
Hunter-gatherers:
During global warming, they migrated east and south to follow the herds.
Different cultures formed as they spread out.
Cut off from Asia as Ice Age ended, they developed independently from cultures in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Technology:
Metal was rarely used; many cultures were still in the Stone Age.
Wheel was used, but not for transportation.

4. Olmec Civilization Name means “rubber people.”
Parent or base culture of Mesoamerica:
Settled along the Gulf Coast
Influenced area through trade; evidence of trade confirmed by Olmec jade carvings found throughout Central America
Polytheistic religion:
Performed ritual sacrifices
Played pok-a-tok game
Built temple and pyramids
Went on pilgrimages
Constructed “Colossal Heads”
Achievements:
Calendar

7. Mayan Civilization
Located in the Mexican and Central American rain forests on the Yucatan Peninsula (present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize)
Economy based on agriculture (including irrigation) and trade
Groups of city-states ruled by kings:
Represented by Chichén Itzá, the premier city-state
Priests, nobles, and warriors—upper class
Everyone else— peasants who paid taxes to the king (using corn)
No rights for women

9. Mayan Civilization Polytheistic religion: Pyramids
Priest preoccupied with concept of time
Human sacrifices
Achievements:
Hieroglyphics
Complex 365-day calendar system
Astronomy
Number system
Between 850 and 1000 a.d. (c.e.), city-states abandoned

11. Aztec Civilization Located in arid valley in central Mexico
Represented by the capital Tenochtitlan, an island city in Lake Texcoco
Government:
Ruled by an emperor with absolute power
Indirect rule; trade and tribute from conquered peoples held empire together.
Empire built by the conquest of fierce warriors; conquest provided prisoners and slaves for religious sacrifices
Right of slaves to buy freedom

13. Aztec Civilization Economy:
Based on agriculture (beans, squash, tomatoes, and peppers)
Chinampa farming (practice of draining swamps and building up fields in shallow lake beds)
Polytheistic religion:
Chief god—the sun god
Priests, a special social class
– Recorded knowledge and ran schools
– Served as astronomers and mathematicians
Ritualistic ceremonies performed daily
Based on warfare
Pyramids
Frequent sacrifices

15. Aztec Civilization
Achievements:
Causeways
Aqueducts
Canals
Dams

16. Incan Civilization Location: Developed in the Andes Mountains
Area includes primarily present-day Peru and northern Chile, as well as smaller area in southern Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina
Important cities:
Cuzco, capital
Machu Picchu

19. Incan Civilization Government: Ruled by an emperor with absolute power
Direct rule
– Government arranged marriage.
– Citizens were required to have passes for travel.
– Government controlled harvest.
– Conquered people were forced to adopt Incan ways

20. Incan Civilization Economy:
Based on high-altitude agriculture (potatoes, beans, squash, peanut, cotton, llamas, guinea pigs, and alpacas)
Used terrace-farms
Polytheistic religion:
Chief god—the sun god

22. Incan Civilization Achievements:
Kept records on quipus, a system of knotted strings
Demonstrated themselves to be superb engineers
Created vast network of roads linking entire empire