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Societies of North America

Societies of North America. World History. Setting the Stage. Between 40,000 and 12,000 B.C., hunter-gatherers crossed the Bering Strait land bridge from Asia to the Americas First Americans reached the southern tip of South America between 12,000 and 7,000 B.C.

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Societies of North America

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  1. Societies of North America World History

  2. Setting the Stage • Between 40,000 and 12,000 B.C., hunter-gatherers crossed the Bering Strait land bridge from Asia to the Americas • First Americans reached the southern tip of South America between 12,000 and 7,000 B.C. • Over the centuries, North American peoples adapted to their environments, creating a diverse set of cultures

  3. Mayans World History

  4. Maya Create Urban Kingdoms • Mayan Empire stretched from Southern Mexico into Northern Central America • There were both highlands and lowlands • Evolving during the same period as the Olmec civilization. By 250 A.D. Mayan culture overtook that of the Olmecs

  5. Urban Centers • 250 to 900 A.D. is known as the Classic Period of Mayan Civilization • The Maya built spectacular cities, including TIKAL, in northern Guatemala • Other important cities were Copan, Uxmal, and Chichen Itza

  6. Urban Centers • Each major city was the center of an entire city-state • Each city served as a center for religious ceremonies and was ruled by a god-king

  7. Urban centers • There are at least 50 major Mayan sites, all with monumental architecture • Pyramid IV at Tikal is 212 feet tall

  8. Agriculture and Trade Support Cities • Traded goods amongst city-states • Agriculture was the basis for Mayan life • They grew squash, beans, and maize

  9. Religion Shapes Life • Believed in many gods, who inhabited 13 layers of sky and 9 layers of the underworld • Associated colors and direction with certain gods Chaac

  10. Religious Practices • Prayed and made offerings • Made death masks to great the gods • At Chichen Itza they threw captives into a sinkhole lake, called a cenote, along with gold, jade and other offerings

  11. Written Language Preserves History • Developed advanced writing system • Mayan writing consisted of 800 symbols, or glyphs • Some represented words, while others represented symbols • Recorded glyphs of importance in bark-paper books known as codex • Most famous of these books is the Popol Vuh, recounting the story of creation • It is VERY close to the Christian story of creation though they had never interacted at this point

  12. Glyphs

  13. Incans World History

  14. Setting the Stage • Inca capital was in southern Peru • They created the largest empire ever seen in the Americas

  15. Inca Come to Power • First settled in the valley of Cuzco • By the 1200’s, the Inca had established their own small empire

  16. Incan Traditions • Incan rulers were descendents of the sun god, Inti • There were 11 noble lineages • These 11 families were called orejones, or “Big Ears”

  17. Machu Picchu • A mile and a half high, Machu Picchu was only accessible by a log bridge • A religious ceremonial city • Near Cusco, Peru

  18. Aztecs World History

  19. Setting the Stage • Aztecs settled in the Valley of Mexico • Located where modern day Mexico City is • Preceded by two other important civilizations who traced their ancestry to the Olmec and Zapotec cultures

  20. Valley of Mexico • Valley of Mexico is a mountain basin 7,000 feet above sea level • Valley had several large, shallow lakes, accessible resources, and fertile soil • Attracted two cultures, the Teotihuacán and the Toltec

  21. Teotihuacán: An Early City-State • First major civilization of central Mexico, just outside of Mexico City • At their peak in the sixth century, they had 125,000 people • Had the Pyramid of the Sun, 200 ft. tall with a base higher than that of Egypt’s Great Pyramid

  22. Aztecs Build an Empire • Arrived in the Valley of Mexico in 1200 A.D. • Aztecs originally called themselves Mexica • Worshipped the sun god Huizilopochtli • LOTS of human sacrifices- went to war for sacrifices

  23. Nobles Rule Aztec Society • Noble class was made up of military leaders, government officials, and priests • Three classes in Aztec society were nobles, commoners, and slaves • Commoners included merchants, artisans, soldiers

  24. Trade Brings Wealth • Economic center was the huge market of Tlatelolco • Most of the agricultural produce was grown on CHINAMPAS, farm plots built on the marshy fringes of the lake

  25. Tenochtitlan: A Planned City • By the 1500’s, city had a population of 200,000 people • Had planned markets, temples, canals, and roads

  26. Extra Notes • In your notes, copy down the three charts on pages 399, 406, and 411.

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