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CHAPTER 16 SECTION1. THE FIRST AMERICANS. PATHWAY TO THE AMERICAS. Ice Age a period when temperatures dropped sharply glaciers water frozen into huge sheets of ice. Beringia land bridge (Bering Strait) water froze seas fell dry land exposed between Asia and Alaska.
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CHAPTER 16SECTION1 THE FIRST AMERICANS
PATHWAY TO THE AMERICAS • Ice Age • a period when temperatures dropped sharply • glaciers • water frozen into huge sheets of ice
Beringia land bridge (Bering Strait) • water froze • seas fell • dry land exposed between Asia and Alaska
hunter/gatherers followed herds • fished and gathered fruits, nuts, or roots • hunted woolly mammoth, antelope, caribou, and bison • provide meat, hides for clothing, and bones for tools • as Ice Age ended, some animals became extinct, disappeared from the earth
FIRST AMERICAN CIVILIZATIONS • Mesoamerica – Meso means “middle” • stretches from Valley of Mexico to Costa Rica
ideal for farming • rich volcanic soil • mild climate • crops included pumpkins, peppers, squash, gourds, and beans • longer to develop corn/maize, grew as a wild grass • early plants: single, one-inch cob • crosses with other grasses to get bigger cobs & more of them
OLMEC • started around 1200 B.C. • near present-day Vera Cruz, Mexico • built a far-reaching trading empire • rich farming sources • lacked other raw materials • traded salt and beans with inland peoples
received: • jade for jewelry • obsidian, volcanic glass, to make sharp-edged knives • hematite, shiny volcanic stone, to make polished mirrors • basalt for carving gigantic stone heads • used rivers as highways for trade • inland people seized control of trade
TEOTIHUACAN(TAY-OH-TEE-WUH) • first planned city in Americas • “Place of the Gods” • developed near Lake Texcoco • land fertile • could support a large population • at height around A.D. 400/500s • population 120,000 to 200,000 • declined around A.D. 600s • reason unknown; possible drought, overpopulation, poor people rebellion
MAYA • rain forest of Yucatan Peninsula • traders reached out to southern Mexico and Central America • came to a mysterious end • cities abandoned • by A.D. 900s, cities deserted, hidden in a thick tangle of vines
TOLTEC • seized northern Mexico • warrior nomads built city of Tula • northwest of Mexico City • held monopoly to trade obsidian • prevented others from making weapons to challenge them • A.D. 1200 invaders from north • one group called Aztec captured Tula • copied Toltec ways • controlled region’s trade • built a huge empire (about five million people)
MOCHE • located in Peru • west coast of South America • dry coastal desert • ruled from A.D. 100-700 • dug canals to carry water from Andes rivers • surplus of food – corn, squash, beans & peanuts • hunted llamas and guinea pigs • fished in Pacific Ocean
engineers designed huge pyramids • traded with Amazon River valley people • goods included pottery, cloth and jewelry • did not have written language • culture’s story told through artwork • pottery showed animals important to Moche • example: Llama • pack animal, carrying goods long distances • Provided meat for food and wool for weaving • never expanded beyond homeland
INCA • homeland lay in the Andes mountain range of present-day Peru • lived in high river valleys • often above 10,000 feet • built biggest empire in ancient Americas • capital: Cuzco • founded in A.D. 1100
CIVILIZATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA • Hohokam • Anasazi • Mound Builders • Adena • Hopewell • Mississippians
HOHOKAM • nomads settled in Southwest • planted gardens between Salt and Gila Rivers • dug more than 500 miles of canals for fields • grew corn, cotton, beans and squash • made pottery, turquoise pendants, and first etchings using cactus juice (ate through surface of shells) • thrived for 1,000 years • mysteriously fled (maybe drought or flood)
ANASAZI • moved into canyons and cliffs • lived in apartment-like houses carved into cliffs • housed hundreds of rooms • thousands of people • Spanish explorers called them “pueblos” • Spanish word for “village” • took up farming • collected water that ran off cliffs • culture reached height in Chaco Canyon (present-day New Mexico) • controlled turquoise trade • used it like money • prospered until 50 year drought
MOUND BUILDERS • lasted 1400 years • earthworks – huge mounds made of earth • some shaped like animals • two groups – Adena and Hopewell • settled Great Lakes to Gulf of Mexico • lived mostly as hunter/gatherers • experimented with farming • tamed wild plants (sunflowers, gourds, and barley)
MISSISSIPPIANS • Hopewell declined/Mississippians emerged • location: Mississippi River Valley • mounds - pyramid shaped with flat tops • held temples • homes for rich • buriel places • biggest: base covered 16 acres • larger than Great Pyramid of Egypt • more than 100 feet high • known today as “Monks Mound”
discovered Plants grew well in rich floodplains along rivers • became farmers • crops included corn, squash, and beans • farming led to rise of cities • largest city: Cahokia • up to 30,000 people • remains in southwestern Illinois • A.D. 1300 civilization collapsed • cities abandoned • possible reasons: • other Native Americans attacked • City became too big to feed all the people