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Olmec Civilization:

The Mesoamerican Frontrunners (1200 BC – 500 BC). Olmec Civilization:. Location : Gulf Coast of Mexico. Olmec Civilization. Highly centralized government Strict hierarchy No specific rulers are known. Olmec Civilization. Polytheistic

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Olmec Civilization:

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  1. The Mesoamerican Frontrunners (1200 BC – 500 BC) Olmec Civilization: Location: Gulf Coast of Mexico

  2. Olmec Civilization • Highly centralized government • Stricthierarchy • No specificrulers are known

  3. Olmec Civilization • Polytheistic • Practiced bloodletting as a form of sacrifice • Human sacrifice (maybe?) • Religious activities performed by a combination of rulers & priests

  4. Olmec Civilization • May have been the first civilization in the western hemisphere to develop a system of written language • Calendar • Concept of zero

  5. Olmec Civilization • Possible Explanations for Decline: • Not known • Outside invaders? • Internal destruction?

  6. (AD 250 – 900) Mayan Civilization Location: Yucatan Peninsula

  7. Mayan Civilization • Composed of city-states • Each contained: • Its own ruler, farmland & an urban center built around ceremonial temples

  8. Mayan Civilization

  9. Polytheistic Offerings of food, flowers & incense Sacrificed humans (generally peasants) Worshipped nature gods Mayan Civilization

  10. Written language; similar to hieroglyphics System of numbers that included zero Accurate 365-day solar calendar Mayan Civilization

  11. The Mayan Calendar: end of the world? UPDATE!! We’re still here! It might just be coincidence, but the Mayan calendar was drawn up in such a way that it ends completely in 2012. The main details of the Mayan calendar were worked out nearly a hundred years ago. They believed that human history has distinct epochs (or "suns") of 3,000 - 5,000 years, after which there is a catastrophic event that completely ends all existing civilisations. According to the Mayans the present era began 13th August 3114 BC and ends on 21st December 2012 AD. The Mayan start date of our era is similar to the start date for the Egyptian civilization, according to modern archaeologists.

  12. Society: Men cultivated crops, while women processed them To support Mayan cities, farmers paid taxes in food Mayan Civilization

  13. Mayan Civilization • Possible Explanations for Decline: • Frequent warfare • Overpopulation  over farming  soil exhaustion • Peasant revolts

  14. Aztec Civilization(AD 100 to 1500s) Location: Mexico Valley

  15. Aztec Civilization • Single ruler – unified empire • Theocratic government characterized by frequent warfare • Built an empire in Tenochtitlan by conquering neighboring civilizations

  16. Polytheistic Worshipped over 1,000 gods, but the sun god was the most important (Huitzilopochtli) Made human sacrifices Aztec Civilization

  17. Aztec Civilization • Social Hierarchy: • King • Nobles (officials, judges, etc.) • Warriors • Commoners (farmers) • Slaves (criminals & POWs)

  18. Aztec Civilization • Explanation for Decline: • Conquered by the Spanish (led by Hernando Cortes) • Conquest led to destruction & epidemic disease, specifically smallpox

  19. Incan Civilization(1400s – 1500s) Location: Peru (South America)

  20. Incan Civilization • Incan Government: • Very efficient with many different levels • Record keeping & tax collection

  21. Incan Civilization • The emperor (aka the Inca) had total control over the empire • Claimed that he was the son of the sun, or divine… • Therefore, he also served as the chief religious leader

  22. Incan Civilization • Polytheistic • Believed in nature gods • Inti, the sun god, was most important • Offerings of food & clothing

  23. Built 12,000 miles of road to unite empire Runners were posted along Incan roads to relay messages of rebellions & natural disasters Incan Civilization

  24. No flat land for farming In order to overcome this challenge, farmers used terraces – strips of flat land carved into steep hillsides Incan Civilization

  25. Incan Civilization • Explanation for Decline: • Weakness within the empire led to vulnerability • Conquered by the Spanish (led by Francisco Pizarro)

  26. NEW World Versus OLD World

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