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Explore the history, culture, and achievements of the Aztec, Maya, and Inca civilizations. Learn about their societal structures, religious practices, and significant contributions.
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Three Ancient Civilizations (there are more – these are the biggest) Three Civilizations Aztec Maya Inca What skills will the Inca’s need? Why?
Ancient Cultures • Maya (250-900) (no one knows why they died out) • Inca (1200-1540) (conquered by Spanish) • Aztec (1325-1520) (conquered by Spanish) Look at the time period of each. What was happening in Europe during the Mayan times?
Religion in Ancient Latin America • Leaders were God on earth • Blood sacrifice - Barbed rope • Tongue, lips, penis, or a whole heart • Aztecs demanded human sacrifice • 20,000 a year • Arms and legs eaten Christians also refer to blood and sacrifice… describe… Describe “real” sacrifice. Describe how Americans “give to God” in our biggest religions.
RELIGION • Bloodshed was viewed as a means of pleasing the gods • Piercing body parts, human sacrifice, etc.
Society & Religion RITUALS ★ Human Sacrifice - Captives (the heart was eaten to obtain the courage of the prisoner) - Losers of sporting events
Current location of Cancun YUCATAN
Mayan Kings and Cities • 1000 BC to 900 AD • Smaller tribes existed into the early 1500s
Society & Religion GOD ★ KING = ____________ and he could communicate with other gods. This is very similar to the idea of ____________________ in Medieval Europe. P.S. – Like my nose ring? Absolutism
Society & Religion ★ Polytheistic & Warlike (Often warred with other Mayan city-states)
Maya • The ONLY fully developed written language of Pre-Columbian Civilizations • Ate mainly ________ • Used cities ONLY for _______________________ • Stopped using cities in year 900 (no known reason) corn Religious purposes Pyramid at Chichen Itza
Achievements 365 Day Calendar ★ _____________________ (less than .0001 days off!) ★ The number ZERO ★ Picture language (Glyphs) (1.5m descr. of calendar)
Mayan Calendar(Mesoamerican Long Count calendar) Start date: August 11, 3114 BC End date: _________________ related to lunar data Completely accurate World was created five times World was destroyed ____times Dec 21, 2012 4 3m – 2012 end times)
Mayan Calendar wheel (2m description of why 2012 is silly) (2m description of calendar) The system of using the wheel to predict events is called THE LONG COUNT
Maya • Never disappeared; just stopped using cities • Cities had been used ONLY for religious purposes • Blood letting • Some human sacrifice
What happened to the Mayan Civ.? Various theories exist as to why the Mayan Empire declined …but no one is certain. Warfare? Abusive Kings? Drought?
INCA • 1400s A.D. to 1532 A.D. Andes Mountains
Inca • Corn and potatoes • Llama and Alpaca • Rigid structure – royal family had absolute power • King had absolute power: “Sapa Inca” (father Inca) • Most people had no power and little wealth
Government • Controlled an enormous empire! (Population of ___________!) • Maintained power by: delegating power to local leaders who were loyal to the Incan Empire 12 million
ACHIEVEMENTS Road System • Intricate ___________________ vital for: 1) ______________________ 2) ______________________ 3) ______________________ Transportation Communication Government Control
ACHIEVEMENTS • The Inca road network stretched 14,000 miles and rose from sea level to almost 12,000 feet in elevation!!! • Stairs led to higher areas and suspension bridges spanned canyons and impasses
Achievements • Trained runners would carry messages and orders of the empire between carefully spaced stations along the roads. This created a one-day delivery time for each 140 miles!!!
Inca • Central power • Build Roads and bridges Machu Picchu
Aztec • Metropolitan • Up to 300,000 people in a city • Montezuma – the last king – had total power • Human sacrifice • Conquered neighboring tribes – • took prisoners for blood sacrifice • Big city: Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City)
SOCIETY ★ Farmers ★ ____________ provided most of the labor Slaves
INFRASTRUCTURE Tenochtitlan ★ ______________________ Built on a swampy island on a lake
INFRASTRUCTURE Chinampas ★ ______________________ “FLOATING GARDENS”
INFRASTRUCTURE Causeways ★ _____________________ connected the city to surrounding areas
ECONOMY • People came to the market from all over the empire to trade goods and food such as corn
ACHIEVEMENTS jewelry and sculptures • BEAUTIFUL _____________________ • Writings and glyphs
RELIGION Human Sacrifice ★ _______________________ (up to 20,000 victims per year!) ★ TEMPLES stood in the center of the city near the King’s palace
Spanish Exploration • Spanish kings had won back control of Spain • Sent Columbus to explore to the West • Gold, God and Glory • Four voyages • 1492-1502 • hit Central America on 4th • Conquistadores arrived 1517
Spanish Conquerors • Called CONQUISTADORES • Goal: take gold and silver • Hernando Cortez conquered the Aztecs 1517 killed Emperor Montezuma • Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incas 1519 killed Emperor Atualpa
Hernando Cortez • Conqueror of the Aztecs • Killed Montezuma
Francisco Pizarro • Conqueror of the Incas • Killed Atualpa • Threatened burning at stake Garrote
Spanish then controlled Indians • Claimed most of Latin America • Sent Peninsulares to rule over Indians • Demanded Indians mine for silver and gold • Demanded Indians become Christian
Why did the Central American Indians quickly accepted the idea of a “blood sacrifice” the Church offered?
PATERNS OF LIFE Society was divided into classes Africans arrived after the Indian population was diminished Peninsulares – pure Spanish Criollos – Spanish born in America Mestizos – Spanish + Indian Indians (made into slaves) Africans (imported slaves) Spanish wanted someone to work in the gold mines