Ancient Latin American Civilizations

1. Ancient Latin American Civilizations Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas

2. Maya Civilization • Arrived in (present-day) northern Guatemala around 1000 BC • The Mayas are BEST known for: • Studying the stars and planets (led to a calendar being created) • Developing a system of writing called HIEROGLYPHS The Maya also lived in southern Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize.

3. Maya Origins and Religion • Origins: • Early Maya lived in small, isolated villages • Villages soon began TRADING with each other---as TRADE increased, villages GREW • TRADE, not RULERS, linked the Maya’s cities • Religion: • Worshipped MANY gods • EXS: sun god, moon goddess, and maize (corn) god • Believed each god controlled a different part of everyday life • Wanted to please the gods---believed them to be BOTH HELPFUL and HARMFUL

4. Advancements • Studied math and astronomy extensively (With a lot of detail) • Created calendars based on various movements • Ex.: 260-day calendar for sacred days and a 365-day calendar based on the sun’s movements • Maya calendar was MORE accurate than any calendar used by Europeans until the 1700s.

5. HIEROGLYPHS • Created a system of writing called Hieroglyphs • Best developed written language in ancient Latin America Example of Maya hieroglyphs from the Museo de sitio in Mexico.

6. The Mayans Disappear? • Early AD 900s, the empire began to decline • People stopped building structures and left the cities, moving back to the countryside • There are MANY theories (ideas) as to why the Maya empire collapsed, but one thing is for sure---by the time the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, the Mayas had faded.

7. Aztec Civilization • Arrived in the Valley of Mexico in the 1100s • The Aztecs were made up of a number of wandering warriors, most from the Mexica tribe • All the “good” land was taken, so they settled on a swampy island in the middle of Lake Texcoco • Had little land to farm on, so the Aztecs built floating gardens called CHINAMPAS

8. Aztecs Expand • 1325: began building their capital, Tenochtitlan, and conquering nearby towns • Came to power mainly due to war and the conquest of other peoples • The Aztecs forced those conquered to pay TRIBUTES (taxes) • How could tributes be paid? • Food, cotton, gold, or slaves • Tributes allowed the Aztecs to grow very rich

10. Aztec Society • The MOST important member of society was the EMPEROR • Chose trusted nobles to oversee his demands regarding trade, payment collections, and warfare All men, including PRIESTS, had to join Aztec army for 2 reasons: (1) help maintain a powerful empire and (2) religious.

11. Religion • Religion: • Worshipped MANY gods, believed the gods controlled nature and human activities. • Exs.: Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Huitzilopochtli • Human sacrifices were regularly made by priests to please the gods • (mostly SLAVES and those captured in battle were sacrificed)

12. Aztec Achievements • Sculpted stone pyramids and statues • Like the Maya, studied astronomy and made a calendar • Like the Mayans, used HIEROGLYPHS for their writings and kept detailed records of historical information • Had a strong oral tradition

13. End of Aztec Empire • Late 1400s: Spanish arrive • Are looking for (1) Adventure, (2) Riches, and (3) Converts to Catholicism • 1519: Group was led by conquistador (conqueror) Hernan Cortes • Aztec’s are taken over by Cortes and the Spanish Hernan Cortes vs. Montezuma II story

14. Incas • 1200: Settled in Cuzco, which is a village in the Andes (South America) • Began as a small tribe in the Andes • Cuzco eventually became the capital city • Mid 1400s: Inca ruler, Pachacuti, began to expand Inca territory (some conquering) • Other leaders soon followed his example • Empire eventually stretched from (present-day) Ecuador to central Chile • About 12 million Incas lived in the empire

15. Inca Government • To rule effectively, built a strong CENTRAL government • Pachacuti removed local leaders from conquered lands because he wanted to remain the MAIN leader/ruler • Created an official language (Quechua) to UNIFY the people • Government also told households what work to do.

16. Social Divisions Inca had NO Slaves, didn’t practice this idea.

17. Incan Religion • Worshipped many gods • Inti, the sun god was the most important • Incas thought their rulers were related to the SUN god (their most important) and that they never really died. • Inca had ceremonies with sacrifices, but didn’t use humans like the Maya and Aztec. • Those outside of Cuzco worshipped other gods as well and at other “sacred” locations • Mountaintops, rocks, and springs

18. Inca Achievements • Excellent farmers, builders, and managers • Cuzco (capital) was the center of government, trade, learning, and religion • Built more than 19,000 miles of roads • Why? • Roads allowed the Incas to better govern their empire; they could get to other areas easier

19. Achievements continued • The Incas also built canals and aqueducts • What is an AQUEDUCT? • Pipe or channel designed to carry water from a distant source • Why did the Incas feel that canals and aqueducts were important? • Allowed the Incas to irrigate (dampen) land that was otherwise too dry to grow crops

20. Inca Language? • Had NO written language • Recorded info. using a QUIPUS(kee-pooz) • What is a Quipus? • A “writing” system of knotted strings where the knots=numbers and the different color strings represent info. about crops, land, and other important topics • When Spanish arrived, they had Inca stories/historical info. written in Spanish

21. Quipus

22. The End of the Inca Empire • Late 1520s: Civil War breaks out amongst the Incas—2 brothers both want to be NEW ruler • Atahualpa (ah-tah-WAHL-pah) vs. Huascar • 1532: Atahualpa wins, but the fighting has weakened the Inca army • On the way to his crowning, Atahualpa learns of a Spanish group in the area; led by Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish attack • Atahualpa is captured (and later killed) and the Incas are defeated