Post-classical societies in America remain separate from those societies in Old World

1. Post-classical societies in America • remain separate from those societies in Old World • Characteristics of American civilization • Elaborate cultural systems • Diverse • Highly developed agriculture • Large cities • Elaborate political and economic organization

2. Mesoamerica

3. Mayans

4. Mayans • Located on Yucatan Peninsula • Began around the time of the classical civilizations • City states • Independent • Served as a center for • Religious ceremonies • Trade • Identified at least 50 major Mayan sites

5. Ruled by God-King • Hereditary • Pass on to eldest son

6. Agricultural peasants • Tied to rulers by ties of loyalty & religion • Occupied poorly drained lowlands that they adapted by building terraces • Cities – • large—10,000-40,000 • Often at war with each other • War was about capturing slaves or sacrificial victims

7. Feature • Pyramids • Pyramid IV at Tikal • 212 feet high • Tallest structure in North America until 1903 • Temples

8. Palaces • Ball courts • Both religious and political significance • Believed playing of game maintain cycles of sun, moon and brings life giving rains • Loser often executed • Stone carvings

9. Trade • Even though city-states were independent they were linked through alliances and trade • No unified currency • Sometimes used cacao beans • Agriculture • Slash and burn • Raised beds • Terraces

10. Religion • Influence most aspects of their lives • Spiritual world called Otherworld • Polytheism • Associated with • food, death, rain, war etc. • Colors and directions

11. Religion • Believed that each day a living god was in control • Whose behavior could be predicate with the help of calendars • Worship by prayer, offerings, body piercing and human sacrifices • Cenote • Sinkhole at Chichen Itza • Captives throw in along with offerings of gold and jade

12. Calendars • Religious beliefs led to development of • End of day, month, year- one God lay down burden and the other would pick it up • Day was lucky or unlucky depending on which God pick it up. • According to their calendar the world comes to an end in 2012

13. Mathematics • Used concept of zero • Number system based on 20 • Used primarily for calendar and astronomical work • Not to count people or objects

14. Astronomy • Used in development of their calendars • Based on careful observation of planets, sun and moon • Only short by .0002

15. Writing • Most advance system of writing in Ancient Americas • Consist of 800 glyphs • Used to record important historical events • Codex • Bark paper book • Only 3 survived • Burn by Spanish priest who saw them as objects of pagan rituals • Today only 85% of Mayan glyphs have been decipher • Most in the last 25 years • Most famous book left called Popol Vuh

16. Decline • Ends in a mystery • Starting around 800 CE Mayans abandon their cities • Why ? • Warfare, invaders, economic hardships, overuse of land, population growth, famine disease, natural disaster • Probably combination of all

17. Toltecs

18. Toltecs • Nomadic people who moved into central Mexico after the decline of the Mayans • 10th century capital of Tula • Chichen Itza • Long distance trade • Obsidian- Northern Mexico • Turquoise- Anasazi (southwest U.S) • Legend of God- Quetzalcoatl • Tradition that would circulate among other Mesoamerican people

19. Toltecs adopt cultural features of predecessors but added • Strong military ethic • Human sacrifice • Language • Use of city-states organization • Temple complexes • Gods (Quetzalcoatl) • Calendar • Cyclical view of history • Empire will last until around 1150

20. Mississippians

21. Mississippians • Also called the Mound builders • North America 700-1500 CE • Established settlements along major rivers • Mississippi and Ohio • Agricultural people

22. Constructed large earthen mounds • Served as burial places or ceremonial center • Best known Cahokia • Some historians believe that pyramid shape of mounds suggest contact between the Mississippians and early people of Mesoamerica

23. Aztecs Will succeed Toltecs as rulers of central Mexico Respect the cultural developments of Toltecs

24. Aztecs • Also called Mexica • Originally nomadic poor people from North Mexico • Arrived in central Mexico in the mid-1200s • Soldiers for hire to local rulers

25. Legend • Sun God Huitzilopochtli • Find city of their own when • Place where a eagle is perched on a cactus holding a snake in its mouth • Tenochtitlan • Small island in the middle of a lake in central valley of Mexico • Around 1325

26. Results of Aztec Rise to Power • Increase in dominance of Nobility • Ruler with supreme power • Urbanized society • Expansion of territory • Expansion and conquest will take the Aztec from social system of loose association of clans to a stratified society

27. Power based on military conquest and tribute • Allowed them to dominate nearby states and demand heavy taxes and captives • Warriors • Elite in Aztec social structure • Peasants & slaves • Majority

28. Social Structure • Emperor • Semi divine • Absolute power • Pipiltin • Nobility • Develop after early conquest • Separate themselves from calpulli • Associated with priesthood and military

29. Social Structure • Calpulli • Mass commoners organized into Clan groups • Land hand out by clan leaders • Provide tribute and labor to temples • Serfs • Lands of nobility • Scribes, artisans , healers • Pochteca • Long –distance merchants

30. Tlacaelel • Aztec prime minister • Responsible for rewriting of earlier history • Expansion of human sacrifices

31. Women • Subordinate role • Ran household • but also involved in skilled crafts and to some extent commerce • Women who died in childbirth granted same honored status as soldiers who died in battle

32. Built empire of 12 million people • Despite size did not use a bureaucratic form of government • Conquered areas allowed to govern themselves as long as tribute paid • Roads built • Trade flourished

33. Aztec Economy + Trade • Will redistribute goods they receive as tribute • Specialized merchant class to handle long distance trade • Turquoise and silver traded from New Mexico • Bowls, knives, combs, and feather work from Tenochtitlan • Thousands of humans carried loads on their backs through mountains and deserts

34. Comparison of Aztecs & Roman Empire • Similar • Tied their vast empires together by building roads • Generally allowed people they conquered to rule themselves as long as they paid taxes or tributes • Able to adapt ideas from the people they conquered and use them for their own purposes • They were conquerors but also borrowers

35. Soon will outgrow island and build causeways to connect island to mainland • Will farm on chinampas • Floating gardens

36. Religion • Center was Great Temple • Elaborate public ceremonies • Numerous Gods • Different forms/manifestations • Creation • Fertility • Warfare • Sacrifice • Agricultural

37. Main God - Huitzilopochtli- Sun God • Most sacred • Human sacrifice • Made sun rise every day • Only when nourished by human blood • Estimate that 20,000 humans a year were sacrifice

38. Historian explanation of why Aztecs perform human sacrifices • Greatly exaggerated by Spanish • To justify European conquest and cultural superiority • Religious act • To grant rain, sun and other blessings of God • Intentional use to terrorize neighbors and keep lower groups in line • Form of population control • Response to a lack of protein and the absence of large animals to sacrifice

39. Aztecs believed that destruction of the world occur on a cyclical pattern

40. Arrival of Spanish will led to the downfall of the Aztecs

41. Incas

42. Incas • Located in Andes Mountains • At height control 2,000 miles of coastline

43. Pachacuti • Earth shaker • Inherit throne when older brother flees during an attack • According to legend victory aided by gods who turn rocks over capital city of Cuzco into warriors • Inca ruler- creation of Inca Empire- 1483 • Rule for 33 years

44. Believe ruler is descendant of the Sun God • Only men from 1 of 11 noble families believed to be descendants of the Sun called could be selected. • Called Orejones • Translate to Big Ears • Because of large plugs worn on earlobes

45. Ruler having descend from the sun, so own everything on earth. • Military was important to • Ensure his place in eternity by securing new land • Meant conquest • Main reason for conquest and expansion was the need for humans to sacrifice

46. Comparing Aztecs and Incas • Both Aztecs and Incas • Emperor was seen as semi divine • Allowed local rulers • Elaborate road systems • Difference between Inca and Aztec empire • Incas had extensive use of colonization • Incas never developed a system of writing • Aztecs had an extensive merchant class

47. Ancestor Worship • Worship dead rulers • Bodies preserved as sacred mummies • Brought out for special events • Maintain their wealth- male descendants support the cult of the dead mummy • Each new king had to make their own fortune

48. Largest empire in the Americas • Powerful military but prefer diplomacy • Extraordinary central bureaucracy • Massive system of Roads • All led to Cuzco • Chasquis • Runners who travel the roads as a type of postal service • Tamboa • Rest stations along the road • Unified language

49. Engineers and stonemasons • Built without aid of iron tools or wheel • Incas had no large animals (just like Mayans & Aztecs • Prime source of labor-- humans

50. Allyu • Small groups of workers that would work on government projects • Mita • Labor tribute • Terrace farming • Method of freeze drying potatoes- Chuno