Early Civilizations/Discovering the Americas

1. Early Civilizations/Discovering the Americas Chapter 12

2. South America & Incas • How do you feel about sacrificing children?

3. Child Sacrifice

4. INCAS • Incas- powerful empire that ruled South America in the 14-1500’s • Andes Mnts.- Where the civilization was located

5. Geography of the Americas • Mountains • Valleys • Plains • Jungles • Deserts • Rivers • Oceans

6. Incan Mountain Empire • At its peak, the Empire was 2500 miles wide • Early 1200’s Incas settled in the Andes • Capital City was Cuzco (KoosKoh) • Center of Incan Govt & Religion • Cuzco means “Center” • Population grew through conquests and take overs

7. Incan Government • Ruler called “Sapa Inca” which means “the emperor” • Emperor was related to the sun god • Sapa Inca owned all the land and divided it up • Under Sapa Inca was the Noble class who oversaw the govt. • The Inca had a census (official count of the population)

8. Incan Govt. continued • Census helped keep track of: • Taxes • Soldiers • Empire workers (road/gold miners/ etc) • Farmers • Farmers gave a portion of their crops to the govt. • What did the govt. do in return?

9. Language • Official language – Quechua (kechwuh) • No written language • Used quipu (keepoo) to keep records

10. Greatest Achievments • Thousands of miles of paved roads • Massive walls (constructed without mortar) (how was this successful?) • Mountain top buildings • Terraces (with aqueducts)

12. The Decline • Reasons for failure • Fighting amongst the ruling family • Workers rebelling against the strict govt. • Francisco Pizzarro and the Spanish • Lies, Weapons, and Disease

13. Cultures of Middle America • Objective: • Understand the Mayans • Discover the Aztecs

14. The Mayans • Mayans- culture established in the middle Americas at the southern tip of Mexico • Height of the culture was from 250 AD to roughly 900 AD • Farming culture • Slash and burn technique • Crops: maize, squash, beans, avacados, peppers, papayas

15. Mayans • Because maize was so important, three of the main gods were the corn god, the sun god, and the rain god

16. Mayan Religion & Govt. • Civilization divided into city-states • Each had their own ruler and an area that was the center for govt. and religion • Priests and nobles also had some power • Leaders lived in large palaces in the city • Regular people lived on the edges of the city

17. Mayan Cities • Cities held festivals to celebrate the gods • Large temple were the site of these celebrations and for human sacrifices • Skilled mathematicians and priests made calendars to follow the seasons and plan religious celebrations • Used hieroglyphics (made books of info from fig tree bark)

19. Games • Pak-ta-tok- Mayan ball game • Mix of soccer and basketball • Hard rubber ball had to be put through a hoop • Couldn’t use hands or feet and ball cant touch the ground

21. Abandoning the Cities • AD 900 the civilization declines • Reasons (probable) • Drought • Crop failure • Disease • War • Overuse of natural resources • People rebelling • (there are still Mayans living in Mexico)

22. The Aztecs • 1325 Aztecs began looking for a place to start a city • According to legend • Aztec war god said, “Build in the place where you see an eagle perched on a cactus holding a snake in its beak.” • That place: Tenochtitlan

23. Tenochtitlan

24. Waterways and Gardens • What you would find in the city • Open plazas • Pyramid temples • School (for sons of nobles only) • Raised walkways (causeways) • Aqueducts to bring in fresh water • Floating gardens (trees held the land together)

25. Religion & Learning • Aztecs needed good harvests • Good harvests need goo sun to grow • Aztec belief is that the sun needs human blood to survive • Lots of human sacrifice • Aztec Scholars and priests created a calendar modeled after the Mayan one • 13 20 day months • Capital city of Tenochtitlan offered schools for sons of nobility to teach them how to run schools, govt., or scribe.

26. Aztec Society • Class Structure: Emperor, royals, nobles, priests, and military leaders, soldiers, artisans, Farmers, and lastly, slaves • War was a major part of life • Boys over 15 served • Govt Officials and Priests did not serve • Women could not go into battle • They could train as priestesses • They were expected to create clothes • Before they could do that they were expected to make meals

27. The End • Spanish conquistadores • Weapons and disease • Conquered tribes helped the Spanish

28. Cultures of North America

29. The Eastern Mound Builders • From Minnesota to Louisiana (N to S) • From Mississippi to the Atlantic Ocean (E to W) • Typically found by water sources • Hunted/Fished and gathered fruits and nuts • Eventually began farming and established colonies • 3 main groups: Adena, Hopewell, Mississippians

30. The Adena • Located in the Ohio river valley • Adams County

31. What was in the mounds? • Used as: • Burial sites • Hide tools/weapons • Decorative objects • Items not found locally like shells and copper • (little known about their daily life) • (died out around 100 BC)

32. Hopewell Culture • Located all along the Ohio and Mississippi river valley’s • No “one” leader, each community had a local leader • Civilization farmed (wide variety of crops) • Mounds show evidence of trade from the Rockies to the Atlantic (E to W) and from Canada to Florida (N to S) • Change in climate and over populaiton are probable causes

33. Mississippians • Located in the Mississippi valley • Farmed for survival grew corn (maize) and beans (could be dried and saved for drought years) • Built tallest mound on US soil (100 ft tall) • No one is sure why their civilization dissapeared

34. Ancestral Pueblos • AKA the Anasazi ancient SW American tribe • Began around 100AD • Chaco Canyon in New Mexico is the supposed trading center. • Why?

35. Ancient Puebloans • New Mexico had cold dry winters and hot dry summers • Pueblos built (pueblos) stone huts • Had round rooms called kivas for religious gatherings • Major droughts in the region caused them to leave, they never returned

36. Later Pueblos • Lived in the same region and built similar pueblos • Made crafts by hand such as baskets and pottery • Also farmed • Had irrigation systems and hunted for extra food • Prayed to kachinas (spirits who controlled animals, crops, and rain)

37. Plains Indians • Located West of the Mississippi but East of the Rockies • Midwest (flat lands) • Multiple different groups with different languages (used signing to communicate with other tribes) • The Mandan lived in fenced in villages with lodges and homes • The Souix lived in Tipis that were easy to close up and take with them to follow animals

38. Arrival of Europeans • The European settlements pushed the plains Indians farther west • Introduction of railroads, guns, and horses changed the Indians history forever • Big push today to revive the culture

39. People of the Woodlands • Located in Canada and the US • Hunted and fished for survival also cleared farm land • Created totem poles • Used much like a family crest • Totem poles and potlatches showed wealth • Created the Iroquois league (Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Oneida) • Best political group in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans