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The cultures and civilizations of the “Americas”

The cultures and civilizations of the “Americas”. Where did the Native Americans come from?. Migrations from Asia ca. 30,000 – 15,000 yrs ago over Bering strait land bridge ; Isolated for at least 15,000 years!. Kingdoms and & Empires of the Americas.

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The cultures and civilizations of the “Americas”

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  1. The cultures and civilizations of the “Americas”

  2. Where did the Native Americans come from?

  3. Migrations from Asia ca. 30,000 – 15,000 yrs ago over Bering strait land bridge; Isolated for at least 15,000 years!

  4. Kingdoms and & Empires of the Americas

  5. Who was in Meso-America? (“Middle America”) • Olmec • Teotihuacan • Maya • Toltec • Aztec

  6. OLMEC • 1500 -300 BCE; Gulf of Mexico • Carved enormous stone heads of volcanic rock • Chief god - human-like with jaguar face • urban centers; astronomy • Kings, elite, merchants, laborers • Hieroglyphics; calendar • Corn, beans, squash, manioc Former kings?

  7. Teotihuacan • Temples • Quetzalcoatl • Chinampas • Apartment housing for commoners • Obsidian tools • Aristocratic govt • Military protected long distance trade • Decline – violence…

  8. Teotihuacan Pyramid of the Sun Pyramid of the Moon

  9. Maya

  10. MAYA • Yucatan Peninsula • City States; hereditary • Swidden agriculture; no metal tools • Complex religion - 3 layers (heavens, now and underworld); trances • Elite, tatoos, human sacrifice (elite capt) • Writing, ball playing (pok-a-tok), astronomy, • Calendar (365) math system(zero) • Elite women – high; women important • demise - war, drought, infighting **Mayan math computation

  11. Ritual “divine” cycle calendar Solar “civil” calendar “long count” calendar Mayan Calendar • first date is actually written 13.0.0.0.0. • three possible equivalences: • 13.0.0.0.0 = 13 Aug 3114 BCE (Gregorian)13.0.0.0.0 = 11 Aug 3114 BCE (Gregorian)13.0.0.0.0 = 15 Oct 3374 BC (Gregorian) • Assuming one of the first two equivalences, the Long Count will again reach 13.0.0.0.0 on 21 or 23 December AD 2012 • 13.0.0.0.0 may have been the Mayas' idea of the date of the creation of the world.

  12. Maya / Aztec Calendar

  13. Palenque

  14. Mayan Temples

  15. Toltec • Transmitted Teotihuacan & Mayan culture to the Aztecs • Conquest state; military power • Violent culture • Rivalries • Tula art ----- • Decline & invasion by the Aztecs

  16. The Aztecs

  17. AZTECS • Nomads; settled on islands • in Lake Texcoco • Adopted agriculture; gradually grew into an independent power, then empire • Capital city - Tenochtitlan – • Ruler chosen by nobility • War – religious significance (of course) – legitimized the ruler • War also increased holdings of nobles • War to get captives for human sacrifice

  18. Society - hierarchy with Aztec ruler & nobility at top & slaves/criminals/debtors at bottom; women had rights • Tremendous inequalities - nobility vs commoners • Elaborate ritual; Huitzilopochtli; war/sun • Human sacrifice • Political tribute system; pd in food; goods • Economic: chinampas; barter • Dike in lake: salt/fresh water

  19. Who was in Meso-America? (“Middle America”) • Olmec • Teotihuacan • Maya • Toltec • Aztec

  20. Pyramids of Tenochtitlán

  21. Huitzilopochtligod of war & sunneeded human hearts

  22. TlalocGod of Rain

  23. Quetzalcoatlgod of wind & knowledge

  24. Canoe moving about the chinampas

  25. Aztec Society in Transition • Increasingly hierarchical • Conflict between nobles and growing “middle” • Violence • Discontent tribute tribes; sacrifice! • Empire under Montezuma II conquered by Spaniards (Cortes)

  26. Montezuma II Cortes

  27. Andean Societiesenvironmentalchallenges… Moche

  28. Andean Cultures • Background: • Early – small coastal & foothills villages • by 2600 BCE cf - Old Kingdom Egypt Chavin (900-250 BCE) • Trade routes; controlled; linked regions • Maize <----> quinoa, potatoes, llamas • Adobe & stone; 1st metals; jaguar-man • Social stratification: priests, elite, etc.

  29. Technologies to meet the needs • Compensations: • Calendar • New varieties potatoes & grains • Terraced farming • Freeze-dried vegetables & meat • Llama & alpaca wool • Environmental challenges: • Altitude • Frosts • Arid / drought • Only llamas!

  30. Andean culture • Khipus • Ayllu • Hereditary aristocracy & kings • Mit’a • Coca (not cacao) • Colonists

  31. khipus

  32. Moche • Ca. 600 CE • Maize, quinoa, beans, manioc, sweet potatoes • Irrigation, canals, aqueducts • Alpacas & llamas • Textiles • Stratified society; theocratic • Women weavers

  33. Moche ceramic sculpture

  34. The Inca

  35. INCA • huge empire & strong central gov’t • extending length of South America • Large professional military • Built paved roads & suspension bridges - used running messengers; quipus • Pastoralists; men and women • Capital Cuzco; sun god; royal family • Local rulers/chiefdoms; control by hostage taking

  36. Inca terraces;Machu Picchu

  37. Machu Pichu

  38. suspension bridge

  39. Northern Peoples Southwestern desert • Aztec influence incl. maize, squash, beans • Hohokam irrigation canals • Anasazi – kivas; cliff dwellings & canyon “appts”, pottery, weaving • Chaco canyon; Mesa Verde

  40. Anasazi cliff dwellings

  41. Mississippian culture • Oldest mounds – 3000’s BCE • “mound-builders” • Chiefdoms • “Hopewell” cultures • Towns – central plaza surrounded by mounds; burial mounds, temple mounds • Social stratification; trade • (not accepted as product of the Native Americans until late 1800’s!)

  42. How Mississippian towns might have looked

  43. Cahokia mounds city; Illinois Had more inhabitants than Paris at that time (1150)

  44. Etowah Indian Mound

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