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Maya, Aztec, Inca Civilizations. The Mayans. Civilization begins around 2000 BCE, but Classical Period of civilization is 250 – 900 CE Located in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico Covered highlands in the mountains, lowlands that were covered in thick jungle. Accomplishments of the Mayans.
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The Mayans • Civilization begins around 2000 BCE, but Classical Period of civilization is 250 – 900 CE • Located in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico • Covered highlands in the mountains, lowlands that were covered in thick jungle
Accomplishments of the Mayans • Cities – archaeologists have found over 50 • Government broken up into independent city-states • Alliances, trade, and wars between these • Government of all city-states centered around religion – a theocracy • Built large stone pyramids in cities • Cities also had ball courts for games
Advances by the Mayans • Math – math system that included zero • Own number system similar to Egyptian • Calendars – used to time agricultural season properly • One calendar for religion, one based on the sun • Writing system – most advanced in Western hemisphere at the time
Collapse of the Mayans • Mysterious – no one really knows why civilization collapsed • Cities emptied out in the late 800s • Possibilities include war, overfarming, population growth, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47kRdCLALgo – Mayan calendar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA8Bjzj-aLs – human sacrifice
Aztecs • Begins around 1200 CE • In Mexico, as well – northwest of Mayans • Extremely hot and dry • Lots of valuable resources and fertile soil • Obsidian – volcanic glass that was valuable in trade • Extremely religious – a theocracy • Worshipped gods like Quetzacoatl (serpent god) or sun gods • Religion dictated everyday life – everything centered around it
Conquerors • Aztecs were an empire – looking to expand • Forced conquered people to pay tribute (taxes) • Slaughtered villages when they failed • Many conquered people were used in human sacrifices
City Builders • Aztecs built cities in what they felt were important religious sites • Most famous was Tenochtitlan • Population between 200,000 and 400,000 • Built on an island – very advanced bridges built to get to island • City was completely planned out
Fall of the Aztecs • 1502 – many tribute states revolted – tired of huge taxes, human sacrifices • Leader at the time was Montezuma II – tried easing the taxes, but not enough • Eventually, Spanish conquerors arrive in search of God, glory, and gold – wipe out Aztecs
Incan Civilization • Begins around 1200 in Andes Mountains in western South America • Believed their ruler was a descendant of their sun god
Inca Empire • Empire stretches for 2,500 miles over Andes Mountain range – one of biggest mountain ranges in the world • Government had complete control over people • Complete control over economy – distributed goods to people • Very little trade – positives and negatives of this?
Cities • Cities built high up in mountains • Carefully planned, connected by roads • Famous cities include Cuzco, their capital, and Machu Picchu • Cities were carefully planned
Machu Picchu • Famous city that was re-discovered in early 1900s • Built high up in the Andes – a resort town for high class members of society • Carefully planned • Many of the ruins have been reconstructed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2YBVlgqqco
Why do they disappear? • Disease – smallpox wipes out large part of civilization • Civil war – weakens entire empire • As civil wars are going on, Spanish arrive, finish off civilization
