Aztecs – c. 1350- 1550

1. Aztecs – c. 1350- 1550 A Continuation of the Olmec and Maya cultures

2. SSWH8 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the development of societies in Central and South America. a. Explain the rise and fall of the Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, and Inca empires. b. Compare the culture of the Americas; include government, economy, religion, and the arts of the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas.

3. Location / Geography • Central Mexico (not the Yucatan) • Capital at Tenochtitlan (island)‏500,000 people • Total Pop: 10-20 million

4. Politics • Theocracy led by divine king/Priest • Military – nearly constant brutal wars for: • conquest, • collect tribute, • captives forslaves and sacrifice

5. Economics • Agriculturally based • No large pack animals = merchants are limited by what they can carry • Chinampas– huge floating islands for agriculture • The great market – daily trade in the merchant section of large cities

6. Chinampa

7. Religion • Polytheistic • Many Temples based on astronomy for worship, sacrifice, and agricultural planning. • Each holiday = ceremonies involving human sacrifice

8. Social • Large gap between upper/lower classes • Role of Women – decide fate of prisoners, domestic chores (grinding maize), can inherit land • Common people in constant fear of war/sacrifice/slavery

9. Intellectual • calendar, numbers and pictorial writing similar but not identical to Maya • Capital built on an island required great planning and coordination

10. Art • Temples • Gold objects • Sculpture • Skull racks

11. 1 = Aztec sun god. 2, 13, 16, 27 = the four previous eras to the current one. 3-12, 17-26 = symbols of each of the 20 Aztec months 14 & 15 = The Hero Twins representing Darkness and light. 28 = sun rays 29 = The four directionals 30 = hand of the sun god holding a human heart 31 = Obsidian blade tongue representing that this god requires a blood sacrifice. 29 30 31

12. Conquered by Spanish • Spanish conquistadors led by Cortes crush the Aztecs during the 1530s • Cultural misunderstandings and general abhorance to Aztec practices • Cortes and his men destroy anything that remotely resembled Aztec writing, rituals, etc.

13. Inca c. 1350 – 1550

14. South America • Many older Civilizations across South America are united by the Inca • Inca – 1350 – 1530 • Emperor and principle wife seen as gods • Inca nobility dominate the bureaucracy

15. Geography • Western coast of S. America • Total Pop: 10 million • Capital at Cuzco, religious center Machu Pichu • 4000 miles in length • Made up of hundreds of tribes loosely ruled by the Inca • Empire included deserts along the coast, jungle and high mountain villages

16. Politics • Loose confederation of tribes • Smart captives were trained/brainwashed in Cuzco to rule for Inca • then sent back home to be Incan governors • Maintain authority by trading supplies to “good” regions and not to “bad” regions • Constant need to expand in order to support the trade/bribery with other regions

17. Macchu Picchu

19. Draw Bridge for Security

20. Economy • Agriculturally based • terraced farming, • different crops based on location and altitude • Lots of labor/workers necessary for transport of goods • Excellent Roads/infrastructure from coastal desert to jungle to mountain villages • Trade = food variety

21. Divine Kings • Emperor and principle wife seen as gods • Inca nobility dominate the bureaucracy

22. Religion • Religious tolerance but must worship Incan gods • Polytheistic, sun god is most important‏ • Human sacrifice rare • Great Inca – emperor, descendant of the sun god

23. Social Life • Diverse geography = diverse population • Social hierarchy • Kings/nobles • Merchants/rich • Farmers • slaves • land/money split to several heirs kept people more equal in wealth • “Mita” – obligation to the empire (military service/public works)‏ • women have almost no rights

24. Intellectual life and Art • No writing! • Incan Knots (Quipu) used to keep records of taxes, population, trade and names • Mummies are common • Nazca lines in the desert sand form animal shapes (possibly festival dancing patterns?)

25. Quipus (FYI only) • Quipu means "to tie". • A quipu was composed of a rope to which a collection of counting-threads, each about 60 centimeters long, were tied. • Information was recorded on the threads using different materials, colors, ties and placement. • The most important information was placed on the leftmost thread. • Yellow, white, and red represented gold, silver, and soldiers, respectively. • In a population census, men and women were counted on separate quipus. • When an event was to be recorded, a Quipu was used to store facts. • The story itself had to be memorized and could be retold using the Quipu's recorded facts. • Interpretation of a Quipu was complicated because every counter, Quipucamayo , used his own system of ties and retold information from the Quipu orally

27. Decline • Conquered by Pizarro. • Military weakend by a civil war before Pizarro’s arrival. • Pizarro took the Incan leader captive. • The Incas bribed Pizarro with a room filled with gold for Atahualpa. • Once Pizarro received it he still ordered that Atahualpa to be killed. • 40yrs later, Tupac Amaru, last Inca killed. • Pizarro ordered that his body be dismembered to stop any further Inca resistance. Capture of Atahualpa

28. SSWH8 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the development of societies in Central and South America. a. Explain the rise and fall of the Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, and Inca empires. b. Compare the culture of the Americas; include government, economy, religion, and the arts of the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas. List five facts which will help you remember this lesson: