Transcript Unit 2 – Early Civilizations of America

Unit 2 – Early Civilizations of
America
SWBAT: analyze the existence, culture, and civilizations of
early people of the Americas before the arrival of
Europeans:
A) Mesoamerican cultures: Olmec, Maya, Aztec
B) South American cultures: Inca
C) North American cultures: Tribes of the Northeast US,
Tribes of the Southeast US, Tribes of the Northwest US,
Tribes of the Southwest US , Tribes of the Midwest –
cultures
GLEs: 2.3A /DOK: 2-4/ Content Standards SS 6&7/ Process
Standards 1.4, 1.9, 2.7
Day 1- The Olmec
SWBAT: analyze the existence, culture, and civilization
of the Olmec
GLE’s: 2.3A --- DOK 2
Vocabulary:
Migrate: To move from one region to another
Society: A group of people with common interests,
customs, and ways of life
Civilization: Complex societies in which people share
important characteristics such as language, religion,
art, dress, and political structure
Bering Strait
Around
35,000
Years Ago
Why Develop Civilizations?
•Help meet peoples needs – easier to work together than
apart
* Make groups more powerful
* Advance human kind
Ingredients for a Civilization
• Settlements:
cities or towns
• Food production – enough to sustain a given population
(so some inhabitants can do other things than grow food)
• Large enough population so that groups may
specialize in activities
(such as creation of buildings, art, practice warfare or etc.
•Must have a bureaucracy capable of running the community
Types of Societies
• Sedentary: created permanent towns or villages
• Semisedentary: built towns or villages, but moved
them every few years in search of migrating animals
and new land for farming
• Nonsedentary: did not construct permanent villages
or towns but created small, temporary camps that
could be moved easily in search of large game, fish,
and edible plants
Based on what you know so far….. How do you
think societies arrived in Mesoamerica – (or modern
day Mexico – Nicaragua)
Characteristics of Societies
NONSEDENTARY
•Hunters-gatherers, wandered from
Place to place
•No permanent settlements or farms
• No political leaders, laws, or taxes
SEMISEDENTARY
•Combination of farming and hunting
•Small village; people moved frequently to follow food supply
•Some political leadership to enforce laws and taxes
•Populations number in 100 and 1,000
SEDENTARY
•Large scale farming was basis of life
•Permanent cities with roads, markets, and many
dwellings
•Populations number in the millions
•Political leaders create laws and enforce taxes
Mesoamerica
Meso = Middle
Olmec “Rubber People”
1200BC – 400 BC
1st Known Great Civilization of the Americas
Heart of the Mesoamerican population
Art
- Thought to be sculptures of religious, political,
or sports figures
- Made of Basalt rock from quarries – up to 80
miles away from Olmec territory
Calendar - Writing
* Most accurate calendar
known to date – used
360 days a year
• First known civilization
to use the 0
• 1st Civilization in the
Western Hemisphere to
use writing –
hieroglyphics
Epic Olmec
Religion
Polytheism
• The jaguar-monster, fire god, or
maize god
A god with a maize symbol on his
head
A bird god
The jaguar-baby
A being with a human-feline face
A figure representing Xipe Totec
The Plumed Serpent
A death god
A bearded figure
God X
Religion
Continued
•Shamanism : All
things have and
animal spirit’
•Built huge centers
•Dark ceremonies
of sacrifice
Jaguar-the various gods
centered around the
jaguar
Characteristics of the Society
Hierarchy -- Priests and
political figures at the
top
Imported jade and basalt
Exported ceramic works
of art
Elite could specialize –
astronomy, art, math
Elaborate farming system
with irrigation systems
Decline of the Olmec
Olmecs ultimately destroyed their ceremonial centers at
both San Lorenzo and La Venta and then deserted the
sites
Statues were broken and buried, monuments defaced,
and capitals burned
No one knows why,
Some speculate reasons involving civil conflicts or doubts
about the effectiveness or legitimacy of the ruling classes
By about 400 B.C., Olmec society had fallen on hard times
and other societies soon eclipsed it
Overview – Wrap UP
BrainPOP | Social Studies
1.
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5.
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Overview Quiz – 4 Corners
What can you conclude about Mesoamerica from its name?
It’s political structure B. The types of Languages Spoke thereC. It’s location D. Culture
Where would you go if wanted to visit ancient Olmec ruins?
A. Peru B. Guatemala C. Texas D. South America
The Olmec civilization practiced ….
A. Monotheism B. Polytheism C. Atheism D. Christianity
The Olmec calendar had how many days?
A. 360 days B. 365 days C. 361 days D. 320
One theory of how early civilizations arrived in North America is….
Early Europeans crossed a frozen Bering Strait in search of food and shelter
Early African societies migrated north from South America
Christopher Columbus sailed from Portugal to settle a new land
Early African Americans wondered north
References
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/latinamerica/meso
/cultures/olmec.html
http://www.essortment.com/all/olmecnativeind_rehp.htm
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/12-1-2005-82836.asp
http://metareligion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/Central_ame
rica/olmecs_religion.htm
http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/comp/cw13olmec
maya.htm
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Ok
NuThOn1qsJ:ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w416373/HIS%2520101%25
20web%2520site/Lsn%25206%2520Maya%2520and%2520Inc
a.ppt+olmec+-+Hierarchy&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
References Cont.
http://www.criscenzo.com/jaguarsun/maya.htm
l
http://www.middletownk12.org/leads/files/The
%20Maya%201.pdf