Maya Civilization - Mr. Bilbrey's Digital Classroom
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Transcript Maya Civilization - Mr. Bilbrey's Digital Classroom
Maya
Civilization
I. Classic Period: 250-900 C.E.
Located in southern Mexico, northern Central America
Influenced heavily by older culture, the Olmecs
Ball courts – believed that playing this game would maintain
cycles of sun and moon, bring rains
Planned ceremonial centers, religious ceremonies
Gods and spirits – Jaguar spirit at center
Empire of independent city-states
Examples: Tikal, Chichen Itza
Each ruled by a god-king
Centers of religion, trade
Linked by common language, religious beliefs
II. Trade & Agriculture
City states linked by trade routes and alliances
Products: salt, feathers, shells, honey, textiles
Cacao beans sometimes served as currency
Agriculture formed basis of Maya life
Squash, maize (corn), beans
Once thought to only practice slash and burn agriculture
Evidence has shown more sophisticated methods – beds
raised above swamps
III. Social Classes
As civilization grew, more wealth and development
of social classes
King at top, passed title to eldest
son (hereditary)
Was a divine (god-like) figure
Noble class: warriors, priests
Middle class: Merchants, artisans
Peasant farmers (majority of population)
Slaves: criminals, prisoners of war
KING PACAL,
603-683 C.E.
IV. Religion
Polytheistic: believed in many gods
Believed each day was a living god, behavior was
predicted by a system of calendars
Religious practices:
Made offerings
Pierced or cut their bodies to offer their blood
Practiced human sacrifice, usually enemies
Believed that it pleased the gods and kept world in balance
V. Math, Calendar, Astronomy
Religious beliefs led to developments in math,
astronomy, and use of calendars
Important to have an accurate calendar to know
which god is “carrying time” that day
Identify the best times to plant crops, attack enemies, crown
new rulers
Based on careful observation of planets, sun, moon
Calculated year to 365.2420 days
Had concept of zero
VI. Written Language
Most advanced writing system in ancient Americas
800 glyphs, or hieroglyphic symbols
Used for record keeping, history of civilization
Recorded important historical events in book known as a
codex
Only 3 of these have
survived
Creation story recorded
in the Popol Vuh
VII. Decline
Late 800s – many cities suddenly abandoned
Other peoples moved into areas being abandoned,
disrupted Maya civilization
Theories
Increased warfare between city-states disrupted trade,
increased economic hardship
Population growth, over-farming caused food shortages,
famine, disease
When the Spanish arrive in the 1500s, Maya divided
and weak, easily conquered
Examples of Mayan ruins
Aztec Civilization
(Late 1100s – 1500s)
I. Toltec Influence
Toltec peoples laid foundation for Aztec
Toltec ruled over central Mexico beginning around
900, lasted until about 1150.
Gained power as Maya were losing theirs
Militaristic, human sacrifice a main
component of religious ceremonies
Worshiped Quetzalcoatl, the
Feathered Serpent
Became legend among different
peoples of Mesoamerica,
including Aztec
II. Aztec Rise to Power
Originally poor, nomadic people from deserts of
northern Mexico
Built up civilization from ashes of Toltec, around
Lake Texcoco
City of Tenochtitlan
Formed Triple Alliance with other city-states, Texcoco and
Tlacopan – basis of Aztec Empire
By 1500s, empire stretched 80,000 square miles, 5-
15 million people
38 provinces loosely controlled through strong military and
tributes (taxes, human sacrifice)
Aztec Empire, 1200s-1500s
III. Social Classes
Emperor
Nobles – military
leaders, land owners
Commoners – merchants,
artisans, soldiers, farmers
Slaves – prisoners of war, criminals
IV. Religious Life
• Religion played a major role in daily life
• Hundreds of temples and religious structures
erected throughout civilization
• 1,000 gods
–
–
Many adopted from other Mesoamerican peoples
Quetzalcoatl – god of learning and books, god of wind,
symbol of death and rebirth
•
Depicted as both feathered serpent and pale-skinned man with
beard
• Practiced human sacrifice
– Thousands a year sacrificed to Huitzilopochtli
– Enslaved persons, criminals, prisoners of war
V. Decline
1502 – Montezuma II crowned emperor
Demanded even more tribute and sacrifice from provinces
Many provinces rebelled, threw civilization into chaos
Return of Quetzalcoatl
Many saw bad omens all around
The Spanish invaders represented Quetzalcoatl and downfall
of civilization
Easily overthrew Aztec – had better weapons & disease, Aztecs
weak and divided
Inca Empire
(1200s – mid 1500s)
I. Beginnings
Built upon foundations of older civilizations
Chavin, Moche, Nazca, Chimor
Settled in Valley of Cuzco in Andes Mountains
1200s – small kingdom established
Pachacuti took throne in 1438
Greatly expanded control over neighboring lands
Belief that ruler was descended from sun god
Only men from one of 11 noble families could be selected as
leader
I. continued…
Empire called “Land of the Four Quarters”
Encompassed 80 provinces, up to 16 million people
Used combination of military force and diplomacy to overtake
and control territories
Hundreds of different languages, ethnic backgrounds
II. A Unified Empire
• Utilized extensive road system
• One official language – Quechua
• Economy strictly controlled by government
– Regulated production and distribution of goods
• Centralized bureaucracy oversaw entire empire
• Depended on ayllu – extended family group
– Groups divided into 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000
– Chief led each group
– Chain of command = community->regional-> central
• Demanded tribute
– Mita – labor required by all able-bodied citizens
II. Continued…
Recording keeping
No written language – utilized oral tradition
Used the quipu – a set of knotted strings to record numerical
data
Knots and their position on the string indicated numbers
Colors of the strings represented different categories of
information
III. Religion
Focused worship mostly on nature spirits
Moon, stars, thunder, sun gods
Mamakuna – unmarried women selected for a lifetime of
religious service
Yamacuna – men who served as full-time religious workers
Sacrificed llamas and distributed goods as gifts from gods
IV. Decline
Huayna Capac – Inca leader during
early 1500s
Died of disease (probably small pox)
when travelling around Ecuador
After death – empire split in two, ruled by
two sons
Civil war weakened empire
1530s – Spanish arrived to overtake a very weak empire