Transcript Unit 6: Civilizations of the Americas

Unit 6: Civilizations of the
Americas
Chapter 11: Early Mesoamerican
Civilizations
Lesson 1
Geography and Agriculture in
Mesoamerica
Terms & Names Activity
Draw the following table in your notes (right side). For each
term/name draw a picture that represents how the item is
meaningful to you.
Terms/Names
Definition
Sentence
Picture
Landforms of Mesoamerica
• Mesoamerica includes the southern part of Mexico and
much of Central America.
– Mountains run down the center of Mesoamerica.
• In the north, the mountain range divides into two.
– A region called the Mexican Plateau separates
these two highland areas.
– Coastal plains wind along the Pacific Ocean, the
Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico.
• Here and there, the plains widen into broad
lowlands.
– One such area is the Yucatán Peninsula,
which stretches into, and divides, the
Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Landforms of Mesoamerica
– Volcanoes have changed the landscape of
Mesoamerica.
• When a volcano erupts, it spits out streams
of lava, or melted rock.
–It also releases clouds of ash.
• In time, the lava and ash build up.
–Eventually, they form huge cone-like
mountains.
• More than a dozen of these Mesoamerican
volcanic mountains are still active.
–That means they can erupt at any time.
–Most have been dormant, or inactive, for
hundreds of years.
Processing
• What is the landscape like in
Mesoamerica?
• Map the Climate Zones
– Illustrate the climate zones in Mesoamerica
by tracing and labeling an outline map that
shows which areas have rain forests, deserts,
and grasslands. Create a map key using
symbols based on the vegetation that grows
in each zone (for example, a cactus could
represent a desert region).
– Page 369 of your book would really help!
Climate and Vegetation
• Much of Mesoamerica lies in the Tropics.
– The climates there are hot and wet.
• The heat and moisture give rise to rain forests.
– Many different kinds of trees and plants grow there.
– Less rain falls in lowland areas.
• The lowlands are covered with grasslands.
• Northern Mesoamerica has a hot, dry climate.
– Much of this area is covered with grasslands.
• Some parts of the north get so little rain that they are
considered a desert.
• Elevation, or the height of the land above sea
level, has a strong influence on climate in
Mesoamerica.
– As elevation rises, the climate grows cooler.
• Growing conditions change as climate changes.
Processing
• What is the link between elevation and
climate?
• Make a Climate Collage
– Locate pictures of the goods listed in the chart
on page 369 on the Internet or in grocery
fliers. Sort the pictures according to the
climate zone in which the goods grow best
and create a collage with the pictures.
Remember to label the climate zones on their
collages.
Geography Shapes
Mesoamerican Life
• The highlands of Mesoamerica supplied
jade and obsidian.
– Obsidian is a black volcanic glass.
• They made sharp weapons from obsidian.
– Mesoamericans made small carvings from
jade.
• Coastal regions provided seashells and
shark’s teeth.
– Mesoamericans used these for jewelry.
Continued
• Mesoamericans also made use of the
animals found in the region.
– They prized the colorful feathers of a bird
called the quetzal.
• The quetzal was sacred to many Mesoamericans.
– They often used the feathers from these birds
to decorate their clothing.
Continued
• Mesoamericans farmed all kinds of land.
– Floodplains of rivers and the slopes of volcanic
mountains had fertile soil.
• These lands were good for growing crops.
– Other areas, such as rain forests, were not good for
growing crops.
• To work these lands, Mesoamericans used a method called
slash-and-burn agriculture.
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–
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Farmers cleared the land by cutting down trees.
Then they burned the fallen trees.
Next, they used the ashes to fertilize the soil.
Finally, they planted crops on the cleared land.
After a few years, they left this land and moved to another part
of the rain forest.
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Continued
• Mesoamericans grew a variety of crops,
including maize—a type of corn.
– They used maize to make many types of food.
• One of these foods was a kind of flat bread called
a tortilla.
• They also grew beans, peppers, and
squash.
• In addition, Mesoamericans raised cacao.
– Mesoamericans used the beans from this tree
to make a chocolate drink.
Continued
• Mesoamericans could not get all the
goods they wanted from their local area.
– Jade and obsidian were found mostly in
mountain areas.
– Seashells came from the coastal areas.
• Soon people began to trade their local
goods for goods found in other regions.
Continued
• Mesoamericans traded goods over great distances by
water and overland.
– The Mesoamericans did not develop the wheel.
– Also there were no horses or oxen to use as pack animals.
• Using dugout canoes, they traveled the rivers in the
region.
– They also traveled along the Pacific, Caribbean, and Gulf coasts.
• The Mesoamericans carried on an overland trade.
– They did this by carrying the goods on their backs.
• More than goods traveled along the trade routes.
– Traders also carried knowledge with them.
• This knowledge spread all over the region.
• This sharing of ideas helped to create a common culture throughout
Mesoamerica.
Processing
• How did the geography of Mesoamerica
encourage trade?
• Create a Maize Exhibit
– Research maize and create an exhibit that
focuses on some aspect of the crop. For
example, you may choose to present the
history of maize, various uses of it, or
cultivation of the crop.
Lesson 2
The Olmec Civilization
Terms & Names Activity
Draw the following table in your notes (right side). For each
term/name draw a picture that represents how the item is
meaningful to you.
Terms/Names
Definition
Sentence
Picture
An Early American Civilization
• About 3,000 years ago, the Olmec lived in what
is now southern Mexico.
– They settled along rivers near the Gulf Coast.
• They got much of their food from fishing.
– Later, the Olmec began to farm.
• The Olmec realized that the fl at lands near rivers were good
for growing crops.
– The alluvial soil—soil deposited by running water—that
covered these lands was very fertile.
– Farmers began to do very well in this region.
– The food supply increased.
– With a steady food supply, the Olmec population grew.
• This activity helped them to develop the first major civilization
in Mesoamerica.
Continued
• The steady food supply meant that not
everyone had to farm.
– This allowed some people to focus on other
tasks—Specialize.
• Some became potters or weavers.
• Others became priests or teachers.
Continued
• As the Olmec population grew, so too did their
farming villages.
– Some of these villages developed into cities.
– By 1150 B.C., the Olmec had built a large city that is
now called San Lorenzo.
• The center of the city contained raised mounds and large
stone monuments.
– The monuments were used for religious ceremonies.
• San Lorenzo also had areas used for trade.
• In addition, the city had housing areas, where Olmec priests
and rulers lived.
– Another huge Olmec city began to grow around 900
B.C.
• This city is now called La Venta.
• It replaced San Lorenzo as the center of the Olmec
civilization.
• La Venta served as a religious and trade center.
Processing
• What impact did an increased and more
reliable food supply have on the Olmec?
• Draw a Mural
– Create a mural that depicts life of the Olmec.
The mural may include information on
farming, fishing, housing, entertainment, art,
learning, religion, and trade. Use labels and
captions to describe details in the illustrations.
Olmec Culture
• Most Olmec were farmers and fishers.
– They lived in villages near rivers.
• The Olmec grew maize, beans, squash, and peppers.
• They caught fish and turtle and hunted deer.
• Most of the Olmec who lived in cities were from
the elite, an upper class of priests and nobles
who ruled Olmec society.
– These people lived in large houses made of stone.
– They wore jewelry and fancy clothes.
• Some commoners also lived in the cities.
– Their houses were smaller and made of wood or mud.
– Their clothes were very plain.
– They mostly were laborers and craft workers.
Continued
• The Olmec played a ball game that was very
popular with their people.
– The game was played in huge ball courts.
– The Olmec may have invented the game.
• San Lorenzo and other Olmec cities contained
several huge, stone heads.
– Each head has a flat face, thick lips, and staring eyes.
– The purpose of these heads remains unknown.
• They may be monuments to Olmec rulers.
• Or they could be famous ball game players.
– The Olmec made the heads out of basalt, a kind of
volcanic rock.
Continued
• The Olmec also made small sculptures out of jade.
– Other Olmec art included pottery and cave paintings.
• They used an early form of glyph writing.
– Glyphs are pictures that represent words, syllables, or sounds.
– They used this writing to record events, dates, and to tell stories.
• Developed a very accurate calendar.
• Worshiped several gods.
– The chief god was the jaguar.
• They probably believed that the jaguar god brought rain.
– The Olmec also worshiped a fire god and a corn god.
• As you read earlier, the Olmec built large mounds in the
centers of their cities.
– Later, the Olmec replaced these mounds with pyramids.
• The Olmec probably used the pyramids as religious centers.
Processing
• How was Olmec society organized?
• Create a Glyph Message
– Mayan writing contains more than 800 glyphs.
Some are recognizable pictures of real
objects and others represent syllables or
sounds.
– Create a message using glyphs that you
invent. Include a Glyph Key, that lists your
invented glyphs and corresponding
translations.
Seated Female Figure with Mirror Ornament
La Venta, Mexico
A rare depiction of a female
in Olmec art, this seated
figure is also unusual for her
hematite mirror ornament.
Her seated pose and mirror,
an emblem of political and
religious authority, convey
her elite status. Mirrors
functioned as divination
tools, providing symbolic
access to other realms.
The Maize God
This king is dressed as
the Maize God. He is
seated cross-legged, in
a rulership pose that
goes back to the Olmec,
and the foliated sign
around his mouth may
designate him as a lord
or ruler. He holds an
open bundle in his
hands.
Kneeling Figure
This extremely rare
wooden figure may once
have held a square
mirror, and the figure's
pose suggests a trance
state associated with
divination. Wood rarely
survives in the tropical
climate in which the
Olmec and Maya
civilizations flourished.
Figure Holding Jaguar Cub
This figure, protectively
holding a jaguar cub in
his right arm, was once
worn as a pendant.
Jaguars were highly
significant to the Olmec,
and many figures
combine human and
jaguarian features.
Celt with Incised Profile
This incised maskette
reveals an Olmec-style
face covered with
scrolled patterns on
the cheek and a maize
icon in the center of
the forehead. Maize
was a potent symbol of
wealth for the Olmec.
Seated Lord Wearing Headdress
and Cape
Divinely sanctioned authority
derived from the intimate
relationship between maize
agriculture and the rituals
performed to ensure its abundance.
The earliest kings were portrayed
wearing the regalia of the Maize
God, embodying sacred power that
guaranteed abundant crops. This
richly dressed figure of an Olmec
lord is one of the earliest such
portrayals. Above his headband he
wears the cleft mask of the Olmec
Maize God.
The Olmec Legacy
• Most Olmec cities served as trade centers.
– The Olmec mainly traded for fancy items that the elite wanted.
– These items included valuable stones and iron ore.
• Ideas also were exchanged at Olmec trade centers.
– The Olmec culture spread throughout much of Mesoamerica.
• Around 500 B.C., the Olmec began to leave their cities.
– The reason for this remains unclear.
– By 400 B.C., the Olmec civilization had largely disappeared.
• Even so, it had a huge impact on Mesoamerica.
• Many historians consider the Olmec civilization the
mother culture of Mesoamerica.
– A mother culture is a way of life that strongly influences later
cultures.
• Olmec culture and customs shaped the Mesoamerican cultures that
followed.
– These cultures included the Zapotec, the people of Teotihuacán, the
Aztec, and especially the Maya.
Processing
• Why is Olmec civilization considered a
mother culture?
• Advertise Olmec Wares
– Create an advertisement that features the wares
available at an Olmec trade center. Research
details about items produced by the Olmec. In
your ad, you should describe materials from
which the items are made, where they are
produced, and how they are produced. The ad
might also include an explanation of the location
of the specific trade center where these wares
are sold.
Lesson 3
The Mayan Civilization
Terms & Names Activity
Draw the following table in your notes (right side). For each
term/name draw a picture that represents how the item is
meaningful to you.
Terms/Names
Definition
Sentence
Picture
Birth of a Civilization
• Today, the Maya live in southern Mexico,
Guatemala, and northern Belize.
– Their culture can be traced as far back as
2000 B.C.
– Around 1500 B.C., the Maya began to
establish villages.
• These villages were located in the highlands and
lowlands of Mesoamerica.
– The highlands contained many minerals.
– In general, the highlands had a dry, cool climate.
Continued
• The lowlands on the Yucatán Peninsula
had a hot, dry climate.
– Hot, humid rain forests covered the lowlands
further to the south.
• This area had fertile soil.
– Farming did very well in the Mayan lowlands.
– Because of this, the Maya were able to grow
much food.
• With more food, the Maya became healthier.
• As a result, their population grew.
• In time, some Mayan farming villages grew into
great cities.
Processing
• Where did the Maya establish villages?
• Illustrate Mayan Life
– Draw cartoon strips that illustrate the daily life
of the four Mayan social classes. You may
choose to draw one strip for each social class,
or you may include details about each social
class in one larger strip. Before you begin, list
the four social classes and brainstorm details
about each class.
Mayan Life
• The Maya produced more than enough food.
– Because of this, some people could focus on tasks
other than farming.
• Some became craftworkers.
• Others became priests or teachers.
– This division of labor resulted in the growth of a class
system.
• Mayan society was made up of four social
classes.
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–
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The ruling class
The nobility
Peasants
Slaves.
Continued
• The ruling class was made up of kings and their families.
– These rulers also performed the religious duties of priests.
• A king governed each Mayan city.
• The nobility probably included scholars and merchants.
– They were educated and wealthy.
• Peasants included farmers and laborers.
– Most of the Maya were peasants.
• Slaves were mostly criminals and people captured in
war.
• Mayan farmers lived in small villages near the big cities.
– They lived in simple homes.
– Mayan farmers grew maize, beans, chili peppers, and cacao.
• Maize was the most important crop.
– The Maya believed they had been created out of maize.
Continued
• Mayan nobles led very different lives from the peasants.
– They wore fancy clothes and much jewelry.
– Nobles lived in houses built of stone.
– They also ate much better than peasants.
• The Maya worshiped more than 160 gods and
goddesses.
– The main god was called ItzamNá.
• The Maya believed this god created the world.
– To get help from the gods, the Maya often fasted, prayed, and
offered sacrifices.
• Most of these sacrifices were animals.
• The Maya also offered their own blood as a sacrifice.
• Occasionally, the Maya made human sacrifices.
• The Maya expected their rulers to communicate with the
gods on their behalf.
Mayan Hierarchy
Head Honcho
The Bureaucratic Level
The Bottom Pile
Continued
• The Maya had many religious festivals and
ceremonies.
– One important ceremony was a ball game.
• It was performed in a large ball court.
– The ball game may have been played to honor great
Mayan heroes.
– Or it was played to reenact important events from Mayan
history.
– Sometimes it was just a sporting competition.
Processing
• What were the four classes that made up
Mayan society?
• Investigate Mayan Astronomy
– Mayan astronomers charted the orbit of
Venus, predicted eclipses, and determined
the length of the solar year with remarkable
accuracy. The Maya did not have telescopes
or modern instruments.
– Use the Internet to research how the Maya
were able to be so accurate.
Glory and Decline
• The Maya reached their peak roughly during the
years between A.D. 250 and 900.
– The Maya built more than 40 cities.
• Each Mayan city contained pyramids with temples on top of
them.
• Many of them also had steles.
• The Maya carved glyphs on these large stone monuments.
• The glyphs represented important dates and great events.
– A king governed each Mayan city and the surrounding
areas.
• One of the greatest Mayan kings was Pacal II, who ruled the
city of Tikal.
Mayan Pyramid of Kukulkan
Pyramids of the Sun and Moon in
Teotihuacan
Climate and Vegetation
• Much of Mesoamerica lies in the Tropics.
– The climates there are hot and wet.
• The heat and moisture give rise to rain forests.
– Many different kinds of trees and plants grow there.
– Less rain falls in lowland areas.
• The lowlands are covered with grasslands.
• Northern Mesoamerica has a hot, dry climate.
– Much of this area is covered with grasslands.
• Some parts of the north get so little rain that they are
considered a desert.
• Elevation, or the height of the land above sea
level, has a strong influence on climate in
Mesoamerica.
– As elevation rises, the climate grows cooler.
• Growing conditions change as climate changes.
Continued
• Sometimes cities fought each other.
– The winners gained political and economic
advantages.
• The Maya developed a complex writing
system.
– This system used glyphs.
• The Maya carved glyphs on buildings.
• They also wrote them on bark paper.
– This paper was screen-folded to form a type of book
called a codex.
• Few of these books still exist.
– The most famous is the Popol Vuh.
» It tells the Mayan story of the creation.
Processing
• What advances did the Maya achieve in
record keeping?
• Writing a Newspaper Article
– Imagine that you are a reporter visiting a
Mayan city. Write a short article that describes
the city’s architecture.