Transcript 1. The Swahili language developed as a mixture of what languages? 2.

1. The Swahili language developed
as a mixture of what languages?
2. How did Ghana’s rulers grow
rich?
NOT IN THE NOTES (but on the test)
3. Africa’s ________ are the grassy
plains the Bantu people migrated
to.
4. The southern “coastline” of the
Sahara is known as the _____
5. _______ describes the traditional
African religions in which spirits
played a major role in life
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Bantu and Arabic
Taxing traders as
they passed
through
Savannahs
Sahel
Animism
40,000 BC-700 AD
• Mesoamerica refers to
the region of central
Mexico to northern
Honduras
• Emerged around 1200
BC in south Mexican
jungles
• Challenges:
• Hot and humid
• Swamps/jungles
• Extreme rain
• Benefits
• Natural resources
• Flood plain
• Buildings and structures
have been discovered
that show reverence for
leaders
• Experts believe they
were polytheistic,
worshipping a variety of
nature gods
• Jaguar spirit was most
important
• The Olmec seem to have
prospered by having a
large trade network that
spread their culture
• The reasons are
unknown, but San
Lorenzo and La Venta
fell in 900 and 400 BC.
• As the first complex
civilization in Mesoamerica,
they became a “mother
culture” - A culture that sets
patterns that will be
followed by later
civilizations
• Olmec art, especially the
Jaguar, will be used by
later people
• Urban design
• Class system
• Massive stones (at least
17) from 900 BC
• Distinct to the Olmec
civilizations
• The smallest weighs 6
tons while the largest is
estimated to be 50 tons
• The meaning of the
heads is unknown
• Chapter 9/16 Vocabulary Crossword
• Syncretism Project
• PowerPoint and Poster due by next Thursday (Nov. 6th)
• Worksheets
• You should have the Chapter 8, 9, and 15 worksheets done by the end of
class (That’s 4 different worksheets).
• USA TestPrep – last “Global Interactions” quiz due Friday.
500-1500
• As we entered the AD
era, Central America
began creating
civilizations
• The Mayan people were
among the first
• Southern Mexico to Central
America
• By 250 AD, they were
pushing forward
• Mayan Classic Period
250-900 AD
• Built huge cities
• Each was ruled by a godking and was a religious
center
• People lived in communities
on the edges
• Ruled independently, the
city-states were linked only
by trade/alliances
• Farming led to the
growth of wealth in
individuals, which led to
a class system
• King – passed on to son
• Nobles – priests and
warriors
• Merchants – special skills
• peasants
• Plays a significant role on
Mayan life
• Polytheistic (based on
nature)
• Corn, death, rain, and war
• Good and evil
• Lots of different ways of
worshipping
• Offerings (sometimes human)
and body modification were
most common
• Gods ruled on a schedule
(handed it on to another
when their time was up)
• Religion led to the
development the calendar
• Based on observing the planets,
sun, and moon
• 17 seconds off of our calendar
• Informed them when to plant
crops
• They will become experts in
astronomy, math, and
engineering
• Most advanced writing in
the Americas
• 800 hieroglyphic symbols
(glyphs) that represented
words/sounds
• Used to record history, pass
on stories, and make
calendars
• Recorded history into a barkpaper book known as a
codex (only 3 still exist)
• Other books exist, but are
informal accounts
• Late 800s, Mayan cities
were suddenly abandoned
• Taken over by warriors
(Toltecs) who drastically
changed the culture
• Theories
• Mayan civil war disrupted
trade, made them weak
• Environment was overworked
• Preceded by Olmec and
Zapotec
• Nestled in the
mountains of Mexico, is
has lakes, resources, and
fertile soil
• This would be the center
of their empire
• Teotihuacan will be the first
major city-state
• Population reached over
150,000
• 1 central avenue with more
than 20 pyramids dedicated
to gods
• Teotihuacan was the center
of trade for all of central
America
• Obsidian was their most
valuable item
• By 750, it was abandoned
• Took 150 years for a new
culture to take over
• Built pyramids/temples to their
gods
• Extremely warlike
• God demanded blood and human
sacrifice
• Topiltzin will try to reform the
religion using Quetzalcoatl
(feathered serpent)
• This becomes a legend after he is
forced out and will come back to
haunt them
• Power is gone by 1200
• Moving throughout
Mexico, the Mexica
(Aztecs) people were
poor nomads that made
great mercenaries
• They are given a sign
from their god on to
build their capital city,
Tenochtitlan, in 1325
• The land was harsh
• Desert or swamp
• To adapt to the
environment, the Aztecs
developed irrigation
systems and reclaimed
swamplands with the
development of
chinampas (90 sec
video)
• They grew steadily
• In 1428, they will merge
with the Texcoco and
Tlacopan city-states to
create the Triple Alliance
• They continued to expand
using military force
• Pay tribute and not much
changed
• Refuse to obey and you
would be crushed
• At its peak, the Aztec
nobility consisted of gov.
officials, priests, and
military leaders
• Beneath them were the
commoners (merchants,
artisans, soldiers, and
farmers) and the slaves
(conquered peoples)
• Above everyone else was
the emperor who ruled
absolutely
• Had about 1000 gods
• Adopted a lot of
previous cultures gods
(Quetzalcoatl)
• Ceremonies were
elaborate to win the
favor of the gods
• Responsible for the sun
rise and set, the Sun
God is most important
• To be strong enough to
rise, he demanded human
blood sacrifice
• Thousands/year were
sacrificed
• Usually used slaves,
criminals, people “offered”
as tribute, and mostly
conquered peoples
• 1502, Montezuma II takes
power
• Called for more sacrifices as
the empire grew larger
• Many provinces rebelled in
anger over sacrifices
• He tried to limit
government/sacrifices, but it
was too late.
• In the mid 1500s, disease,
invasion, and internal
conflict had ended
Mesoamerican civilizations
• Built on the traditions of
the Chavin, Moche, and
the Nazca in the Peruvian
Andes
• They had been
mountainous but eventually
settled into the Valley of
Cuzco
• They will use terraced
farming to make use of the
mountainous land
• Began his reign in 1438
• The Incan Empire will grow
quickest under his
leadership
• 80 provinces with 16 million
people
• Used diplomacy and
military strength
• Many will give up without
resistance
• Incans tried to gain loyalty
even of the conquered
people
• The empire was divided
into units
• Governed by bureaucracy
• Roads connected the cities
• The Quechua language
was spoken by all
• Schools educated people
about their culture
• The Incans built cities in
conquered peoples lands
using their style of
architecture
• Reminded conquered
people who was in charge
• Master stonemasons
• All roads led to Cuzco
• Exercised complete control
• Little private commerce
• Society was like the welfare state
(socialism), you provide for the
state, the state will provide for you.
• This kept people loyal
• People were grouped (ayllu). To
spread Incan ideals and promote
unity, entire communities would
occasionally be moved.
• The greatest demand from the
government was the mita (labor
tribute)
• Farmed, built crafts, built public works
• Most important was the
road system
• 14000 miles of
roads/bridges through the
rocky terrain
• Could be paved or just a
path
• Guesthouses could be found
along the path
• Even had a postal service
using a system of runners
• Like the Romans, they were
very skilled engineers
• Never had a writing
system
• Everything was memorized
• For numbers, they used
the quipu (knotted
strings)
• Colors represented topic,
knots were the numbers
• Had fewer gods than the
Aztecs, but gods were still
based on nature spirits
• Most Important: Creator and
sun god (the king is his
descendant)
• Like the Egyptians, the
Incas practiced
mummification and
believed in an afterlife
• Peaked in the early
1500s with Huayna
Capac
• Upon his death, the
empire was divided
among his sons
• They fought a civil war not
long after that tore the
empire apart