Post on 26-Dec-2015
*No, you can’t have it…its Mayan!
*What is now the southern tip of Mexico
*Independent cities built on agriculture and trade
*Polytheistic
*Used a writing system known as Glyphs
*Most Astonishing Fact
The Mayans had very skilled mathematicians and astronomers
They calculated the solar year at
365.2420 days per year…only .0002 of a day too short
*Speaking of the Mayan Calendar…
*The calendar ends on December 21, 2012
*Some believe that will bring the end of the world
*Bummer…
*What’s Mayan is Yours
*Theories of the decline include war, disrupted trade, agricultural problems and disease, but no one knows for sure what happened
*The AztecsAztecs establish
Tenochtitlan…which is now Mexico City
The Triple Alliance gives the Aztecs supreme power in Central Mexico
Aztecs conquer neighboring tribes and demand tribute
Trade also brings wealth to the Aztec Empire
I got dibs on the left ventricle
*Aztec Religion*Polytheistic
*The Sun God was the most important…and he liked blood
*Quetzalcoatl…the feathered serpent
god was important too
*The Emperor’s New Groove
*Inca establish their kingdom in the Valley of Cuzco*Modern day Peru
*Pachacuti was the great Inca ruler who turned the Inca into an empire
*All Roads Lead to Cuzco
Organized government to cover the vast territory
Vast road systems for travel and trade
Conquered areas get a makeover
All citizens had to give mita
*Did You Feed Tina?*Llamas were very important in Inca culture
*provided travel, food, clothing and sacrifice
*Inca ReligionPolytheisticWorshipped fewer
gods than the Mayans and Aztecs
Both men and women could devote their lives to religious service