Chapter 11 Chapter 11 IntroductionIntroduction

The The AmericasAmericas

The Americas: Peoples of The Americas: Peoples of North AmericaNorth America

So far in this class we have only So far in this class we have only focused on people living in focused on people living in Europe, Asia and Africa. Europe, Asia and Africa.

Why do you think that we have Why do you think that we have not studied people living in the not studied people living in the Americas yet?Americas yet?

The Americas: Peoples of The Americas: Peoples of North AmericaNorth America

One of the big questions that we One of the big questions that we need to answer is how humans need to answer is how humans moved from the early population moved from the early population centers of Africa and Asia into centers of Africa and Asia into the Americas.the Americas.

Do we have any ideas on how Do we have any ideas on how this happened?this happened?

The Bering StraitThe Bering StraitMost Most

Historians Historians believe that believe that humans used humans used a land bridge a land bridge to cross the to cross the Bering StraitBering Strait from Asia into from Asia into North North America.America.

Historians believed that Historians believed that

The Bering Strait TodayThe Bering Strait Today

Historians believed that Historians believed that

The Bering Strait over The Bering Strait over timetime

CHAPTER 11 Section 2CHAPTER 11 Section 2

THE BIG IDEATHE BIG IDEAEarly Mesoamerican Early Mesoamerican Civilizations flourished Civilizations flourished with fully developed with fully developed

political, religious and political, religious and social structures.social structures.

MesoamericaMesoamerica• MesoamericaMesoamerica is the name of is the name of

areas of Mexico and Central areas of Mexico and Central America where ancient empires America where ancient empires flourished.flourished.

The OlmecThe Olmec

• The The OlmecOlmec are the earliest are the earliest known civilization in Mesoamerica known civilization in Mesoamerica first appeared around 1200 B.C., first appeared around 1200 B.C., but archeologists did not discover but archeologists did not discover their remains until about 1940 their remains until about 1940 A.D.A.D.

• The Olmec people farmed in The Olmec people farmed in riverbanks along the coast of the riverbanks along the coast of the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico

The Olmec: CraftsmenThe Olmec: Craftsmen

• The Olmec traded with other The Olmec traded with other peoples of Mesoamerica for peoples of Mesoamerica for jade and obsidian (natural jade and obsidian (natural glass) to make tools.glass) to make tools.

Jade

Obsidian

The Olmec: CraftsmenThe Olmec: Craftsmen

• Despite not Despite not having any metal having any metal tools, the Olmec tools, the Olmec created great created great monuments such monuments such as pyramids and as pyramids and stone sculptures stone sculptures such as these.such as these.

The End of the OlmecThe End of the Olmec

• Despite being advanced Despite being advanced enough to build large cities and enough to build large cities and great monuments, the Olmec great monuments, the Olmec culture declined and eventually culture declined and eventually collapsed around 400 B.C.collapsed around 400 B.C.

• Historians and Archaeologists Historians and Archaeologists still are not sure of what still are not sure of what caused this collapse.caused this collapse.

The City of TeotihuacThe City of Teotihuacáánn

The first major city in The first major city in Mesoamerica was Mesoamerica was TeotihuacTeotihuacáánn or the “Place of the Gods,” or the “Place of the Gods,” which arose around 250 B.C. which arose around 250 B.C. and lasted until 800 A.D.and lasted until 800 A.D.

TeotihuacTeotihuacáán had as many as n had as many as 200,000 citizens at its height.200,000 citizens at its height.

Like the Olmec, the people of Like the Olmec, the people of TeotihuacTeotihuacáán were known for n were known for working with Obsidian and for working with Obsidian and for using it to make tools and, using it to make tools and, mirrors and knives.mirrors and knives.

The people of TeotihuacThe people of Teotihuacáán n traded these goods for traded these goods for things like shells and things like shells and feathers which they used feathers which they used in their crafts.in their crafts.

The MayaThe MayaFar to the east of TeotihuacFar to the east of Teotihuacáán, on n, on

the the YucatYucatáán Peninsulan Peninsula lived the lived the Maya who flourished from 300 to Maya who flourished from 300 to 900 A.D.900 A.D.

The Maya were one of the most The Maya were one of the most sophisticated civilizations in the sophisticated civilizations in the Americas, building great temples Americas, building great temples and using a very advanced and using a very advanced calendar.calendar.

Maya civilization was made up of Maya civilization was made up of many city-states, such as many city-states, such as TikalTikal, , who were governed by hereditary who were governed by hereditary rulers and were often at war with rulers and were often at war with one another.one another.

When soldiers were captured they When soldiers were captured they were used as slaves.were used as slaves.

When nobles were captured they When nobles were captured they were used for human sacrifice.were used for human sacrifice.

The Maya held the belief that The Maya held the belief that sinkholes were portals to the sinkholes were portals to the underworld and sacrificed underworld and sacrificed human beings to please the human beings to please the water god. water god. The The remains of remains of 42 young 42 young men were men were found in found in this this sinkhole. sinkhole.

Human sacrifice was so Human sacrifice was so important in Maya culture that important in Maya culture that in 790 one Maya ruler took his in 790 one Maya ruler took his troops in to battle so that he troops in to battle so that he could gain prisoners for could gain prisoners for human sacrifice and human sacrifice and beheading as part of a beheading as part of a celebration for his son.celebration for his son.

Human Human SacrificeSacrifice

The Maya CalendarThe Maya CalendarThe Maya used a sophisticated The Maya used a sophisticated

writing system based on writing system based on hieroglyphshieroglyphs or pictures. or pictures. Unfortunately very little of this Unfortunately very little of this writing survived when this area writing survived when this area of the world was eventually of the world was eventually conquered by the Spanish who conquered by the Spanish who did not see it as valuable. did not see it as valuable.

The Maya CalendarThe Maya CalendarOne of the calendars One of the calendars

the Maya used was the Maya used was the Long Count which the Long Count which states that the world states that the world was created in 3114 was created in 3114 B.C. and will end on B.C. and will end on December 23December 23rdrd 2012. 2012.

The Maya CalendarThe Maya CalendarThe Maya also used two other The Maya also used two other

calendars.calendars.One was a 365 day calendar that One was a 365 day calendar that

used 18 months of 20 days, with used 18 months of 20 days, with an extra five days at the end.an extra five days at the end.

Another calendar was 260 days Another calendar was 260 days split into 13 weeks of 20 days and split into 13 weeks of 20 days and was used for religious purposes. was used for religious purposes.

The Maya CalendarThe Maya CalendarThe Maya knew much about The Maya knew much about

the solar and lunar cycles and the solar and lunar cycles and some of the pyramids were some of the pyramids were built to create shapes and built to create shapes and figures with the shadows on figures with the shadows on the spring and fall equinoxes the spring and fall equinoxes (days when day and night are (days when day and night are equal length.)equal length.)

The Pyramid of The Pyramid of KukulcanKukulcan

The ToltecThe ToltecNear the same time that the Near the same time that the

Maya were declining, a new Maya were declining, a new group called the group called the ToltecToltec were were rising to power in western rising to power in western Mesoamerica.Mesoamerica.

The Toltec were a warring The Toltec were a warring people who conquered much people who conquered much land and brought metal-land and brought metal-working to Mesoamerica.working to Mesoamerica.

The ToltecThe Toltec• The Toltec believed that their The Toltec believed that their

rulers were connected to their rulers were connected to their gods. For instance their gods. For instance their leader Topiltzin was thought leader Topiltzin was thought to be related to Quetzalcoatl.to be related to Quetzalcoatl.

• Quetzalcoatl was the sky god Quetzalcoatl was the sky god and the creator god. and the creator god.

• Quetzalcoatl was a god in many Quetzalcoatl was a god in many Mesoamerican cultures.Mesoamerican cultures.

• Because of their warring Because of their warring culture and constant fighting, culture and constant fighting, the Toltec civilization the Toltec civilization eventually began to decline eventually began to decline around 1125.around 1125.

• Around 1170 the Toltec city of Around 1170 the Toltec city of Tula, which was the center of Tula, which was the center of the empire was sacked and the empire was sacked and burned down, ending the burned down, ending the Toltec Empire. Toltec Empire.

The AztecThe Aztec

The Final group to gain power in The Final group to gain power in Mesoamerica were the Mesoamerica were the AztecAztec..

In 1325, under attack from In 1325, under attack from other cultures, the Aztec other cultures, the Aztec established their capital city established their capital city TenochtitlTenochtitláánn (now Mexico City) (now Mexico City) on an island in on an island in Lake TexcocoLake Texcoco. .

The Aztec quickly rose to The Aztec quickly rose to power and by 1500 there were power and by 1500 there were four million Aztecs.four million Aztecs.

To govern this many people To govern this many people the Aztec ruler allowed local the Aztec ruler allowed local lords to govern semi-lords to govern semi-independent states. These independent states. These local rulers were required to local rulers were required to pay a pay a tributetribute of goods or of goods or money to the Aztec rulermoney to the Aztec ruler

Like many people of Like many people of Mesoamerica, the Aztec had Mesoamerica, the Aztec had many gods.many gods.

Ometeotl was their supreme god.Ometeotl was their supreme god.Huitzilopochtli was the god of sun Huitzilopochtli was the god of sun

and the god of war, which made and the god of war, which made him very important as Aztec him very important as Aztec warriors fought regularly to gain warriors fought regularly to gain more land for the Aztec Empiremore land for the Aztec Empire

The Aztec also believed in The Aztec also believed in Quetzalcoatl, but their tradition Quetzalcoatl, but their tradition stated that he had left the Valley stated that he had left the Valley of Mexico in the tenth century of Mexico in the tenth century and would someday return.and would someday return.

When Spanish explorers When Spanish explorers eventually arrived in eventually arrived in Mesoamerica, the Aztec first Mesoamerica, the Aztec first thought that they were thought that they were Quetzalcoatl’s representatives.Quetzalcoatl’s representatives.