c. 1200 B.C. Olmec buildan empire

c. A.D. 100Moche civiliza-tion begins

c. A.D. 500Mayan civiliza-tion reachesits peak

c. A.D. 950Mayancities abandoned

1100 B.C. 400 B.C. A.D. 300 A.D. 10001100 B.C. 400 B.C. A.D. 300 A.D. 1000

The AncientAmericas

The ancient Mayancity of Chichén Itzá

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Chapter OverviewVisit ca.hss.glencoe.com for a preview of Chapter 6.

The First AmericansPhysical geography plays a role in how civilizations develop and

decline. The first people in the Americas arrived thousands ofyears ago. Farming led to the growth of civilizations in what isnow Mexico, Central America, and Peru.

The Mayan PeopleCivilizations are strengthened by a variety of advances. The Maya built

a complex culture in Mesoamerica with great temples and madeadvances in science and writing.

View the Chapter 6 video in the Glencoe Video Program.

309

Compare-Contrast Make this foldable to help you compare and contrast whatyou learn about the ancient Americas.

Reading and WritingAs you read the sectionson the ancient Americas,record importantconcepts and eventsunder the appropriatetabs. Then record ideassimilar to both under themiddle tab.

Step 1 Fold a sheet of paper in half fromside to side.

Step 2 Turn the paperand fold it into thirds.

Step 3 Unfold and cut only thetop layer along both folds. Step 4 Label as shown.

Fold it so the leftedge lies about

inch from the right edge.

12

This will makethree tabs. Olmec Both Maya

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Read first and take

notes afterwards. You

are likely to take down

too much information if

you take notes as you

read.

When you do research for a report or study for a test, it helpsto write down information so that you can refer to it later. By tak-ing notes, you can:

• phrase the information in your own words• learn to restate ideas in short, memorable phrases• stay focused on main ideas and only the most important sup-

porting details.

Taking Notes

A

CThese notes were recorded for the paragraph above.A. Asians followed animals across Beringia to the

AmericasB. Beringia—named after European explorer Vitus

BeringC. People came to Americas about 15,000 to 40,000

years ago

B

As the ice froze and the seas fell, an area ofdry land was exposed between Asia andAlaska. Scientists call this land bridge Beringia(buh • RIHN • jee • uh), after Vitus Bering, afamous European explorer. They think thatpeople in Asia followed the animals they werehunting across this land bridge into theAmericas. By testing the age of bones and toolsat ancient campsites, scientists estimate thatthe first people arrived between 15,000 and40,000 years ago.

—from page 313

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Choose an important per-son or place from thechapter. Then do researchusing at least threesources and take notesusing the two-columnmethod. Use your notesto write a brief paragraphsummarizing your topic.

Read to Write

311

As you read one of the sections, makea chart with important dates, names,places, and events as main ideas.Under each main idea, list at least twodetails from your reading.

Using a two-column chart can make note-taking easier. Writemain ideas in the left column. In the right column, write at least twosupporting details for each main idea. Read the text from this chap-ter under the heading Mayan Culture on pages 320–321. Then takenotes using a two-column chart, such as the one below.

Main Idea Supporting Details

Life in Mayan Cities 1.2.3.4.5.

Mayan Science 1.and Writing 2.

3.4.5.

What Happened 1.to the Maya? 2.

3.4.5.

Mayan ballplayer

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The First Americans

Looking Back, Looking AheadWhile civilization flourished in

Mesopotamia, India, and China,thousands of miles away in theAmericas, new civilizations began to develop.

Focusing on the • People came to the Americas during

the Ice Age, and about 10,000 yearsago, farming began in Mesoamerica.(page 313)

• The first civilizations in America werebased on farming and trade.(page 315)

Locating PlacesMesoamerica

(MEH•zoh•uh•MEHR• ih•kuh)Teotihuacán

(TAY•oh•TEE•wuh•KAHN)

Meeting PeopleOlmec (OHL•mehk)Maya (MY•uh)Moche (MOH•cheh)

Content Vocabularyglacier (GLAY•shuhr)

Academic Vocabularyexpose (ihk•SPOHZ)estimate (EHS•tuh•MAYT)

Reading StrategySummarizing Information Create achart to show the characteristics of theOlmec and Moche.

c. 1200 B.C.Olmecbuild anempire

c. A.D. 100Mochecivilizationbegins

c. A.D. 400Teotihuacánprospers

1500 B.C. A.D. 1 A.D. 5001500 B.C. A.D. 1 A.D. 500

312 CHAPTER 6 • The Ancient Americas

HistorySocial ScienceStandardsWH7.7 Studentscompare and contrastthe geographic, political,economic, religious, andsocial structures of theMeso-American andAndean civilizations.

Olmec Moche

Location

Dates

Lifestyle

Teotihuac´an

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WH7.7 Students compare and contrast the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the Meso-American and Andean civilizations.

Farming in MesoamericaPeople came to the Americas during the

Ice Age, and about 10,000 years ago, farming beganin Mesoamerica.

Reading Connection What would our lives be like if

people never learned to farm? Read to learn how farm-

ing made civilization possible in Mesoamerica.

We know people came to America along time ago, but how did they get here?Today, America is not connected by land tothe rest of the world, but in the past it was.Scientists have studied the earth’s geogra-phy during the Ice Age—a period whentemperatures dropped sharply. At thattime, much of the earth’s water froze intohuge sheets of ice, or glaciers (GLAY • shuhrz).

As the ice froze andthe seas fell, an area ofdry land was exposedbetween Asia andAlaska. Scientists callthis land bridge Beringia(buh • RIHN • jee • uh), afterVitus Bering, a famousEuropean explorer. Theythink that people in Asiafollowed the animalsthey were hunting acrossthis land bridge into theAmericas. By testing theage of bones and tools atancient campsites, scien-tists estimate that thefirst people arrived be-tween 15,000 and 40,000years ago.

When the Ice Age ended about 10,000years ago, the glaciers melted and releasedwater back into the seas. The land bridge toAmerica disappeared beneath the waves.

Hunting and Gathering Hunters in theAmericas were constantly on the move insearch of food. They fished and gatherednuts, fruits, or roots. They also hunted mas-sive prey, such as the woolly mammoth,antelope, caribou, and bison.

It took several hunters to kill a woollymammoth, which could weigh as much as 9 tons. These big animals provided meat,hides for clothing, and bones for tools.

As the Ice Age ended, some animalsbecame extinct, or disappeared from theearth. Other animals found ways to survive

CHAPTER 6 • The Ancient Americas 313

N

S

W E

Mercator projection2,000 km0

2,000 mi.0

PACIFICOCEAN

ATLANTICOCEAN

ARCTIC OCEAN

BeringSea

NORTHAMERICA

SOUTHAMERICA

ASIA

AUSTRALIA

AFRICA

Greenland

EUROPE

Land bridge theory

Coastal route

Migration to America

KEYExtent of ice sheetLand now under waterPossible migration routes

1. Movement How did prehistoricpeople get to America from Asia?

2. Human/EnvironmentInteraction Why do you thinkprehistoric people spreadthroughout the Americas?

Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

Stone arrowhead

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the spring, helping seeds to sprout. Theydecreased in the summer, allowing crops toripen for harvest. Then, in the autumn, therains returned, soaking the soil for the nextyear’s crop.

The first crops grown in the Americasincluded pumpkins, peppers, squash,gourds, and beans. It took longer todevelop corn, which grew as a wild grass.Early plants produced a single, one-inchcob. By about 2000 B.C., early Americanshad learned the technique of crossing cornwith other grasses to get bigger cobs andmore cobs per plant. This increased thefood supply and allowed Mesoamericanpopulations to grow. Corn, also known asmaize, became the most important food inthe Americas.

Summarize How did theagricultural revolution begin in America?

the change in environment. The warmweather, however, opened new opportuni-ties to early Americans.

The Agricultural Revolution in AmericaThe first Americans were hunter-gatherers,but as the Ice Age ended and the climatewarmed, people in America made an amaz-ing discovery. They learned that seedscould be planted and they would grow intocrops that people could eat.

Farming began in Mesoamerica (MEH •zoh • uh • MEHR • ih • kuh) 9,000 to 10,000 yearsago. Meso comes from the Greek word for“middle.” This region includes landsstretching from the Valley of Mexico toCosta Rica in Central America.

The region’s geography was ideal forfarming. Much of the area had a rich, vol-canic soil and a mild climate. Rains fell in

An Olmec stone head

Moche pottery in the shape of a llama

MEXICO

N

S

W E

300 km0Bipolar Oblique projection

300 mi.0

90°W 80°W

100°W

10°N

0°EQUATOR

10°S

P A C I F I C

O C E A N

Gulf of Mexico

Yucat´anPeninsulaValley of

Mexico Tikal

Moche

La Venta

Teotihuac´an

1. Region What geographical trait didall three civilizations share?

2. Location How far apart were theMayan and Moche civilizations?

Olmec c. 500 B.C.

Moche c. A.D. 700 Maya c. A.D. 750

KEY

Ancient American Civilizations

Michael Holford

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WH7.7.1 Study the locations, landforms, and climates of Mexico, Central America, and South America and their effects on Mayan,Aztec, and Incan economies, trade, and development of urban societies.

Early American CivilizationsThe first civilizations in America were

based on farming and trade.

Reading Connection Have you ever traded something

with your friend for something you wanted? Read to find

out how early American civilizations traded goods to get

what they needed.

Growing corn and other crops allowedMesoamericans to form more complex soci-eties. Starting around 1500 B.C., the firstAmerican civilizations appeared.

Who Were the Olmec? Near present-dayVera Cruz, Mexico, a people called theOlmec (OHL• mehk) built a far-reaching trad-ing empire. It started around 1200 B.C. andlasted about 800 years.

The Olmec enjoyed rich farming re-sources. For example, they received abundant

CHAPTER 6 • The Ancient Americas 315

rainfall and crops grew well. Instead of build-ing irrigation systems, they built drainagesystems to divert water to protect their crops.

The Olmec lacked important raw materi-als. They traded salt and beans with inlandpeoples to get jade for jewelry and obsidian,or volcanic glass, to make sharp-edgedknives. They used other trade goods such ashematite, a shiny volcanic stone, to makepolished mirrors and basalt to carve gigan-tic stone heads.

The Olmec used the region’s many riversas highways for trade, but eventually, theinland peoples seized control of the trade.One of these groups built the first plannedcity in the Americas. It became known asTeotihuacán (TAY • oh • TEE • wuh • KAHN), or“Place of the Gods.” The city reached itsheight around A.D. 400. It had a populationof between 120,000 to 200,000 people.

This pyramid was in the Mayan city of Tikal, whichwas located in present-day Guatemala. Whatcaused the downfall of the Mayan civilization?

The Pyramid of the Sun is located in theMesoamerican city of Teotihuacán. At over200 feet tall, this pyramid is the tallest inpresent-day Mexico.

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Who Were the Maya? As Teotihuacán’spower spread, a people called the Maya(MY • uh) built a civilization in the steamyrain forests of the Yucatán Peninsula (YOO •kuh • TAN). They, too, traded throughoutMesoamerica. The Maya used their centrallocation to reach into what is now southernMexico and Central America. Mayantraders in seagoing canoes paddled alongthe coast, perhaps reaching as far as thepresent-day United States. You will readabout the Maya in Section 2.

The Moche South of Mesoamerica, a civi-lization developed on the west coast ofSouth America. The Moche (MOH • cheh)people lived in the dry coastal desert wherePeru is today.

The Moche civilization lasted from aboutA.D. 100 to A.D. 700. They dug canals that

carried water from rivers in the Andes totheir desert homeland. Because of this irri-gation, the Moche suffered no shortage offood. They ate corn, squash, beans, andpeanuts. They also hunted llamas andguinea pigs and fished in the Pacific Ocean.Llamas also served as pack animals and pro-vided wool for weaving.

This surplus of food freed the Moche todo other things. Moche engineers built hugepyramids, and Moche traders exchangedgoods with people as far away as theAmazon River valley. These goods includedpottery, cloth, and jewelry.

For all their achievements, the Mochenever expanded much beyond their home-land. They were eventually replaced by acivilization called the Inca.

Describe What wasAmerica’s first civilization? Where did it develop?

Reading SummaryReview the

• The first Americans were mostlikely hunter-gatherers who camefrom Asia across a land bridge.The first civilization appeared inMesoamerica when peoplelearned to farm.

• A number of civilizations devel-oped in the Americas, includingthe Olmec and Maya in CentralAmerica and Mexico, and theMoche in South America. All weredependent on farming.

1. Why was Mesoamerica’s geog-raphy ideal for farming?

2. How did the first Americansdevelop corn?

Critical Thinking3. Summarizing Information

Draw a chart like the onebelow. Add details about theearly peoples of Mesoamericaand South America.

4. Summarize How did the firstpeople come to the Americas,and how did they live oncethey were here?

5. How did geogra-phy shape Moche civilization?

6. Expository Writing Write ashort essay comparing the civi-lizations that developed inMesoamerica and SouthAmerica.

7. Taking NotesReview Section 1 and takenotes. Create an outline of thesection from your notes. Usethis outline to review the sec-tion. CA 6RC2.4

CA 6WS1.3

CA CS3.

CA 6RC2.0

CA 6RC2.4

What Did You Learn?

Study Central Need help understanding therise of civilization in the Americas? Visitca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Study Central.

316 CHAPTER 6 • The Ancient Americas

Mesoamerica

South America

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The Mayan People

Looking Back, Looking AheadIn Section 1, you read about the rise

of the Maya. They had to use whatevernatural resources the land had to offerin order to survive and prosper. As aresult, they developed a culture suitedto where they lived.

Focusing on the • The Maya created a civilization of

city-states and thrived inMesoamerica’s rain forest. (page 318)

• The Maya developed a society of city-states and a culture based on theirreligion. (page 320)

Locating PlacesPetén (peh•TEHN)

Meeting PeopleJasaw Chan K’awiil I (KAH•WEEL)

Content Vocabularysinkhole (SIHNGK•HOHL)alliance (uh•LY•uhns)

Academic Vocabularyaccess (AK•SEHS)predict (prih•DIHKT)

Reading StrategyOrganizing Information Use a webdiagram like the one below to recordMayan achievements.

c. A.D. 500Mayan civilizationreaches its peak

c. A.D. 682Jasaw ChanK’awiil I beginsto rule Tikal

c. A.D. 950Mayancitiesabandoned

A.D. 400 A.D. 700 A.D. 1000A.D. 400 A.D. 700 A.D. 1000

Tikal

HistorySocial ScienceStandardsWH7.7 Studentscompare and contrastthe geographic, political,economic, religious, andsocial structures of the Meso-American andAndean civilizations.

MayanAchievements

CHAPTER 6 • The Ancient Americas 317

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WH7.7.1 Study the locations, landforms, and climates of Mexico, Central America, and South America and their effects on Mayan,Aztec, and Incan economies, trade, and development of urban societies.

The Mayan PeopleThe Maya created a civilization of city-

states and thrived in Mesoamerica’s rain forest.

Reading Connection What would it be like to live in

a jungle? Read to learn how the Maya adapted to life in

the jungles of Mesoamerica.

In A.D. 1839 an American lawyer namedJohn Lloyd Stevens and an English artistnamed Frederick Catherwood slashed theirway into the tangled Yucatán rain forest.There they found the vine-covered ruins ofan ancient city.

Stevens and Catherwood learned thatthe people who had built the city werecalled the Maya. The Maya are the ances-tors of millions of Native Americans whostill live in present-day Mexico, Guatemala,Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize.

At first glance, it looked like the Mayahad settled in one of the worst spots onEarth. They picked the Petén (peh • TEHN),the Mayan word for “flat region.” Located

in present-day Guatemala, the Petén’sdense forests nearly blocked out the sun.

The Maya saw what others missed.Swamps and sinkholes gave them accessto a year-round source of water. The sinkholes (SIHNGK • HOHLZ)—areas where theearth has collapsed—connected the Mayawith a huge system of underground riversand streams.

Even with a ready water supply, only anorganized culture could have succeeded inbuilding cities and fields in the Petén. Theeffort required cooperation among manypeople, which could only be accomplishedby having an organized government.

The Maya set up city-states. In each city-state, kings such as Jasaw Chan K’awiil I(KAH•WEEL) of the city-state of Tikal suppliedthe leadership. They led the armies andorganized great building projects. Leadershippassed from one king to the next, and thecity-states often fought with each other.

Identify What was themain advantage of living in a tropical rain forest?

1122 33

Temple of the Masks(Temple II)11

North Acropolis22

Temple of the GiantJaguar (Temple I)33

Stelae44

Great Plaza55

Ball Court66

44

55

66

The City of TikalThe City of TikalThe city of Tikal was one of the largest and oldest Mayan cities.Huge temples and monuments were spread throughout the city.The area which you see here was the main religious center of thecity. What Mayan leader built Tikal?

Michael Holford

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6.4.6. Compare and contrast life in Athensand Sparta, with emphasis on their rules inthe Persian and Peloponnesian Wars.

JASAW CHAN K’AWIIL IRuled A.D. 682–734When Jasaw Chan K’awiil I began his rule in A.D. 682, the

Mayan city-state of Tikal was weak and struggling. Its temples andother buildings were falling into disrepair, and the people weredominated by their great rival city, Calakmul.

Things began to improve in A.D. 695 when Jasaw defeated thearmies of Calakmul in battle. Jasaw held a celebration a monthlater to honor the gods and himself. Tikal began to prosper again,and Jasaw spent the next 40 years rebuilding and strengtheninghis city-state.

Although Jasaw had been victorious, he spent only part of histime expanding his control over the region. Instead, most of hisefforts went toward helping his people and restarting buildingprojects in Tikal.

Jasaw’s efforts teach us a great deal about Mayan art,architecture, and customs. For example, he built the famouspyramid in Tikal. The huge structure was 154 feet (47 m) inheight, and served as both a temple and as Jasaw’s tomb. In theroom at the top of the structure, carvings depicted Jasaw’svictories and mythological scenes. Jasaw wears clothing similar tothe ancient leaders of Tikal to show that he was as great as theywere. Other images were carved on bones and on other buildings.They show events from Mayan mythology and history praisingTikal’s rulers.

One piece of art was of great importance: the effigy, or imageof the god that armies carried into battle. This god was supposed tobe the special god of that city. When Jasaw defeated Calakmul, hecaptured the image of their city’s god. The people of Tikal thoughtthis meant that the god of Tikal was more powerful than theothers. Jasaw ordered the story of thisgreat accomplishment to be carved onhis pyramid so everyone wouldremember what he had done.

Jasaw began to rebuild Tikal duringhis reign, but most of the great buildingprojects and military expansion of the city occurred under the reign of his son.

319

This Mayan monumentdepicts Jasaw ChanK’awiil I.

The Maya emphasized religion and theaccomplishments of their rulers in their artand architecture. What do people use assubjects for art today? Why?

WH7.7.2 Study the roles of people in eachsociety, including class structures, family life,warfare, religious beliefs and practices, andslavery.

WH7.7.4 Describe the artistic and oraltraditions and architecture in the threecivilizations.

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Mayan Ball Game Mayan cities hadmany ball courts. In a Mayan ball game,teams of two or three players tried to drive a hard rubber ball through adecorated stone ring. Players worehelmets, gloves, and knee and hipguards made of animal hide to protectthemselves against the hard rubber balls.They were not allowed to use their handsor feet to throw or bat the ball. They hadto use their hips to drive the ball throughthe stone rings.

Scholars think that a Mayanball game was more than a sportor contest. It had a religious andsymbolic meaning—as well as deadlyresults. Crowdsrewarded thewinners asheroes and gave themgifts. However, thelosing team wassacrificed to thegods in aceremony after the game.

Connecting to the Past1. How did a player score in a Mayan ball

game?

2. Why was losing especially painful for ateam?

Mayan CultureThe Maya developed a society of city-

states and a culture based on their religion.

Reading Connection Did you ever wonder why people

need calendars? Read to learn how the Maya developed

calendars and math to help them farm.

The rulers of Mayan city-states said theywere descended from the sun. They claimedto rule as god-kings and expected people tobuild huge monuments to honor them. Agood example of this is the pyramid builtfor Jasaw Chan K’awiil I at Tikal.

Life in Mayan Cities As god-kings, Mayanrulers taught their subjects how to pleasethe gods. One way was human sacrifice.When the Maya marched into battle, theywanted captives more than they wantedland. During times of drought, Mayanpriests sacrificed captives to Chac, the godof rain and sunlight. The Maya typicallyonly sacrificed captives from the rulinggroup of a conquered society. Most captiveswere kept enslaved and put to work.

The Maya believed that the gods con-trolled everything. As a result, religion wasat the core of Mayan life. A huge pyramidwith a temple at the top towered over everycity. Priests, who claimed to know what thegods wanted, set up a strict class system inwhich everyone had a place.

Royal Mayan women played an impor-tant role in their society. They often marriedinto royal families in other Mayan city-states.This helped form alliances (uh• LY• uhns• uhs).

WH7.7.2 Study the roles of people in each society, including class structures, family life, warfare, religious beliefs and practices,and slavery. WH7.7.5 Describe the Meso-American achievements in astronomy and mathematics, including the development of thecalendar and the Meso-American knowledge of seasonal changes to the civilizations' agricultural systems.

Mayan ballplayer

Web Activity Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com andclick on Chapter 6—Student Web Activity tolearn more about the Americas.

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CHAPTER 6 • The Ancient Americas 321

Reading SummaryReview the • In the rain forests of Central

America, the Maya developed acivilization. They used naturalresources, such as sinkholes, andestablished governments basedon city-states.

• The Mayan city-states developeda culture based on their religiousbeliefs. They made advances inmathematics and science, includ-ing a sophisticated calendar.

1. In what country were Mayanruins first found?

2. What was the relationshipbetween government and reli-gion in Mayan society?

Critical Thinking3. Organizing Information

Draw a diagram like the onebelow describing the geogra-phy of the region in which theMaya lived.

4. How did astron-omy and mathematics helpMayan society?

5. Writing a Journal Imagineyou are an archaeologist who hasfound lost Mayan ruins.Write ajournal entry describing your dis-covery.

6. Analyze Why do you thinkonly nobles could read theMayan language?

7. UnderstandingBeliefs Write an essayexplaining how the Maya triedto please their gods. What didthe Maya hope to receive inreturn? CA HI2.

CA 6WS1.1

CA HI2.

CA 6RC2.4

What Did You Learn?

Geography

Alliances are political agreements betweenpeople or states to work together. In somecity-states, such as Calakmul, women occa-sionally served as all-powerful queens.

Mayan Science and Writing Both queensand kings turned to Mayan priests for advice.The priests thought gods revealed their plansthrough movements of the sun, moon, andstars, so they studied the sky closely.

The Maya also needed to know when toplant their crops. By watching the sky, thepriests learned about astronomy and devel-oped a 365-day calendar. They used it topredict eclipses and to schedule religiousfestivals, plantings, and harvests. To chartthe passage of time, the Maya also devel-oped a system of mathematics.

The Maya also invented a written lan-guage. Like the Egyptians, the Maya used atype of hieroglyphics. Symbols representedsounds, words, or ideas. Only nobles could

read them, however. After the Mayan civi-lization collapsed, nobody could readMayan hieroglyphics. Only recently havescholars learned how to read them.

What Happened to the Maya? The Mayancivilization reached its peak in the A.D. 500s.Over the next 300 years, the different Mayancity-states began to collapse. No one is surewhy this happened. Some experts say over-population drained the cities of food andresources. Others blame a long drought, orperiod without rain. Still others say that incity after city the poor people rebelledagainst their rich rulers. Whatever the rea-son, the Maya began abandoning theircities, and by the A.D. 900s, the cities laydeserted.

Explain How did the Mayatreat enslaved people?

Study Central Need help understanding therise of civilization in America? Visitca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Study Central.

317-321 C6S2-868874 1/5/05 6:09 PM Page 321

The Rain God’s HeavenThe people of Teotihuacán believed that peo-ple went to heaven after they died. The follow-ing song explains some of these beliefs.

. . . . . .

Thus they said:“When we die,truly we die not,because we will live, we will rise,we will continue living, we will awaken.This will make us happy.”Thus the dead one was directed,when he died:“Awaken, already the sky is rosy,already sing the flame-colored guans,the fire-colored swallows,already the butterflies fly.”. . . . . . . . . .

—Michael D. Coe and Rex Koontz,Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs

Life From DeathBoth the Maya and the people of Teotihuacán believed in a

life after death. Both groups of people also decorated their temples and tombs with important images that they wanted future generations of their people to see.

Study the images on pages 322 and 323, and answer the questions that follow.

guans (GWAHNZ): large birds thatresemble turkeys

Reader’s Dictionary

322

WH7.7.2 Study the roles ofpeople in each society, includingclass structures, family life, warfare,religious beliefs and practices, andslavery.

Statue ofMayan god

This wall painting in Teotihuacánshows the heaven of the rain godTlaloc.

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Welcoming

a New King

This Mayan painting comesfrom a Mayan tomb. It shows aprocession of musicians playingvarious instruments and peoplecelebrating the choosing of theheir to the throne.

Mayan

Warfare

This image of Mayan warriorsin a battle comes from the sametomb that has the painting ofthe procession. The man wear-ing the jaguar suit standingover the fallen enemy is theking.

CHAPTER 6 • The Ancient Americas 323

The Rain God’s Heaven

1. What does the song tell you about the beliefsof the people of Teotihuacán.

2. What does the image show you about theplace people go to after they die?

Welcoming a New King

3. What kinds of instruments do you think themusicians are playing?

4. Why do you think someone would place thisimage in a tomb?

Mayan Warfare

5. What kinds of weapons do the warriors have?

6. How can you tell who the winner is?

Read to Write7. Compare the images from Teotihuacán and

the Mayan tombs. How are they different?What is the goal of the images on the Mayantombs compared to the Teotihuacán image?Why do you think the Mayan rulers preferredsuch images? CA HR4.; HR5.

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Standard WH7.1

324 CHAPTER 6 • The Ancient Americas

Review Content VocabularyMatch the definitions in the second column tothe terms in the first column. Then write a sen-tence for each of the words. Use informationfrom the text to help you properly use thewords.

1. glacier a. areas of collapsed earth2. sinkhole b. an agreement between

people or groups3. alliance c. large sheets of ice

Review the Section 1 • The First Americans

4. When did the first people arrive in theAmericas? On which continent did theylive originally?

5. How did farming lead to the rise anddevelopment of civilizations in present-day Mexico, Central America, and Peru?

6. What were some of the goods traded bythe Olmec people?

Section 2 • The Mayan People7. Where did the Maya build their civiliza-

tion?8. How did the Maya honor their kings?9. What role did royal Mayan women play in

society?

Critical Thinking10. Analyze How did the Mayan people

make use of the geography of their region?

11. Predict How might ancient America havebeen different if the Ice Age had not endedwhen it did?

12. Explain What were some of the possibleoutcomes of playing the Mayan ball game?

13. Describe What was the role of Mayanpriests in government? How did thesepriests use the stars and sky? CA 6RC2.3

CA 6RC2.0

CA HI2.

CA CS3.

Geography SkillsStudy the map below and answer the follow-ing questions.14. Place Look at a map of modern-day

Central America. What countries occupythe former area of the Maya?

15. Location About how far is Teotihuacánfrom the Olmec civilization?

16. Movement Which civilization do youthink would be better suited for trade?Why? CA CS3.

CA CS3.

CA CS3.

MEXICO

N

S

W E

300 km0Bipolar Oblique projection

300 mi.090°W100°W

20°N

PACIFIC OCEAN

Gulf of Mexico

LakeTexcoco

Yucat´anPeninsula

Valley ofMexico

Chich´enItz´a

TikalPalenque

Copan

La Venta

Teotihuac´an

Early Civilizations

Toltec c. A.D. 1200Aztec c. A.D. 1500Olmec c. 500 B.C.

Maya c. A.D. 750

KEY

Read to Write17. Persuasive Writing Historians

are not sure why the Mayan civilizationdeclined. Select one of the theoriesdescribed on page 321 and do research tofind support for that theory. Write anessay persuading others that your theoryis correct. CA 6WA2.5

324-325 C6CRA-868874 1/5/05 6:33 PM Page 324

CHAPTER 6 • The Ancient Americas 325

18. Using Your Create an outlinemap of Mesoamerica on poster board. Itshould be big enough for the entire class towork together. Label each country and thelocation of each civilization using informa-tion from the chapter. Then use your fold-ables to write facts about each civilizationon the map.

Using Academic VocabularyMatch each word below with the definitionthat best fits it.___19. expose___20. estimate___21. access___22. predict

a. to guess about what might happenin the future

b. to uncover something or put it ondisplay

c. to judge the approximate size orquantity of something

d. the ability to make use of something

Linking Past and Present23. Making Connections The people of

ancient American civilizations built manydifferent types of monuments to honortheir gods and their leaders. What kind ofmonuments do we use in the United Statestoday? Who do we honor with these mon-uments? How are these monuments similarto those of the ancient Americans? How arethey different? Write a short essay explain-ing the role of monuments in our worldtoday.

Reviewing Skills

24. Taking Notes Use yourlocal library to find a book withinformation on the history of the Mochepeople. Read the information, taking notesas you go. Use these notes to write asummary of the Moche civilization and itsimportant events and people. CA 6WA2.3

CA 6RC2.2

CA CS3.CA 6RC2.4

Self-Check Quiz To help you prepare forthe Chapter Test, visit ca.hss.glencoe.com

Use the map below to answerthe following question.

Which area of the map isknown as Mesoamerica?

A JB KC LD M

26

25. Understanding ChanceThe discovery of an ancient Mayan city inthe Yucatán rain forest led to new informa-tion and understanding of the Maya. Useyour local library and the Internet toresearch the impact of the discovery. Whatnew things did the world learn about theMaya? How did the chance discoverychange the way historians view ancientAmerican civilizations? Write a newspaperarticle that explains the significance of thisdiscovery. CA HI4.; HI5.

N

S

W E

J

K

L

M

Regions of America

324-325 C6CRA-868874 1/5/05 6:36 PM Page 325

Where did thesecivilizationsdevelop?

• In the Indus River valley • In the Huang He valley • Central America

• South America

• Siddhartha Gautama,c. 563–483 B.C.

• Chandragupta Maurya,ruled c. 321–298 B.C.

• Asoka, ruled c. 273–232 B.C.

• Jasaw Chan K’awiil Iruled A.D. 682–734

• Many lived in farmingvillages and towns nearmajor rivers

• Some lived in very largecities

• Landowning aristocratslived in large houses withgardens and courtyards

• Most people were farmersliving in simple housesin villages or cities

• Hunter-gatherers

• Farming villages

• City-states (Teotihuacán and Tikal)

Who were someimportantpeople in thesecivilizations?

Where did most of thepeople live?

Compare the civilizationsthat you have read about byreviewing the informationbelow. Can you see how thepeople of these civilizationshelped to build the world welive in today?

326

Chap ter 4

EarlyIndiaEarlyIndia

EarlyChinaEarlyChina

Chap ter 5

AncientAmericasAncient

AmericasChap ter 6

• Wu Wang, ruled c. 1045–1043 B.C.

• Confucius,551–479 B.C.

• Qin Shihuangdi,ruled 221–210 B.C.

• Liu Bang, ruled 202–195 B.C.

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Making Comparisons

(l)Scala/Art Resource, NY, (c)Ancient Art & Architecture Collection, (r)Burstein Collection/CORBIS

326-327 UR2-868874 7/12/05 9:08 PM Page 326

What was theirgovernmentlike?

What werethese people’sbeliefs?

Whatcontributionsdid they make?

What was theirlanguage andwriting like?

• Hinduism: complexreligion with many deities representing aneternal spirit

• Buddhism:enlightenment availableto anyone

• Confucianism: dutydirects your life

• Daoism: people shouldtry to be in harmonywith nature

• Legalism: people needharsh laws to be good

• Worship of ancestors

• Belief in gods whocontrolled everything

• Practiced humansacrifice

• The warrior class ran thegovernment, usuallyruled by a king

• A king or emperor ruledthe country

• Aristocrats ran theprovinces

• Powerful kings ruledcity-states (Maya)

• Sanskrit: used charactersto form letters andwords

• Chinese: symbols thatrepresent objects werecombined to representideas

• Mayan language writtenin hieroglyphics

• Made advances inmedicine, mathematics,science, and literature

• Developed two majorreligions • Invented paper and

gunpowder

• Cultivated silk

• Developed tradenetworks and methods of farming and building

How do thesecontributionsaffect me? Canyou add any?

• ”0” is now a part of ournumber system

• Many people stillpractice Buddhism andHinduism

• The papermaking processallows us to create books,newspapers, and otherpaper products

• Gunpowder and silk arestill in use

• Developed crops, such ascorn, beans, and squash,that we still use today

Early IndiaEarlyIndia

Chap ter 4

EarlyChinaEarly China

Chap ter 5

AncientAmericasAncient

AmericasChap ter 6

327(tl)Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY, (c)Victoria & Albert Museum, London/Art Resource, NY, (bl)Ronald Sheridan/Ancient Art & Architecture Collection, (br)The British Museum, London/Bridgeman Art Library

326-327 UR2-868874 3/17/06 2:04 PM Page 327