Chapter 7

Civilizations of the Americas1400 B.C – A.D 1570

By: Amanda Bell D period

Vocabulary of the Chapter

Global Warming- world wide temperature increase Plains-rolling flatland Chinampas-artificial islands made of earth piled on reed mats

anchored to a shallow lake bed Tribute-payment from conquered people Glyph-a pictograph or other symbol carved into a surface Quipu-a collection of knotted, colored strings Alloy-blend Pueblo-southwestern Native American village Kiva-large underground chamber used for religious ceremonies Potlatch-ceremonial gift giving by wealthy Native Americans of the

Northwestern

Section 1 (civilizations of Middle America)

Geography of the Americas Aztecs of Middle America evolved a complex system of religious beliefs. Like many other people, the beliefs included that the world would come to a fiery

end. According to their legends of the Suns, the universe had be created and destroyed

four times. About 30,000 years ago, small family groups of Paleolithic hunters and food gathers

reached North America from Asia. This migration took place during the last ice age. During this time so much water froze into thick sheets of ice that sea level had

dropped, forming land bridges between Siberia and Alaska. This area was known as the Bering Strait. Historians believed that hunters followed herd of bison and mammoths across the

land bridges. In about 10,000 B.C the earth’s climate grew warmer, as this happened water levels

rose.

Section 1 (geography of the Americas continued)

During this time so much water froze into thick sheets of ice that sea level had dropped, forming land bridges between Siberia and Alaska.

This area was known as the Bering Strait. Historians believed that hunters followed herd of bison and mammoths

across the land bridges. In about 10,000 B.C the earth’s climate grew warmer, as this happened

water levels rose. Global warming along with the increase of the first Americans hunting

skills, may have killed off large animals like the mammoth. These people adapted by hunting smaller animals, fishing, gathering

fruit, roots and shellfish. The Americas were made up of two continents, North America and South

America. The first Americans adapted to a variety of climates and resources. As in other places the greatest adaptation happened when some people

learned to cultivate plants and domesticate animals.

Map of the Americas

Section 1 (continued)

Legacy of the Olmecs The Olmec civilization was the earliest American civilization In the

tropical forests along the Mexican Gulf Coast They lasted from about 1400 B.C to 500 B.C. We know very little about them, but from the rich tombs and temples we

can suggest that a powerful class of priests and aristocrats stood at the top of Olmec society.

They did not build cities, but instead ceremonial centers made in pyramid shaped temples and other buildings.

The most important remains of the Olmec civilization are the giant carved stone heads found in ruins of a religious center at La Venta.

We cannot conclude how they moved 40 tons stones, without wheeled vehicles or animals.

Section 1 (legacy of the Olmecs continued)

Through trade they influenced over a wide area, and their carvings appeared in the arts of later people.

They also invented a calendar, and used carved inscriptions as writing. Their most important legacy might have been the tradition of priestly

leadership and religious devotion, that became a basic part of Middle American civilizations.

The world of the Mayas People that were influenced by the Olmecs were the Mayas. Towering pyramid temples dominated the largest Mayan city of Tikal, in

present day Guatemala. Some temples also served as burial places for nobles and priests. The Mayan pyramids remained the tallest structures in the Americas

until 1903, when the Flatiron Building, a skyscraper was built in NYC. Each Mayan city had its own ruling chief.

Section 1 (the world of the Mayas continued)

Rulers were usually men, but Mayan records and carvings show that women occasionally governed on their own.

Priest held great power because only they could conduct the elaborate ceremonies needed to ensure good harvests and success in war.

Most Mayans were farmers, they grew corn, beans, and squash as well as fruit trees, cotton and tropical flowers.

Men usually cultivated crops, while women turned them into food. To help support cities, farmers paid taxes in food and helped build

temples. They made impressive advances in learning. Mayans developed a hieroglyphic writing system. As a result of having to measure time accurately in order to hold

ceremonies at the correct moment, priests became expert mathematicians and astronomers. They also invented a numbering system.

Section 1 (the world of the Mayas continued)

About 900 A.D the Mayas abandoned their cities, leaving their great stone palaces and temples.

Not until modern time were these “lost cities” recovered, no one knows for sure why the Mayan civilization declined.

The world of the Aztecs Long before Mayan cities rose, the city of Teotihuacan emerged in the

valley of Mexico. This city was well planned, with wide roads, massive temples, and large

apartment buildings. Eventually it fell to invaders, but it’s culture influenced later peoples,

especially the Aztecs. In the late 1200’s, bands of nomadic people migrated to the Valley of

Mexico. Once settled the Aztecs shifted from hunting to farming.

Section 1 (the world of the Aztecs continued)

As the Aztec population grew, they found ingenious ways to create more farmland.

They built artificial islands made of earth piled on reed mats that were anchored to the shallow lake bed.

On these “floating gardens”, they made corn, squash and beans. In the 1400’s Aztecs expanded their territory. War brought wealth as well as power, and tributes helped Aztecs turn

their capital into a magnificent city. Unlike the Mayan cities, which had a ruler for each city state the Aztecs

only had one ruler. The emperor was chosen by a council of nobles and priests to lead in

war. At the bottom of society were slaves (criminals or prisoners of war). The Aztecs developed a sophisticated and complex culture, but would

not last forever.

Section 2 (The world of the Incas)

Early people of Peru Western South America includes a wide variety of climates and terrains. Native American peoples developed many different styles of life across

South America. Hunters and gathers were in some regions, while farmers grew root

crops in the Amazon rain forests. One of the earliest cultures was the Chavin. Stone carvings and pottery show that these people worshiped a

ferocious looking god, part jaguar and part human with catlike features. Their arts and religion later influenced people of Peru. Bout A.D 100 and 700 the Mochica people formed an empire alond the

north coast of Peru. They were skilled farmers, developing methods of terracing, irrigation

and fertilization of soil. Their leaders built roads and organized a way to carry messages, ideas

the Incas later adapted.

Section 2 (early people of Peru continued)

Remains of Mochica cities and temples dot the land. To build one temple, workers had to make 130 million sun dried adobe

bricks. They profected skills in textile production, gold work and woodcarving. Another culture in southern Peru were the Nazca people. Nazca glyphs (pictograph or other symbol craved into a surface) include

straight lines that run for miles, as well as giant birds, whales, and other creatures.

For more then 2,000 years diverse civilizations rose and fell in Peru. Then in the mid 1400’s the Incas emerged from the Andes.

The Incan Empire Pachacuti a skilled warrior and leader was founder of the Incan empire. In 1438 he proclaimed himself Sapa Inca (emperor)

Section 2 (the Incan empire continued)

From a small kingdom in the high mountain valley of Cuzco he came to dominate an immense empire.

The emperor exercised absolute power over the empire. He claimed to be divine, son of the sun itself, also the chief religious

leader. Gold the “sweat of the sun” was his symbol. From Cuzco the Incas ran an efficient government with a chain of

command reaching into every village. Specially trained officials kept record on quipu (collection of knotted

colored strings). To unite their empire, the Incas imposed their own language, Quwchua. Also they created one of the great road systems of history. These new roads allowed armies and news to move quicker throughout

and empire. All roads lead through Cuzco.

Section 2 (Daily life)

Daily life The Incas were the best metal workers in the Americas. They learned how to alloy, or blend copper, tin, bronze, silver and gold. They also developed some important medical practices, such as surgery

of the human skull. Like other early people Incas were polytheistic, worshiping many gods. Chief among the gods was Inti, the sun god. At it’s height, the Incan civilization like those of the Middle America, was

the center of learning and political power. In 1525, the emperor Huayna Capac died of an unknown plague. Because he had not named anyone to take his place a war broke out

between his two sons. This weakened the empire and like the Aztecs the Incas soon faced an

even greater threat from the Spanish invaders.

Section 3 (Peoples of North America)

The Desert Southwest More then 1,000 years ago fields of corn, beans and squash bloomed in

the desert southwest. The farmers who planted these fields were called Hohokams or

“Vanished ones”. They lived near the Gila River in present day Arizona, and may have

required skills such as irrigation from the civilizations of Middle America. The best known society of the southwest are the Anasazi. They built large villages, later called pueblos. The remains of Pueblo Bonito are still in New Mexico. The builders used stone and adobe bricks to make a crescent shaped

compound rising five stories high. At the center of this complex was a plaza, there the Anasazi dug their

kiva (large underground chamber used for religious ceremonies).

Section 3 (the desert southwest continued)

In the 1100’s they started building housing complexes in the shadow of the canyon walls, where the cliffs offered protection from raiders.

In the late 1200’s a long drought forced the Anasazi to abandon their cliff dwellings.

The mound builders Far to the east of the Anasazi, other farming cultures emerged. The Adena and Hopewell people left behind giant earthen mounds. Some of the mounds were cone shaped while others were made in the

shapes of animals. By A.D 800 these early cultures had disappeared but new people

Mississippians gained influence. Their greatest center, Cahokia housed about 40,000 people by about A.D

1200. Cahokia boasted at least 60 mounds. On top of the mounds were the houses of rulers and nobles.

Section 3 (the mound builders continued)

The Mississippians left no written records and their cities disappeared by the time Europeans came around.

Diverse Regional Cultures In the far north the Inuits had to adapt to harsh climates. They had to use the resources of the frozen lands to survive. The people of the Northwest Coast lived in a far richer environment then

the Inuits. They traded their surplus goods gaining wealth that was shared in

ceremonies like the potlatch. Eastern Woodlands was the home to a number of groups including the

Iroquios. They cleared land and built villages in the forest. Women farmed and men hunted and fought against rival nations.

Section 3 (diverse regional cultures continued)

The prophet Dekanawidah urged rival Iroquois nations to stop the constant wars.

In the late 1500’s he became one of the founders of the political system known as the Iroquois League.

This league did not always succeed in keeping peace though. Yet it was still the best organized political group of north Mexico. Only men sat on the council, but each clan had a “clan mother” who

could name or depose members of the council. The Iroquois League came about just as Europeans arrived in the

Americas. The encounters with Europeans would take a toll on people of North

America and topple the Aztec and Incan empires.

Regents Questions

1. Early peoples who moved frequently as they searched for the food they needed for survival are called? (1) hunters and gatherers (2) village dwellers (3) subsistence farmers (4) guild members

2. Which factor led to the prosperity and success of the world’s early civilizations? (1) formation of democratic governments (2) development of monotheism (3) acceptance of gender equality (4) location in river valleys

3. The Aztec, Inca, and Maya civilizations all achieved great progress in developing? (1) a written language and great literature (2) strong naval forces (3) the arts and architecture (4) a monotheistic religion

More regents questions

4. Inca terrace farming and Aztec floating gardens are examples of? (1) the ability of civilizations to adapt to their region’s physical geography (2) slash-and-burn farming techniques (3) Mesoamerican art forms symbolizing the importance of agriculture (4) colonial economic policies that harmed Latin American civilizations

5. When studying ancient civilizations, a geographer would be most interested in looking at? (1) language as a form of expression (2) family structure (3) climatic influences on food production (4) standards for leadership

Answers

1. 1 2. 4 3. 3 4. 1 5. 3