Chapter 6Mesoamerican Civilizations

Lesson 2The Olmec and the Maya

A Mother Civilization

Olmec civilization was the 1st great Mesoamerica civilizationLived along the Gulf of Mexico, surrounded by rainforests, grasslands, and swamps.Olmec people were divided into social classes based on wealth and power.

A Mother Civilization Cont.

Olmec’s were mainly farmers but also hunted and fished.Lived in small houses with thatched roofs.Most of the food grown went to feed the people, not for trade.

A Mother Civilization Cont.

Olmec government was theocracy, meaning the leader and the ruling classes are believed to represent the will of the gods.Priests and government officials were the most powerful classes in Olmec society.

A Mother Civilization Cont.

Olmec communities were connected by roads making it easy to trade honey and salt for jade, obsidian, and basalt from the mountains.Called the “Mother Civilizations” because the Olmec civilization directly influenced all of the Mesoamerican civilizations to follow.

Olmec Accomplishments

Most famous for the giant stone heads they constructed. See p.170Most showed rulers but some showed gods that were half human half animal, or combinations of two animals. (Jaguars, eagles, snakes, and sharks)

Olmec Accomplishments Cont.

Olmec developed a number system, calendar, and a form of writing.No one knows what became of the Olmec Civilization. Some archaeologists think that they migrated east and my have been ancestors of the Maya.

The Maya

Tikal was home to nearly 100,000 people and the people who lived there built more than 3,000 structures.Today there are ruins of observatories, palaces, plazas, baths, reservoirs, aqueducts see p.278, or structures that carry water, and pyramids over 20 stories high.

The Maya Cont.

Chichén Itzá had two large cenotes and was the only source for water in the region.Maya believed the cenotes were a way of communicating with the gods.

The Maya Cont.

From these finds were know that they Maya formed a more complex writing system then the Olmec’s.That they farmed vast fields of maize (corn), beans, and squash.Also they were a theocracy. See p.171

Time and Numbers

Used calendars to record birth dates, marriages, the military victories of their leaders, and to makes sure they were honoring the gods on the correct days.Used two calendars, one for the solar seasons and the other for sacred rites.

Time and Numbers Cont.

Used telescopes to keep very accurate records of the movement of the moon, and planets.Mayan year was divided into 365 days based on Earth’s orbit around the sun, which didn’t become part of European knowledge until centuries later.

Time and Numbers Cont.

The codex, or folding-screen book, contained info about predicting the future and religious rituals for the priests.Each codex was painted on a fig leaf bark or on animal skin. Unfortunately archeologists have not decoded the Mayan hieroglyphics. See p.172Believed to be the first people in the world to use the number zero.

Daily Life

Family was very important to the Mayan. Entire families, including grandparents lived together.Women and older girls were responsible for all housekeeping.Younger children learned about farming and housekeeping chores but spent much of their time playing. Some of their toys used wheels, which were not used for labor.

Daily Life Cont.

Houses were small, with courtyards, kitchens, and small shrines to the gods. Usually were made out of adobe, or mud bricks. They had thatched roofs made of palm leaves or grass.

Daily Life Cont.

About 900 A.D. Maya began to abandon many of their cities. Some scholars believe that Mayan civilization may have disappeared as a result of invasion, crop failures, or civil war.