Mesoamerican & Andean Civilizations

Chapter 8, Lesson 1 -2EQ: In what ways were the civilizations in Mesoamerica and South America unique?

Define Vocabulary: Chapter 8. Lesson 1 & Lesson 2

• Mesoamerica (in the reading) • Tenochtitlan (in the reading) • Chinampas (in the reading) • Quipu (lesson 2)• Maize (lesson 2)

REVIEW QUESTIONS #4, #5, and #6. 4. Identifying: What made the Maya one of the most sophisticated civilizations of the early Americas? 5. Summarizing: What contributions did the Toltec make to early Mesoamerica culture? 6. Analyzing: How did the Aztec continue the tradition of building successful civilization in Mesoamerica?

Rise and fall of the Maya• The Maya civilization arose on the Yucatán Peninsula and dominated a large part of Mesoamerica between A.D. 300 and 900. • The reasons for the civilization's decline are not clearly understood.

The Maya

• Maya civilization is composed of several different city-states.

• Some city-states with populations of more than 100,000, each governed by a hereditary ruling class.

• These city-states often fought with one another.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwv4IzM7rHU

Mayan Society

Rulers

Nobles

Priests-Scribes

Peasants (farmers)Townspeople (merchants and

artisans

• Maya rulers claimed to be descended from the gods.• Peasants and townspeople worked as merchants, artisans, and government officials, but most peasants were farmers. (COPY PYRAMID instead)• Men engaged in warfare and hunting, whereas women supervised their homes and children.

Mayan Religion

• Polytheistic religion • Divine powers controlled

life.• Gods can be “good” or

“evil.”• Gods were ranked in

order of importance.

Mayan Gods

• Mayan performed human sacrifices because they believed it will satisfy the Gods

• Performed sacrifices as part of special ceremonies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA8Bjzj-aLs

Activity: Mayan Contributions

• Read about the Maya (pg. 148-49)• Identify and describe four major Mayan

contributions using a web-diagram

Mayan Contributions Video

• Watch the following video and list additional Mayan contributions in your web diagram.

• http://www.history.com/topics/maya/videos/the-mayans

Activity: Primary Sources

• Based on what you have learned about the Maya.

• Complete Document #1 and #2. • You may discuss the document with your

partner, but your explanation must be your own.

Mayan Contributions

• Maya writing: hieroglyphic writing system, which they used in books and inscriptions, many of which record important events in Maya history.

• Maya calendar: The calendar, or Long Count, of the Maya was based on cycles of creation and destruction.

• Mathematics: Priests used mathematics for astronomical and religious purposes.

The Aztecs

Settlement of Tenochtitlan

• Aztec migrated from an unknown location to the Valley of Mexico.• 1300s they founded the city of Tenochtitlan• Chinapas (“floating gardens” ) allowed them to sustain themselves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Lp0KrQTqM

Political Power

• Aztec empire was a collection of small states controlled by chiefs.

• The Aztecs' alliance with the neighboring city-states of Tetzcoco and Tlacopan made them so powerful that they came to control most of what is now Mexico.

Aztec Religion

• Polytheistic religion• Aztec religion was a mix of

ancient and contemporary religious traditions and was shaped by a belief in the conflict between good and evil.

• Religion based on struggle of forces of “good” vs. “evil”

Aztec Social Structure

• The Aztec king claimed descent from the gods, ruled through a council of nobles and officials.

• Noble males served in the military, in government, and in the priesthood.

• Lowest class: workers, slaves, and commoners—most of the Aztec population.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Lp0KrQTqM

Aztec Contributions

• Astronomy: knowledge of the stars and planets

• Sun Calendar: The Aztec developed an elaborate calendar that reflected the cosmic cycles of their religion.

• Number system based on number 20.

• Aqueduct System

http://www.history.com/topics/aztecs/videos/aztec-aqueducts?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Aztec Contributions Notes

• In your notes, watch the following video and write down additional Aztec contributions.

• http://www.history.com/topics/aztecs/videos/the-aztecs?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Activity: Primary Sources

• Complete Primary Source #3.

The Incas:Children of the

Sun

Chapter 8, Lesson 2

Vocabulary: Maize, Quipu

EQ: In what ways were the civilizations in Mesoamerica and South America unique?

Who Were the Incas?

• The Incas were a small tribe of South American Indians.

• Lived in the city of Cuzco, high in the Andes Mountains of Peru.

Geography• Geography helped the Inca grow• Three main geographical regions:

• Each was a natural barrier.

1. The Andes Mountains

2. The Amazon jungle

3. The coastal desert

• The Inca Empire expanded into what are now the modern countries of Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina.

Inca Government• Strong central government.

• Sapa Inca: The head of government was the Inca, sometimes called the “Sapa Inca” (“the Only Inca”). The Sapa Inca was all-powerful.

• Pachacuti was the leader that brought the Inca together in 1440s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQPSYenhtoY

Activity

• Read The Inca and complete the following pyramid which shows the hierarchy of the Inca political organization.

• Pg. 155 – Complete Questions #1-4 on the back.

Inca Society • The Incas were divided into nobles and common people.

• Nobles govern regions. • Common young men required to serve in the army.

Service Tax

• Local officials kept a detailed census—an official count of all the people in an area.

• Each person listed had to pay a tax = forced labor. • People paid their tax each year in physical labor—serving in the army, working in the mines, or building roads, temples, and palaces.

Inca Roads

• The Incas connected their empire with 14,000 miles of well-built roads.

•The roads belonged to the government. No one could travel the roads without special permission.

1. Making Inferences Judging by the pictures of the Inca Trail, how did the Inca usually travel? What types of transportation were well suited to the trail? What types of transportation were not well suited to the trail?

 Machu Picchu

2. Drawing Conclusions What do the ruins of Machu Picchu suggest about the civilization of the Inca?

http://www.history.com/topics/machu-picchu

Quipu The Inca had no writing

system. Kept records using a

system of knotted strings called the quipu.

The quipu enabled the Inca to record the number of men who went to war and goods that were exchanged.

Activity

Complete the Documents #4-6

Before you go…

1. Think about the Mayan civilization. List 2 facts about the Mayan you remember.

2. Now, think about the Aztec civilization. List 2 facts about the Aztec civilization you recall.

3. Find a similarity between the two civilizations.