A Passage through History

Rosalinda MenaOct 16, 2011

Catastrophe Around 535 A.D the worlds climate

drastically changed, A catastrophe. David Keys Developed a theory of what

could have happened. 3 instances were presented: A Comet,

Asteroid, or Volcanic Eruption. Ice Caps and Tree rings were studied for

possible clues, on the trees; growth demised and on ice caps volcanic material was present.

It was narrowed down to a drastic volcanic eruption.

Kracatoa a volcano between the island of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia was the main suspect.

Ash and sulfur dioxide would have covered the skies and temps would have dropped

Drought, Famine, Floods….. With chaos, drought, famine and

floods come all over the areas of the world.

The Chinese, Romans, the Avars all speak of the drastic changes.

The Bubonic plague spreads Ivory trade being one of the main

ways of spread along with rats and fleas.

All over the world there is massive graves to dispose of infected bodies.

Cracking the Maya Code Eric Thompson was the world's foremost

expert in glyph studies in the 1930’s. His theory consisted that symbols in glyphs stood for entire words or ideas. Later on his theory will be proven to be incorrect.

Linda Schele and Peter Mathews would go on to unveiled most of Palenque's dynastic history and life story of six of their rulers.

David Staurt was a Mayanist who later would discover that individual Mayan words could be written in multiple ways, using different symbols for the same sounds

Discovery of Concept of Zero by The Maya.

Maya Code cracked….Scholars and the modern Maya can now

read the majority of glyphs

With the deciphering of glyphs a great discovery was made of dynasties.

Now the Maya people of today are able to learn their history and learn the language of their ancestors.

This Lost civilization is coming to light.

Conquistadores (Hernan Cortes) 500 yrs Ago Spaniards landed off an island

off the coast of Mexico. This would be the beginning of the Fall of

the civilization known as the Aztecs. When Cortes arrived he was given a slave

girl by the name of Malinalli or Malinche as later she would be known among the Mexican people. She spoke Maya and Nahuatl and would lead Cortes to Aztec empire. She also would fall in love with Cortes.

Moctezuma was the Aztec ruler during the Spanish conquest.

The Aztec feared of the tale that Quetzacoatl would return from sea with a pale face and beard and would take reign of the empire.

Take over…..

As Cortes continued on his march to Tenochtitlan he came across the Tlaxcalan people who became allies of the Spaniards would become the turning point in the conquest and history of the New World.

Thousands of Tlaxcalans marched to Cholula A battle of 80 days Cuahtemoc would be the last Emperor of the Aztec Empire. A civilization completely destroyed in the Winter of 1527.

Guns,Germs and Steel… Jared Diamond a evolutionary biologist,

physiologist and biogeographer. Guns, germs and steel and various other

factors helped certain civilizations developed faster than others.

Food and livestock also helped shape civilizations, depending areas of the world livestock was their source of food or faming (plants).

Populations with higher quantity of people have a higher chance of potential inventions and innovations.

Pizzaro introduced new animals to the Americas like horses and pigs.

Conquistadores also brought disease to the Americas that resulted in deaths of native people.

Steel and plague

Pizarro was able to defeat the Inca Empire with the use of steel weapons something natives had never seen.

Europeans also brought famine, small pox being the biggest plague that truck natives. Pizarro was able to defeat the Inca empire with ease with the combination of disease and

weapons technology foreign to the Americas.

Engineering an Empire (Maya) Palenque one of the greatest cities in the Americas. Lord Pacal reign for nearly 70 years at Palenque site. Son Kan Bahlam reign from C684-702AD. Build a great city that had an subterranean aqueducts. Dynasty of Lord Pacal with son reign for about 100 years.

Once the conquitadors arrived the destruction of these great empire began.

Diego De Landa ordered the burning of Maya books to be burned he believed they were the devil.

Christianity was enforced onto the natives people.

Only 4 Maya books survived.