Mesoamerica: Mayan

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Mesoamerica Mayan Aztec Empires
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Climate of Mesoamerica

• Warm Temperatures
• Plentiful Rainfall
• Rich volcanic soils
• Good for growing crops like maize, beans, and
  squash.

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Early Mesoamerican Civilizations

• Olmec
• (1200 BC to 300 AD)
• Zapotec
• (1500 BC to 750 AD)
• Toltec
• (900 to 1200 AD)

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The Mayan Civilization

• Developed around 1000 BC
• At its height, Maya civilization consisted of
  some 10 million people spread among 40 cities.

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Supporting Large Cities

• Trade and agriculture helped support larger
  populations, and early Maya villages grew into
  cities.

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Mayan Farming Practices

• Slash and Burn Agriculture- a method of farming
  involves burning the vegetation to clear land for
  planting.

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Mayan Cities Government

• Classic Age
• (250 to 900 AD)
• Mayans built
• Stone pyramids
• Temples
• Palaces
• Who did they build them for?
• Local Rulers (Kings)
• Gods

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Mayan Society Religion

• Society
• Kings ruled with absolute power
• It was believed they communicated with the gods.
• Priests Warriors
• Upper Class
• Merchants Skilled Craftsmen
• Middle Class
• Farmers Slaves
• Lower Class

• Religious Ceremonies
• Offering of blood to the gods. (Blood Letting)
• Ball Game
• Only allowed to use your elbows, knees, and hips
  to get a rubber ball through a hoop.
• Losing team sacrificed.
• Human Sacrifice

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Religion Major Gods

• Hun Hunahpu maize god.
• Father of the hero twins
• Most important deity for the Maya
• He brought about the creation for the present
  world age.

• Chac god of rain, thunder, and lightning.
• Both adored and feared by the Maya
• He was portrayed as both a benefactor and a
  violent warrior.

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Religion Major Gods cont.

• Gukumatz Feathered snake god
• Taught the Maya the arts of civilization,
  including codes of law, agriculture, fishing, and
  medicine.

• Ixchel Earth and Moon Goddess
• Goddess of creativity, weavers and childbirth,
  goddess of medicine and reason, and a bringer of
  the storms.

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Mayan Achievements

• Architecture
• Buildings
• Canals
• Astronomy
• Math
• Used Zero (0)
• Writing
• Calendar System

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Mayan Calendar

• The Maya had two calendars
• 365 day farming calendar
• 260 day religious calendar
• It was more accurate that the European calendar.

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Decline of Mayan Civilization

• Factors to decline
• Environmental Damage
• Overuse of resources
• Drought
• Not able to feed everyone
• Warfare Increased
• Competition over lands
• Abuse of Power by Kings

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The Aztecs

• Located in modern day Mexico, and Tenochtitlan
  was the capital city and is located in what is
  now present day Mexico City.

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Rise of the Aztec Empire

• According to legend, the war god told one of the
  tribes leaders that they should look for a place
  where they saw an eagle perched on a cactus
  eating a snake. It was there that they should
  settle and build a new capital.
• They built Tenochtitlan after the prediction came
  true, and it was on a swampy island in Lake
  Texcoco.

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Rise of the Aztec Empire Cont

• Population consisted of farmers warriors.
• Allied with Texcoco and Tlacopan.
• After the alliance was formed the empire gained
  control over many region.
• Ruled 400 500 other city-states.
• 5 Million people under Aztec rule.

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Aztec Empire

• Conquered people paid tribute.
• Tribute was a type of tax.
• The Aztec Empire gained wealth
• Trade
• Tribute

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Tenochtitlan

• Size
• Five square miles
• Approximately 3200 acres
• Population
• 200,000

• Architecture
• Walled City
• Pyramid
• Temples
• Palaces
• Ball court
• Floating Gardens
• Chinampas
• Canals
• Markets

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Aztec Society

• Social Classes

• Though people were born into a certain class it
  was possible to move up the ranks within a life
  time.
• Also apart of the middle class
• Merchants and Artisans

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Aztec Religion

• Main deity in the Aztec religion was
  Huitzilopochtli and was known as both the sun god
  and war god.
• Human sacrifice was practiced heavily in the
  Aztec religion.
• Believed that these sacrifices gave power to the
  gods which in turn would insure the survival of
  the Aztec civilization.

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Religion

• War captives were used in the sacrifices
• In times of peace the Aztec would have to resort
  to ritualistic warfar.
• In the year 1487 the Aztecs reported killing
  84,400 war prisoners in four days at the great
  pyramid of Tenochitlan.
• After a town was conquered the inhabitants where
  no longer eligible of sacrifice and became Aztec
  citizens.

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Aztec Art

• The Aztecs also made other religious and
  non-religious artifacts such as jade masks.
• These artifacts were sold in markets by visiting
  merchants.

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Aztec Achievements

• Written Record
• Glyphs- symbols that represented both objects and
  sounds.
• Kept track of tax record and business details.
• Astronomy
• Calendar like the Mayans, but they also tracked
  the movements of some planets.