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Mesoamerica: Mayan

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Mesoamerica: Mayan & Aztec Empires Climate of Mesoamerica Warm Temperatures Plentiful Rainfall Rich volcanic soils Good for growing crops like maize, beans, and squash. – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Mesoamerica: Mayan


1
Mesoamerica Mayan Aztec Empires
2
Climate of Mesoamerica
  • Warm Temperatures
  • Plentiful Rainfall
  • Rich volcanic soils
  • Good for growing crops like maize, beans, and
    squash.

3
Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
  • Olmec
  • (1200 BC to 300 AD)
  • Zapotec
  • (1500 BC to 750 AD)
  • Toltec
  • (900 to 1200 AD)

4
The Mayan Civilization
  • Developed around 1000 BC
  • At its height, Maya civilization consisted of
    some 10 million people spread among 40 cities.

5
Supporting Large Cities
  • Trade and agriculture helped support larger
    populations, and early Maya villages grew into
    cities.

6
Mayan Farming Practices
  • Slash and Burn Agriculture- a method of farming
    involves burning the vegetation to clear land for
    planting.

7
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

8
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

9
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.

10
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.

11
Mayan Achievements
  • Architecture
  • Buildings
  • Canals
  • Astronomy
  • Math
  • Used Zero (0)
  • Writing
  • Calendar System

12
Mayan Calendar
  • The Maya had two calendars
  • 365 day farming calendar
  • 260 day religious calendar
  • It was more accurate that the European calendar.

13
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

14
The Aztecs
  • Located in modern day Mexico, and Tenochtitlan
    was the capital city and is located in what is
    now present day Mexico City.

15
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.

16
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.

17
Aztec Empire
  • Conquered people paid tribute.
  • Tribute was a type of tax.
  • The Aztec Empire gained wealth
  • Trade
  • Tribute

18
Tenochtitlan
  • Size
  • Five square miles
  • Approximately 3200 acres
  • Population
  • 200,000
  • Architecture
  • Walled City
  • Pyramid
  • Temples
  • Palaces
  • Ball court
  • Floating Gardens
  • Chinampas
  • Canals
  • Markets

19
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

20
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.

21
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.

22
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.

23
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.
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