Early Civilizations in Meso-America

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Early Civilizations in Meso-America

• Ch. 11 Sec. 2

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Essential Questions TEKS WH6.A-B, WH27.B-C

• What are the political, social, economic
  cultural characteristics of the Mayas, Incas
  Aztecs?
• What impact did the Mayas, Incas Aztecs have
  politically, culturally, socially, and
  economically?
• What contributions did each have make towards
  Astronomy, Math Architectural engineering?

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I. The Maya

• 300-900ad in C. America S. Mexico
• Built temples, pyramids complex calendar
• Political Social structure
• City states governed by hereditary ruling class
  descended from God
• Always at war w/each other captured became
  slaves or human sacrifice.
• video

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I. The Maya contd

• Society Townspeople (Artisans, officials,
  merchants), peasant farmers
• Men fighting hunting
• Women homemaking, raising children.
• Religion
• -Mayan believed life was in the hands of a
  divine power. Human sacrifice was natural.

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I. The Maya contd

• Writings and Calendars
• Writing system based on hieroglyphics
• Spanish conquerors saw this as evil destroyed
  almost all books.
• Mayan calendar was a complex system of living
  several worlds.
• Spanish destruction of Mayan culture helped end
  the civilization.

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Aztec Videos

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vG4JabdIKx8s
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vn_wAHvHIntMfeature
  related
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vf332HpnpgkIfeature
  related

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II. Aztecs

• 1100-1500s ad
• Est. Tenochtitlan on Lake Texcoco
• The Legend
• 1325 under attack by another people and driven
  into a swamp they believe that the legend comes
  true.
• They est. here constructing temples, roadways,
  houses.

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II. Aztecs contd

• semi-independent territories supported by the
  Aztec ruler in return for tribute.
• Political Social Structures
• -4 million Aztecs
• -Power in the monarch by God assisted by lords
  govt officials
• -Society Commoners (farmers), Indentured
  workers (landless labor contracted for work),
  Slaves (captured in war)

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II. Aztecs contd

• Males _at_ young age were told to be warriors.
• Females _at_ young age were told to stay at home
• They were NOT EQUALS but women could own
  inherit property and enter into contracts.

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II. Aztecs contd

• Religion Culture
• -believed in many gods and the unending struggle
  between forces of good and evil.
• -The creation and destruction of 4 worlds and
  the birth of the 5th
• -Human sacrifice was a form of appeasement.

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II. Aztecs contd

• Destruction of Aztecs
• European Invasion
• Local Alliances
• Disease