AKS 36 – Pre-Columbian America

CHAPTERS 9, 16.2, & 16.3 – PAGES 240-243, 446-463

AKS 36 - demonstrate an understanding of the development of societies in Central and South America (GPS) (SSWH_D2007-36)

36a - explain the rise and fall of the Olmec, Mayan, Aztec and Inca empires

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE OLMECS
Geographical Location / Ä  Along ______Coast of ______
Environmental Conditions / Ä  Covered with ______& ______
Ä  ______climate
Rise –
When & Why? / Ä  Emerged around ______& thrived between ______
Ä  Rose Because:
Ø  Fertile ______plains
Ø  Abundant ______of salt, tar, clay, wood, & rubber
Urban Design / Ä  Combined ______, plazas, and giant structures
Ä  Built thriving urban communities at sites such as San Lorenzo and La Venta
Economy & Trade / Ä  ______throughout Mesoamerica (Mexico City to the North and Honduras to the South)
Ä  Traded raw materials and various stones
Ä  Trade helped boost the economy and spread Olmecs influence
Social Structure / Ä  Had ______class
Ä  Had ______gods
Ä  Worshipped ______spirit
Ä  Prosperous people
Reasons for Decline / Ä  ______- because there are ______
Legacy / Ä  “______”
Ø  Known as this because of their influence on other cultures
Ä  Left behind art styles, ceremonial centers, ritual ball games, an elite ruling class and stone symbols that may have led to writing
Ä  First known ______in Mesoamerica
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE …
Mayans / Aztecs / Incas
Geographic Location / Ä  ______Peninsula, SE Mexico, northern Guatemala / Ä  ______Mexico in the Valley of Mexico / Ä  ______Mountain region branching out from Peru
Environmental Conditions / Ä  ______forests in Yucatan
Ä  Dense ______elsewhere / Ä  Several shallow ______
Ä  Fertile ______/ Ä  ______
Ä  Fertile soil in Valley of Cuzco
Rise / Ä  Emerged ~ ______
Ä  Thrived ______/ Ä  Emerged ~ ______
Ä  Thrived ______/ Ä  Emerged ~ ______
Ä  Thrived ______
Traits / Ä  ______important
Ä  ______
Ä  Independent ______
Ä  ______agriculture / Ä  ______important
Ä  ______
Ä  Powerful ______
Ä  Empire of ______states / Ä  ______important
Ä  ______
Ä  Major ______systems
Ä  Type of welfare state with a huge ______
Why did civilization rise? / Ä  ______culture
Ä  Loyal to ______
Ä  Wealthy & prosperous ______
Ä  Able to ______to feed larger population / Ä  ______culture
Ä  Loyal to ______
Ä  They added lands through military conquest, power, and used prisoners for religious ______
Ä  Adding of lands provided ______/ Ä  ______culture
Ä  Loyal to ______
Ä  Entire empire was ______and that aided control
Ä  They cared for the entire population during good and bad times
Reasons for Decline / Ä  Many physical & human resources used for ______activities
Ä  Frequent ______occurred between kingdoms
Ä  Population ______created a need for more land / Ä  Many physical & human resources used for ______activities
Ä  The need for prisoners changed warfare style to less______& less aggressive
Ä  Tribute states became rebellious and needed to be controlled / Ä  Many physical & human resources used for ______activities
Ä  Enemies also used their ______system to move troops
Ä  People struggled to care for themselves with the elimination of the welfare states
Ä  Ultimately, invasions by Spanish conquistadors led to their demise

36b - compare the culture of the Americas including government, economy, religion, social structure, technology and the arts of the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas

CULTURE
Mayans / Aztecs / Incas
Government / Ä  ______city-states, each ruled by a ______
Ä  Central city with giant pyramids, temples, palaces, stone carvings, and surrounding residential areas / Ä  Small ______
Ä  Empire divided into ______provinces with 5-15 million people
Ä  Triple Alliance
Ø  Military state formed in 1428 / Ä  ______
Ø  Had to be a descendant of the sun god, Inti, to rule
Ä  ______
Ø  Conquered territories were divided into manageable community units governed by a central bureaucracy
Ø  Can be compared to socialism or welfare state
Economy / Ä  Based on ______& ______
Ä  City-states linked through trade alliances
Ä  Sophisticated farming methods such as planting on raised platforms above swamps and on hillside terraces
Ø  Grew maize (corn), beans, & squash / Ä  Ruled loosely, making conquered areas pay ______to them
Ø  If people resisted tributes or revolted, they would destroy the villages and capture or slaughter its inhabitants
Ä  Trade connected by ______and canals that canoes could bring directly to the city / Ä  ______controlled most economic activity
Ä  Regulated the production & distribution of goods
Religion / Ä  ______
Ä  Prayed and offered gods food, blood, and ______/ Ä  ______
Ä  Public ceremonies with ______
Ø  The city of Tenochtitlan was founded based on the Aztec legend of Huitzilopochtli (god of the sun and warfare)
Ø  Huitzilopochtli needed nourishment of human blood for the sun to rise each day
Ä  Over 1,000 gods
Ø  Elaborate ceremonies performed to win the favor of different gods – including ritual dramas, songs, and dances with masked performers / Ä  ______
Ä  Religion helped to reinforce the power of the state
Ø  Cuzco was both the administrative and religious capital of the empire
Ä  ______“Virgins of the Sun”
Ø  Committed to a lifetime of religious service & activities
Ä  ______
Ø  Men who were full-time workers for the state who aided in religious activities
Social Structure / Ä  ______
Ø  Seen as a holy figure, position was hereditary
Ä  Three Social Classes:
Ø  ______- priests & warriors
Ø  ______- merchants & artisans
Ø  ______/ Ä  ______
Ä  ______
Ø  gov’t officials, generals, religious leaders
Ä  ______
Ø  Merchants, craftspeople, soldiers, farmers who owned land
Ä  ______/ Ä  Based on ______cooperation
Ø  Social groups were identified by officially dictated patterns of clothing
Ä  ______
Ø  Divided into groups of 10, 100, 1000, 10000
Ø  A chief led each group
Ø  Local administration in the hands of local rulers
Ä  Imposed a ______language throughout the empire
Ä  Conquered Peoples
Ø  Were peacefully conquered whenever possible to gain loyalty
Ø  Were allowed to continue their traditional ways of life
Technology / Ä  ______
Ø  Supposedly predicts the end of the world on Dec. 21, 2012
Ä  Math = Understood the concept of ______
Ä  ______
Ø  Calculated solar year at 365.2420 days (only 0.0002 off)
Ä  ______
Ø  Ex: Tikal
Ä  Sophisticated agriculture techniques / Ä  ______
Ø  Tenochtitlan was greater than any European city of the time – built on a lake bed to provide an easy defense system
Ä  ______
Ø  Roads built over the marshy lands & water
Ä  ______
Ø  Floating gardens built on the marshy fringes of the lake / Ä  ______
Ø  14,000-mile long network of bridges and roads
Ø  All roads led to the capital
Ø  These roads tied the empire together
Ä  Engineers & Stonemasons
Ø  Accomplished their with using no iron tools, wheels, or mortar
The Arts / Ä  ______
Ø  Writing system, 800+ symbols
Ä  ______
Ä  ______- for religious games
Ä  Jaguar Architecture
Ä  Steles (inscribed markers) / Ä  Elaborate ______
Ä  ______
Ä  ______& paintings for gods
Ä  ______for religious ceremonies / Ä  ______
Ø  Most sacred shrine in empire, covered in gold
Ä  ______
Ø  Extremely abundant
Ø  Covered city walls and used for decoration