1. TOPIC Chapter 23 History:
Civilizations of the Americas
EQ: Who were the Maya?
Where did they come from?
2. There were 3 civilizations in the
Americas⌠⢠Mayans
⢠Aztecs
⢠Incas
⢠They all lived in Central
and South America
⢠When settled, they
began to farm
⢠More food, increase in
population
⢠Increase in trading, use
of different languages
3. First, we will explore the Mayans!
⢠Civilization lasted 3,
500 years!
â 2000B.C.E. -1500 C.E.
⢠They lived in S. Mexico
and parts of Central
America
⢠Ruins of Mayan cities
still exist
â Tikal lies in the
Guatemala jungle and is
1 of 40 Mayan cities
4. ⢠Just as the Roman Empire fell (476 C.E.) in
Western Europe, the Maya were
developing in the Americas
⢠Mayan civilization spread over
Mesoamerica (modern day Mexico)
â Lived in jungles, forests, rainforests, swamps,
and grasslands
5. Mayans were influenced by:
⢠Olmec people
â Lived on east coast
of Mexico 1200-500
BCE
â Grew maize as
major food supply
â Farming allowed
them to create
PERMANENT
settlements
â Built temples and
even used solar
(SUN) calendars
6. There were 3 major Mayan periods of
civilization:
#1 â Pre-Classical period (2000 B.C.E. to
300 C.E.
-During this time, Maya farmed land and
lived in simple homes or compounds
7. As the population increased,
⢠Maya constructed public buildings for govât and
religious purposes
⢠50 BCE â created form of writing called
hieroglyphics
â Pictures or symbols
8. Mayan civilization reached its peak
during CLASSIC PERIOD 300-900
CE ⢠Adapted/developed
ideas from Olmec
⢠Though Mayans had no
metal tools or wheels,
built HUGE stone
temples
⢠Charted movement of
moon, starts, planets
⢠Used knowledge of
astronomy/math to
create calendars
9. Mayans lived in independent city
states: Tikal, Copan, Chichen Itza,
Palenque
⢠Mayan society was
structured like a
pyramid
⢠Rulers of each city-state
was at top
⢠Ruler (Halach) was like
god king
â He decided when to
do to war, wore
headdress
10. Around 900 CE, Classic Civilization
collapsed!
⢠Maya abandoned cities
⢠No one really knows
why
⢠To the north, on
Yucatan Peninsula,
Mayan cities continued
to grow
⢠This is POST-Classic
period 900-1500 CE
11. Under the ruler wereâŚ
⢠Nobles and priests
⢠They were only
Mayans who could
read or write!
⢠Helped collext taxes,
supplies
⢠In charge of
archetecture projects
⢠Led rituals