Peoples and Civilizations of the Americas

PeoplesPeoples and and Civilizations Civilizations of of thethe Americas Americas

600600--15001500 TeotihuacanTeotihuacan

TeotihuacanTeotihuacan waswas aa largelarge MesoamericanMesoamerican citycity atat thethe heightheight ofof itsits powerpower inin 450450––600600 c.ec.e.. TheThe citycity hadhad aa populationpopulation ofof 125,000125,000 toto 200,000200,000 inhabitantsinhabitants DominatedDominated byby religiousreligious structuresstructures PyramidsPyramids andand templestemples wherewhere humanhuman sacrificesacrifice waswas carriedcarried out.out. TheThe growth growth of of Teotihuacan Teotihuacan

MadeMade possiblepossible byby forcedforced relocationrelocation ofof farmfarm familiesfamilies toto thethe citycity ByBy agriculturalagricultural innovationsinnovations includingincluding irrigationirrigation worksworks andand chinampaschinampas ((““floatingfloating gardensgardens””)) thatthat ThisThis increasedincreased foodfood productionproduction andand thusthus supportedsupported aa largerlarger populationpopulation ChinampasChinampas ApartmentApartment--likelike stonestone buildingsbuildings housedhoused commoners,commoners, includingincluding thethe artisansartisans whowho mademade potterypottery andand obsidianobsidian toolstools andand weaponsweapons forfor exportexport TheThe elite:elite: LivedLived inin separateseparate residentialresidential compoundscompounds ControlledControlled thethe statestate bureaucracy,bureaucracy, taxtax collection,collection, andand commerce.commerce. WhoWho controlled controlled Teotihuacan Teotihuacan

AppearsAppears toto havehave beenbeen ruledruled byby alliancesalliances ofof wealthywealthy familiesfamilies ratherrather thanthan byby kingskings TheThe militarymilitary waswas usedused primarilyprimarily toto protectprotect andand expandexpand longlong--distancedistance tradetrade andand toto ensureensure thatthat farmersfarmers paidpaid taxestaxes oror tributetribute toto thethe eliteelite ReasonsReasons for for Collapse Collapse of of TeotihuacanTeotihuacan ? ? CollapsedCollapsed aroundaround 650650 c.ec.e TheThe collapsecollapse maymay havehave beenbeen causedcaused byby mismanagementmismanagement ofof resourcesresources andand conflictconflict withinwithin thethe eliteelite InvasionInvasion TheThe Maya Maya

TheThe MayaMaya werewere aa singlesingle cultureculture livingliving inin :: GuatemalaGuatemala HondurasHonduras BelizeBelize SouthernSouthern MexicoMexico TheyThey nevernever formedformed aa politicallypolitically unifiedunified statestate VariousVarious MayaMaya kingdomskingdoms foughtfought eacheach otherother forfor regionalregional dominance.dominance. MayanMayan Agriculture Agriculture

IncreasedIncreased theirtheir agriculturalagricultural productivityproductivity by:by: DrainingDraining swampsswamps BuildingBuilding elevatedelevated fieldsfields ConstructingConstructing irrigationirrigation systemssystems MayanMayan Religious Religious Beliefs Beliefs

TheThe MayaMaya believedbelieved thatthat thethe cosmoscosmos consistedconsisted ofof threethree layers:layers: TheThe heavens,heavens, TheThe humanhuman world,world, TheThe underworldunderworld TheThe rulersrulers andand eliteselites servedserved asas priestspriests toto communicatecommunicate withwith thethe residentsresidents ofof thethe twotwo supernaturalsupernatural worlds.worlds. MayaMaya military military forces forces

FoughtFought forfor captivescaptives notnot forfor territoryterritory EliteElite captivescaptives werewere sacrificedsacrificed CommonersCommoners enslavedenslaved Great Plaza at Tikal

Great Plaza at Tikal Still visible in the ruins of Tikal, in modern Guatemala, are the impressive architectural and artistic achievements of the classic-era Maya. Maya centers provided a dramatic setting for the rituals that dominated public life. Construction of Tikal began before 150 B.C.E.; the city was abandoned about 900 C.E. A ball court and residences for the elite were part of the Great Plaza.

ParticipatedParticipated inin bloodlettingbloodletting ritualsrituals andand otherother ceremoniesceremonies HeldHeld nono politicalpolitical powerpower NonNon--eliteelite womenwomen probablyprobably playedplayed anan essentialessential rolerole inin agriculturalagricultural andand textiletextile productionproduction MayaMaya technological technological developments developments

MayaMaya calendarcalendar MathematicsMathematics TheThe MayaMaya writingwriting systemsystem DeclineDecline of of the the Maya Maya

MostMost MayaMaya citycity--statesstates werewere abandonedabandoned oror destroyeddestroyed betweenbetween 800800 andand 900900 c.ec.e PossiblePossible reasonsreasons forfor thethe declinedecline ofof MayaMaya cultureculture include:include: TheThe disruptiondisruption ofof MesoamericanMesoamerican tradetrade attendantattendant uponupon thethe fallfall ofof Teotihuacan,Teotihuacan, EnvironmentalEnvironmental pressurepressure causedcaused byby overpopulation,overpopulation, EpidemicEpidemic disease.disease. ToltecsToltecs

ReadRead aboutabout them!them! OnOn toto thethe AztecsAztecs AztecsAztecs

TheThe AztecsAztecs werewere originallyoriginally aa northernnorthern peoplepeople withwith aa clanclan--basedbased socialsocial organizationorganization TheyThey migratedmigrated toto thethe LakeLake TexcocoTexcoco areaarea EstablishedEstablished thethe citiescities ofof TenochtitlanTenochtitlan andand TlatelolcoTlatelolco aroundaround 13251325 DevelopedDeveloped aa monarchicalmonarchical systemsystem ofof governmentgovernment Goddess Tlazolteotl

Goddess Tlazolteotl The Aztecs controlled much of central Mexico in 1519. Religion was the dynamic factor that transformed other aspects of their culture, and they had many gods. The Aztecs believed that Tlazolteotl (sometimes called "Mother of the Gods") consumed the sins of humankind by eating refuse. As the goddess of childbirth, Tlazolteotl was extensively worshipped. Notice the squatting position for childbirth, then common all over the world. (Dumbarton Oaks, Pre- Columbian Collection, Washington, D.C.)

TheThe kingskings increasedincreased theirtheir wealthwealth andand powerpower byby meansmeans ofof territorialterritorial conquestconquest AsAs thethe AztecAztec EmpireEmpire increasedincreased inin size,size, commonerscommoners lostlost theirtheir abilityability toto influenceinfluence politicalpolitical decisionsdecisions andand inequalitiesinequalities inin wealthwealth grewgrew moremore severe.severe. AztecAztec Agriculture Agriculture

TheThe AztecsAztecs increasedincreased agriculturalagricultural productionproduction inin thethe capitalcapital areaarea byby undertakingundertaking landland reclamationreclamation projectsprojects andand constructingconstructing irrigatedirrigated fieldsfields andand chinampaschinampas Nonetheless,Nonetheless, graingrain andand otherother foodfood tributetribute metmet nearlynearly oneone quarterquarter ofof thethe capitalcapital’’ss foodfood requirementsrequirements AztecAztec Worship Worship

TheThe AztecsAztecs worshipedworshiped aa largelarge numbernumber ofof godsgods MostMost importantimportant GodGod waswas Huitzilopochtli,Huitzilopochtli, thethe SunSun godgod HuitzilopochtliHuitzilopochtli requiredrequired aa dietdiet ofof humanhuman heartshearts thatthat werewere suppliedsupplied byby sacrificingsacrificing thousandsthousands ofof peoplepeople everyevery yearyear SouthwesternSouthwestern Desert Desert Cultures Cultures

MostMost influentialinfluential waswas thethe AnasaziAnasazi AnasaziAnasazi developeddeveloped aa maize,maize, rice,rice, andand beanbean economyeconomy ConstructedConstructed undergroundunderground buildingsbuildings ((kivaskivas)) inin thethe Arizona/NewArizona/New Mexico/Colorado/UtahMexico/Colorado/Utah regionregion aroundaround 450450––750750 c.ec.e.. TheThe largelarge AnasaziAnasazi communitycommunity atat ChacoChaco CanyonCanyon hadhad aa populationpopulation ofof aboutabout 15,00015,000 peoplepeople TheyThey engagedengaged inin hunting,hunting, trade,trade, andand irrigatedirrigated agricultureagriculture ChacoChaco CanyonCanyon peoplepeople seemseem toto havehave exertedexerted somesome sortsort ofof politicalpolitical oror religiousreligious dominancedominance overover aa largelarge regionregion TheThe AnasaziAnasazi civilizationcivilization declineddeclined inin thethe twelfthtwelfth andand thirteenththirteenth centuriescenturies asas aa resultresult ofof drought,drought, overpopulation,overpopulation, andand warfare.warfare. MoundMound Builders:MississippianBuilders:Mississippian

ChiefsChiefs servedserved asas priestspriests ChiefsChiefs managedmanaged secularsecular affairsaffairs suchsuch asas longlong--distancedistance tradetrade TheThe MississippiansMississippians builtbuilt largelarge moundsmounds bothboth asas burialburial sitessites andand asas platformsplatforms uponupon whichwhich templestemples andand residencesresidences ofof thethe societysociety’’ss eliteelite werewere constructedconstructed CahokiaCahokia

TheThe largestlargest MississippianMississippian centercenter waswas CahokiaCahokia populationpopulation ofof aboutabout 30,00030,000 aroundaround 12001200 c.ec.e CahokiaCahokia waswas abandonedabandoned aroundaround 1250,1250, perhapsperhaps becausebecause ofof climateclimate changeschanges andand populationpopulation pressurepressure AndeanAndean Civilizations, Civilizations, MocheMoche

TheThe MocheMoche cultureculture emergedemerged inin thethe northnorth coastalcoastal regionregion ofof PeruPeru inin aboutabout 200200 c.ec.e MocheMoche usedused thethe mitmit’’aa laborlabor systemsystem wherewhere clansclans wouldwould havehave toto provideprovide aa setset numbernumber ofof peoplepeople eacheach yearyear forfor labor.labor. TheseThese peoplepeople wouldwould workwork inin forfor religiousreligious establishments,establishments, thethe royalroyal court,court, oror thethe aristocracyaristocracy MocheMoche societysociety waswas stratifiedstratified andand theocratictheocratic WealthWealth andand powerpower werewere concentratedconcentrated inin thethe handshands ofof anan eliteelite ofof priestspriests andand militarymilitary leadersleaders TheyThey livedlived atopatop largelarge platformsplatforms andand decorateddecorated themselvesthemselves withwith magnificentmagnificent clothing,clothing, jewelry,jewelry, andand talltall headdressesheaddresses CommonersCommoners cultivatedcultivated theirtheir fieldsfields andand suppliedsupplied mitmit’’aa laborlabor toto thethe eliteelite MocheMoche artisansartisans skilledskilled inin thethe productionproduction of:of: textilestextiles portraitportrait vasesvases metallurgymetallurgy GoldGold andand silversilver werewere usedused forfor decorativedecorative purposes,purposes, coppercopper andand coppercopper alloyalloy forfor farmfarm toolstools andand weaponsweapons TheThe declinedecline andand fallfall ofof thethe MocheMoche civilizationcivilization maymay bebe attributedattributed toto aa seriesseries ofof naturalnatural disastersdisasters inin thethe sixthsixth centurycentury andand toto pressurepressure fromfrom thethe warlikewarlike WariWari peoplepeople inin thethe eightheighth centurycentury TheThe Inca Inca

TheThe IncaInca werewere aa smallsmall chiefdomchiefdom inin CuzcoCuzco untiluntil theirtheir leadersleaders consolidatedconsolidated politicalpolitical authorityauthority andand beganbegan aa programprogram ofof militarymilitary expansionexpansion inin thethe 1430s1430s ByBy 1525,1525, thethe IncaInca hadhad constructedconstructed aa hugehuge empire.empire. IncaInca wealth wealth

AbilityAbility toto developdevelop aa strongstrong professionalprofessional militarymilitary UsedUsed militarymilitary itit inin orderorder toto broadenbroaden andand expandexpand thethe traditionaltraditional exchangeexchange systemsystem thatthat hadhad linkedlinked thethe variousvarious ecologicalecological zoneszones ofof thethe AndesAndes regionregion togethertogether TheThe IncaInca usedused thethe mitmit’’aa laborlabor systemsystem to:to: ManMan theirtheir armies,armies, ToTo buildbuild theirtheir capitalcapital city,city, ToTo maintainmaintain theirtheir religiousreligious institutions,institutions, ProvideProvide forfor thethe old,old, thethe weak,weak, andand thethe ill.ill. IncaInca dominationdomination resultedresulted inin increasedincreased wealth,wealth, butbut alsoalso inin reducedreduced levelslevels ofof locallocal autonomy.autonomy. WhenWhen thethe eliteelite fellfell intointo civilcivil warwar inin 1525,1525, IncaInca controlcontrol overover itsits vastvast territoriesterritories waswas weakenedweakened Inca tunic Like the Aztecs, the Incas were a small militaristic group that established one of the most extraordinary empires in the world. Gradually, Inca culture spread throughout Peru; roads built by the Incas linked most of the Andean region. Weavers in this region produced beautiful textiles from cotton and from the wool of llamas and alpacas. The Inca inherited this rich craft tradition and produced some of the world's most remarkable textiles. The quality and design of each garment indicated the weaver's rank and power in this society. This tunic was an outer garment for a powerful male.