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Home , Inca Empire

7th Grade Social Studies - Coach Pitts

This week we will look at Latin American before Europeans settled in the . You will complete readings on the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilizations then complete a variety of assessments: ● Primary Source Review: Observe a picture of a historical Mayan artifact and then complete the follow up questions ● Map: You will complete a map identifying where cultures were located ● Multiple Choice Assessment: You will complete 15 multiple choice question ● Research: The last assignment will be to research an assigned topic on Aztec culture

To submit the assignments take a picture and email them to me at [email protected]

Before beginning your readings review the following vocabulary words:

● -states: a self-governing region (called a ), consisting of a city and surrounding ​ territory ● indigenous: native to an area ​ ● : an early form of corn ​ ● : the that stretches between what is now the United States and South ​ America ● : belief in many gods; the belief in or worship of more than one god ​ ● sacrifice: a religious ritual of giving blood, animal life, or life to honor the gods ​ ● : a payment to a nation or ruler ​ ● mummify: to preserve a body by embalming it and wrapping it in clothempire: a group of ​ countries or a region controlled by one rule

Three indigenous dominated the Americas until the 1500s. From north to south, they were the Aztec, Maya, and Inca empires. The Aztec was located in central Mexico from the 1300s to the early 1500s. The Maya ruled in southern Mexico and northern Central America from 1800 BCE to the early 1500s, although the empire weakened significantly by 900 CE. The Inca established a dynasty along the west coast of from the 1100s until the early 1500s. Mesoamerican and South American empires developed alongside agriculture, with maize representing the main crop. People of these empires left nomadic lifestyles for permanent settlement. Rulers expanded territories and ordered the construction of great structures and roads. The The Aztec rose to power in the mid-1200s. According to oral history, they came from a land in the north called Aztlan. They gradually moved south until they settled in the Valley of Mexico in present-day central Mexico. The Aztec Empire comprised hundreds of city-states that governed themselves in exchange for paying tribute to the Aztec in the capital of Tenochtitlán. Religion was a central part of daily life. The belief system was based on polytheism, and the Aztec built temples to honor the gods, and also offered sacrifices to keep the gods happy. A large number of sacrifices were enemies captured in battle. The Aztec were often at war in their quest to conquer other . Slaves captured in battle were valuable as sacrifices and as a source of labor. Slaves were at the bottom of the Aztec class structure. Serfs who worked the farms and fields were at the next level. Commoners—merchants, artisans, or soldiers—were at the level after that. At the next level were priests, who received special education and training in order to play the important role of managing ceremonial life. Above them were the nobles, including members of the emperor’s family. Typically, they headed city-states or assumed other important roles in running the empire. Class structure was strict, and the only ones who might move up were priests and soldiers. Aztec couples married early and within their own class. Marriages were arranged by family, but a marriage broker would check that the individuals to be married were compatible according to when they were born. Some men, particularly those of the nobility, could have more than one wife. Although early Aztec history suggests that occasionally women ruled, this no longer happened after 1400. Women took care of family life, but men headed the family. Unlike other Mesoamerican societies, all children attended school at some point; however, the schools and what was taught differed for nobility and commoners. The Maya Empire The earliest Maya lived in small villages around 1800 BCE. Farming was the main activity, but trade established with other villages developed into an extensive network. Like the Aztec, Maya comprised many city-states that controlled the political, economic, and religious activities for a region. For about 3,000 years, the Maya Empire expanded its territory, reaching its highest population from 250 to 950 CE. This was also the that significant architecture and art was created. With expansion, the social structure of became more strictly defined. Each city-state had its own ruler. All rulers, also known as priest-kings, were believed to be descended from a common ancestor and the god. As the most educated, priests studied mathematics and . This allowed them to make predictions, create , and record it in writing. While the nobility and priests lived in palaces, commoners lived on raised platforms. They were the farmers, merchants, or craftsmen. Slaves, usually enemies captured in battle, were at the bottom of Maya class structure. War was common, both for gaining more territory and for getting slaves. Slaves performed the hardest work—field labor and building palaces, pyramid-shaped temples, observatories, and ballcourts. They were also used in sacrifices to the many gods worshipped by the Maya. Maya civilization was male-dominated. Although women could own property and managed the households, they were required to serve the men at mealtimes and prohibited from looking directly at men. Common women performed much of the and created pottery. Noble women were often married off to other noble families in order to strengthen political and social relationships. However, in rare circumstances some women did achieve higher status, becoming priestesses or even heads of city-states. The The Inca Empire began in ’s Cuzco Valley in the 1100s. The valley lies between the Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. While tribes and clans in other areas suffered from a severe drought, the Cuzco Valley wasn’t affected. Farms there prospered, and the area produced 70 different crops. Farmers and villages there joined together to successfully defend their valley against warlords. By the 1400s, Inca territory had expanded through marriages and military . It stretched from to , a distance of about 2,500 miles, and contained between 10 and 12 million people. The Inca kings set up a central government and instituted a common language, Quechua. Loyal subjects, usually nobility, were entrusted to settle areas far from the royal city of Cuzco. Some were appointed governors. Temple priests held high social positions and arranged for festivals honoring the gods. Sacrifices were made for important gods, such as , the sun god and , the creator. The Inca believed all things in nature possessed spiritual power, including mountains, rivers, lake, and stones. Conquered non-Inca nobility who supported the Inca ruler were next in the class system. Public administrators and artisans who created jewelry and other items from gold, silver, and other metals were next. The remainder of population was peasants. They were provided with their own land by the government, but were first required to work government lands. Men who didn’t work Inca farms served as soldiers or herdsmen, or worked in mines. Slaves were often recently conquered people and had to do the hardest labor, such as transporting massive blocks of stone. They were kept close to the capital. Inca women there assisted with agriculture, made clothing, and took care of the home. They were also allowed to pass property and rights on to daughters, as the men could do with sons. A massive system of 25,000 miles of roads connected everyone in the empire. Villages were even moved to be closer to the roads. Storehouses filled with provisions were also placed on the roads for the troops traveling through. Storage complexes might hold three to seven years’ worth of food.

Meso and South American Rulers The rulers of the Aztec, Maya, and Inca empires had a great impact on the growth of their civilizations. Under their rule, engineering, scientific, and artistic marvels were created. Many rulers served as religious leaders as well. Some features of these civilizations continued to have a long-reaching impact, such as calendars and foods like chocolate. The Maya priest-king, K’inich Janaab Pacal, ruled from 615 to 683 CE during the Classic Maya period. Also known as Pacal the Great and Lord Pacal, he was only 12 years old when he inherited the throne from his mother, Lady Sak K’uk. Pacal the Great oversaw the creation of great art and architecture in his city-state of Palenque. During his reign, Palenque grew to 50 square miles of plazas, temples, terraces, altars, and ballcourts. At the end of his life, his tomb was placed inside the 75-foot tall Temple of the Inscriptions. The fifth Aztec ruler, Moctezuma I, reigned from 1440 to 1469 CE. He was known as the Great Speaker and was considered a descendent of the god Quetzalcoatl. Under his rule, an alliance between three —Tlacopan, Texcoco, and Tenochtitlán—enabled the Aztec to conquer many other peoples and cities. The Aztec Empire during this period contained hundreds of city-states reaching to the Gulf of Mexico, and had over 5 million subjects. Moctezuma I also made important changes in the capital city of Tenochtitlán, including building aqueducts to bring in fresh water, constructing temples, commissioning artwork, and creating public gardens. The Inca Empire’s rulers were all said to be descended from the sun god, Inti. Significant expansion of the empire began with the emperor Pachacutec, and continued with his grandson, , who grew the empire its greatest size, estimated to be 300,000 square miles. When he died of a mysterious disease in 1527 (possibly ), his body was mummified and taken to Cuzco. He was the last ruler of a unified Inca Empire.

Primary Source Discussion

The photo shows a goal in a Maya ball court. Analyze the photograph and answer the questions.

What kind of game do you think the Maya played using this goal?

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Are you surprised to see a goal like this used by a civilization that lived almost 2,000 years ago? Why or why not?

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What does this goal tell you about similarities between the Maya and people living today?

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Mapping Mesoamerica and South America Directions: On your map, locate and label the following elements of Mesoamerican and South American empires. ​ ​ ​ Shade each empire with a different color.

Andes Mountains Maya Empire (shade the empire with a different color) Aztec Empire (shade the empire with a different color) Pacific Ocean Chichen Itza Palenque Cuzco Tenochtitlán Gulf of Mexico Texcoco Inca Empire (shade the empire with a different color) Tlacopan

Multiple Choice Assessment Directions: Answer the question below based on what you learned from the reading.

1. Where was the Inca civilization located? a. Central Mexico b. Southern Mexico/Northern Central America c. South America’s Pacific Coast d. South America’s Atlantic Coast 9. Which ruler grew the Inca Empire to its greatest size? 2. Which of these cities was the capital of the Aztec a. Pachacutec Empire? b. Inca Tupac Yupanqui a. Cuzco c. Manco Inca Yupanqui b. Tenochtitlán d. Huayna Capac c. Tikal 10. The main temple in Tenochtitlán, made up of two d. Copán pyramids and standing up to 90 feet high, was: 3. Which Aztec city was located in Lake Texcoco? a. Templo Mayor a. Tlacopan b. b. Texcoco c. Temple of the Inscriptions c. Tenochtitlán d. Pachacutec d. Tikal 11. What changed agriculture in the Americas, 4. The Andes Mountains were within the borders of making it possible for empires to develop? which empire? a. beans a. Aztec b. squash b. Huayna c. maize c. Inca d. potatoes d. Maya 12. Where was the Aztec civilization located? 5. Pachacutec was a ruler of which empire? a. Central Mexico a. Aztec b. Southern Mexico/Northern Central America b. Olmec c. South America’s Pacific Coast c. Inca d. South America’s Atlantic Coast d. Maya 13. Which empire grew about 70 different crops? 6. What European country conquered all three empires? a. Inca a. England b. Maya b. France c. c. Portugal d. Aztec d. Spain 14. What peninsula did the Maya civilization live on? 7. Where was the Maya civilization located? a. Iberian a. Central Mexico b. Baja California b. Southern Mexico/Northern Central America c. Yucatan c. South America’s Pacific Coast d. Santa Elena d. South America’s Atlantic Coast 15. Polytheism means: 8. Which ruler was known as the Great Speaker? a. belief in more than one god a. Moctezuma I b. belief that sacrifices make the gods happy b. Huayna Capac c. belief in a single god c. Pacal the Great d. belief that rulers are gods d.

Research It: Research the following question and provide your answer on a separate piece of paper. The invented floating gardens called . How did they construct a floating garden?