Topic 4: Pre-Columbian Americas

Topic 4: Pre-Columbian AmericasTopic 4: Pre-Columbian Americas

2. What common assumptions 2. What common assumptions did Americans share?did Americans share?

Pre-Columbian AmericasPre-Columbian Americas

Incredibly diverseIncredibly diverse

Created complex Created complex societies, societies, spectacular cities, spectacular cities, complex complex understandings of understandings of the world, the world, complicated writing complicated writing systems, religious systems, religious ritualsrituals

But DIDN’TBut DIDN’T

Domesticate large Domesticate large animalsanimals

Develop ironDevelop iron

Develop a wheelDevelop a wheel

Geography and the AmericasGeography and the Americasisolated, “biological sameness”isolated, “biological sameness”

one continent, no physical separationsone continent, no physical separations

open to arrivals, good harbors, riversopen to arrivals, good harbors, rivers

hospitable climatehospitable climate

diversity of lifestyles, from hunter gatherers to diversity of lifestyles, from hunter gatherers to complex empirescomplex empires

North AmericaNorth America

Most sparsely populated region of AmericasMost sparsely populated region of Americas

Hundreds of tribes or nations which historians have Hundreds of tribes or nations which historians have grouped into “cultural areas”grouped into “cultural areas”

Many were predominately hunter-gatherers though Many were predominately hunter-gatherers though many groups also engaged in agriculture full- or many groups also engaged in agriculture full- or part-timepart-time

Maize introduced from Mesoamerica after 1000 BCEMaize introduced from Mesoamerica after 1000 BCE

Cultural zonesof NorthAmerica

MesoamericaMesoamerica

““Meso” = middleMeso” = middle

Earliest agriculture and complex societies in the Earliest agriculture and complex societies in the AmericasAmericas– 8000-7000 BCE cultivated beans8000-7000 BCE cultivated beans

– 4000 BCE maize4000 BCE maize

– 2000 BCE agriculture spread throughout 2000 BCE agriculture spread throughout MesoamericaMesoamerica

Creation myth of the Mayans in the Creation myth of the Mayans in the Popol VuhPopol Vuh

“… “… They sought and discovered what was They sought and discovered what was needed for human flesh… Broken Place, needed for human flesh… Broken Place, Bitter Water Place is the name: the yellow Bitter Water Place is the name: the yellow corn, white corn came from there… And corn, white corn came from there… And these were the ingredients for the flesh of these were the ingredients for the flesh of the human work, the human design, and the human work, the human design, and the water was for the blood… It was the water was for the blood… It was staples alone that made up their flesh.”staples alone that made up their flesh.”

Chronology of MesoamericaChronology of Mesoamerica

Early complex societyEarly complex society1200-100 BCE 1200-100 BCE Olmec society “Rubber Olmec society “Rubber People”People”

““Classical” societiesClassical” societies200 BCE-750 CE 200 BCE-750 CE Teotihuacan society Teotihuacan society300-1100 CE 300-1100 CE Maya society Maya society

““Post-classical” societiesPost-classical” societies950-1150 CE 950-1150 CE Toltec society Toltec society1345-1500 CE 1345-1500 CE Aztec / Mexica society Aztec / Mexica society

Zones of Mayan and Aztec influence

The OlmecsThe Olmecs

““The inhabitants of The inhabitants of rubber country”rubber country”

Built complex Built complex ceremonial centers at ceremonial centers at San Lorenzo, La San Lorenzo, La Venta, Tres ZapotesVenta, Tres Zapotes

Best known for huge Best known for huge stone headsstone heads

15 heads have been found

Between 5-10 feet tall

The heaviest is 20 tons!

Olmecs: The “mother culture” of Olmecs: The “mother culture” of later Mesoamerican societieslater Mesoamerican societies

Cultivation of maizeCultivation of maize

Ceremonial centers with Ceremonial centers with temple pyramidstemple pyramids

CalendarCalendar

Sacrificial bloodletting Sacrificial bloodletting ritualsrituals

Ball gamesBall games

Sacrificial bloodlettingSacrificial bloodletting

Shedding blood honored Shedding blood honored the gods who watered the gods who watered crops; it was believed crops; it was believed essential to the survival of essential to the survival of agricultural societyagricultural society

From rulers and priests to From rulers and priests to prisonersprisoners

Bloodletting extended to Bloodletting extended to human sacrificehuman sacrifice

Stone relief depicting MayanPrincess shedding blood from her tongue.

Mayan artwork alsodepicting bloodlettingthrough tongues

The “ball game”The “ball game”

3600 years old3600 years old

Played from Arizona to Played from Arizona to ParaguayParaguay

Played on an I-shaped Played on an I-shaped court with a rubber ballcourt with a rubber ball

Played one-on-one or in Played one-on-one or in teamsteams

Had religious significanceHad religious significance

Mayan statue of a ball player

Ball court and goal at Chichen Itza

TeotihuacanTeotihuacan

Emerged as a village Emerged as a village 500 BCE500 BCE

A major city-state for A major city-state for over a thousand over a thousand yearsyears

High point: 200,000 High point: 200,000 people, 8 square people, 8 square milesmiles

Pyramid of the Moon

Pyramid ofthe Sun

Aven

ue o

f th

e D

ead

The MayaThe Maya

A series of “city-A series of “city-kingdoms”kingdoms”

300-900 CE: built 80 300-900 CE: built 80 large ceremonial large ceremonial centerscenters

Pyramids at Tikal

The Maya CalendarThe Maya Calendar

Maintained by priestsMaintained by priests

Built upon Olmec Built upon Olmec calendarcalendar

Combined solar and ritual Combined solar and ritual calendarscalendars

Solar calendar very Solar calendar very accurateaccurate

Could predict eclipses Could predict eclipses and equinoxesand equinoxes

The Ritual CalendarThe Ritual Calendar

Meshed with the Meshed with the solar calendar of solar calendar of 365 days365 days

19,000 19,000 permutationspermutations

It took 52 years to It took 52 years to complete a cyclecomplete a cycle

Within the ritual calendar, thenumbers 1 – 13 were matched upwith a sequence of 20 day names

Maya numeralsMaya numerals

ZERO

Maya writingMaya writing

Over 800 symbolsOver 800 symbols

Most writings were Most writings were destroyed by the destroyed by the Spanish—stone Spanish—stone inscriptions and four inscriptions and four codices survivedcodices survived

Only 85% decipheredOnly 85% deciphered

The Dresden Codex

Codices werefold-up bookswritten on treebark.

All but four weredestroyed by the Spanish

Andean CivilizationsAndean Civilizations

The mountainous The mountainous environment made environment made agriculture and agriculture and political organization political organization difficult difficult

““stacked” agriculturestacked” agriculture

The The aylluayllu

1000 BCE – 700 CE

Chapter 5: The Americas and Chapter 5: The Americas and Oceania Oceania

Early Societies of Oceania Early Societies of Oceania – Early Societies in Australia and New Guinea Early Societies in Australia and New Guinea

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