The Americas

The culture of the Americas is diverse; there are four main groups of people from this broad area. The Olmecs were the first dominate culture and resided in Southern Mexico. The Mayans-Toltecs were in Central America, the Aztecs were in Mexico, and the Incas were in Peru. In all four cultures, there were a few important cultural influences. These include, nobles and commoners, hereditary leadership, divine right, farming, and sporting events.
Religion was very important to this period. Ceremonial centers were the nuclei of Mesoamerican settlement. Temples provided spatial orientation for the towns. Pyramids were meant to stand out and represent the gods and powers of the region. They are polytheistic, meaning they believed in many gods, and they also conducted human sacrifices.
The Olmecs thrived from 2000 BC-200 BC. This was the first major civilization in Mexico. They lasted until 300 BC when they came to a sudden, violent, unknown end. They were people of the rubber country and developed hieroglyphic writing. They created the 1st calendar in the Western Hemisphere. They lived in a temple focused city and the jaguar was the symbol of their chief deity. Mesoamerican ballgame was influential at this time. They created realistic art work, the highest of which were made of jade.

• La Venta: This is the first example of a temple focused city type. The ceremony center composed of the Great pyramid of earth, ball court, smaller pyramids, burial grounds and giant stone heads.
• Art: Artwork consisted of delicate carvings of jade rock crystal and less valuable stone. They constructed ax heads, masks, and decorative objects, as well as mural paintings and pottery.
• Social: The elites lived in highly decorated homes and wore elegant jewelry and clothing. The commoners lived in "homes" made of sticks and mud. Their food sources were reliable for the commoners and they had a diverse diet. Shamans, people who believed they had a direct contact to a deity, gave advice about agriculture and periodic rain to leaders. 
• Religion: Small ceramic figurines, stone carvings, and utilitarian pots were associated with relgious beliefs. People became close to the god from bloodletting and human sacrifices. They were polytheistic, meaning they believed in multiple deities, which consisted of supernatural immoral beings.

The Theotihuacan city lasted from 250 BC-900 AD. It was named the "Place of the gods" and the city was abruptly deserted. The ceremonial center was 2 miles in length and the central spine is known as "road of the dead". The center holds the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, the Pyramid of the Sun, and the Pyramid of the Moon. Teotihuacan arts include decorative and utilitarian pottery. Decorative motifs include: birds, butterflies, flowers, and abstract signs.

The Mayans flourished for 1,800 years, from 300 BC to 1521 AD. They were destroyed by the Spanish conquest of 1519. They lived in current day Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and part of Mexico. The people of this time occupied the highlands and lowlands.

• Chicen Itza: This is a ceremonial site meaning "out of the well of the Itza'. It existed from 900 AD until the arrival of the Spanish. It is home to a four-sided pyramid called "Castillo" and it is 75' high.It houses the chacmool, a ritualistic piece of furniture, and the Jaguar throne. 

The Aztecs thrived from 1150-1520 AD. Tenochtitlan is the center capitol of the Aztec civilization. Templo Mayor consisted of two temples for the god of war and of agriculture, however, it was destroyed by the Spanish. It also had the Pyramid of the sun and mood. These pyramids were made of brick and stone. It was home to Montezuma's throne and had many floating gardens.

Through the creation of art, the Aztecs expressed their thoughts on life. Their architecture also expresses thoughts and beliefs. The Aztec civilization rivaled Rome. The population grew from 500,000 to an astounding 3 million until they were conquered by Spain in 1520.

• Chinampas: These were raised gardening beds located in a swamp or shallow lake. These may have been the most productive agricultural design ever developed by humans. Growers were able to get up to 7 harvests per year from a single bed.

The Incas lasted from1200-1572 CE. This was the largest empire in Pre-Columbia America. They are known for their architecture. They lived along the pacific coast and mountains, therefore, the climate varied throughout their region. The capitol was Cuzco. They were masters of stone cutting and are credited with the trapezoid shape.

• Machu Picchu: This is located in a seismically unstable area. It was built without mortar and was the royal estate for the Incan emperor Pachacuti. There are trapezoid shaped openings and was never discovered by the Spanish. However, it was discovered in 1911 by American professor Bingham. 

Past Examples:

Current Examples:

Extra Credit:

This is a tour of Machu Picchu:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIKhOJr_Nf0

This is a tour of Chichen Itza:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L281OUcW-4k

Peer Review:

Becca: I really enjoyed your review of the Americas. I especially liked your extra credit you chose. The 25 facts were really helpful and interesting.

Claire: I like the fact that you gave a brief but informational summary of this period. It was very to the point which I liked.