PRE-COLUMBIAN CIVILIZATIONS
Pre-Columbian
Civilizations = before the arrival of Columbus (1492)
Three
Major Regions of Americas where people settles:
a)
Andes Mountains (Inca)
b)
Mesoamerica (Aztec & Mayans)
c)
Mississippi River
Eastern
vs. Western Hemisphere
-
has more cultural diffusion *W. has
very little cultural diffusion due to
-E –W axis the
natural barriers that cause
-domesticated animals isolation
and prevents unification.
-technology;
agriculture
Aztec
& Inca
Aztec=20
million Inca= 10-12
million, but larger territory
Events
900-1465
Chimor Empire based on Chan Chan on N. Coast
968
Tula established by Toltecs
1000
Toltec conquest of Chichán Itzá & influence in Yucatan peninsula
1150
Fall of Tula, disintegration of Toltec Empire
1325
Aztecs established in C. Mexico; Tenochtitlan founded
1350
Incas founded in Cuzco Area
1434-1471
Expansion under Inca Pachacuti
1502-1520
Mactezuma II (Aztec Ruler conquered by Hernando Cortes)
Toltec
Culture
o
established capital Tula around 968
o
adopted many features from sedentary
peoples & added militaristic ethic
-included cult of sacrifice &
war (portrayed in art)
o
Topiltzin (Toltec leader); priest
dedicated to god Quetzalcoatl – involved in a struggle for priestly/political
power, but lost so he was exiled
o
empire established spread over most
of central Mexico
o
Toltecs conquered Chichán Itzá of Yucatan in 1000 =>
ruled by c. Mexican Dynasties or by Mayan rulers under Toltec influence
o
Obsidian was mined in N. Mexico –
traded for turquoise in American SW
o
lasted until 1150 – said to have
been destroyed by nomadic invaders from N. => population & political
power shifted to valley of Mexico (had a lot of water)
Olmec
were the first major civilization in Mexico. They lived in the tropical
lowlands of south-central Mexico, in the modern-day states of Veracruz and
Tabasco.
Maya
(50 BCE-1400 AD)
- Mayans- longest lasting out of the Aztec
and Incas
- Mayan Empire lived more than 1000 years
(about 1500 years).
50
BCE - 800 - Central America, Guatemala → Mexico, Yucatan. Due to unknown reasons
(maybe environmental disaster, lack of soil for food) Mayan civilization
survived a jungle environment by being resourceful and harnessing energy. They
had lots of limestone for building
- Valuing human labor, they don’t use metal
tools.
- Made zero (Gupta India also made zero).
Helped with architecture and mathematics
- Rainforest, lots of water
- Had a Golden Ratio
Rulers
Yikin
Chan Kawii - 734-760 - Tikal
- Tallest Tikal building, Temple of Giant.
Building vertical.
- Defeat Calakamul, El Peru, Narajo.
Pacal
- 615-683 - Palenke
- wet city turn into architecture
- Temple of inscriptions > textual
information
- new architectural techniques- [courtal?]
vault
Kan
Bahlam 684-702 - Palenke
- Temple of the cross, temple of the sun
- invention of zero
- had aqueducts. understanding of water
pressure. directed excess water away.
- found the square roots of rectangles using
sticks and string
Aztec
(1300-1535)
o
called themselves Mexica
o
legend: Mexica had once inhabited
the C. valley and had lived a “civilized” life, but had lived in exile in a
place called Aztlan
o
other sources indicate Atzecs were
nomadic peoples that used political anarchy after fall of Toltecs to form
empire
o
Aztecs spoke Nahuatl (once language
of Toltecs)
o
intrusive & militant group that
was disliked by neighbors
o
eagle perched on a cactus eating a
snake => site of great city; Tenochtitlan
o
subject peoples forced to pay
tribute, surrender lands, & sometimes do military service for Aztec Empire
o
human sacrifice
o
believed world had been destroyed
four times before and will happen again = believed that sacrifices would be
insufficient & gods would bring catastrophe
o
Tenochtitlan= “foundation of Heaven”
– by 1519 population was ≈150,000 (larger than some major EUR cities)
o
City was connected to the shores by
4 causeways, crisscrossed w/ canals
o
Each city ward was controlled by a
calpulli (kin group) that maintained neighborhood temples & civil buildings
o
Chinampas= “floating gardens”
>> 4 corn crops/year were possible
o
each community had periodic markets
according to various cycles of calendar
o
used Cacao beans & gold dust =
currency; but mostly barter
o
Great market of Tlaelolco was
operated daily & was controlled by pochteca (special merchant class) –
specialized in long-distance trade in luxury items
o
Tribute levels assigned according to
whether the subject peoples accepted Aztec rule/had fought against it – those
who surrendered paid less
o
Tribute payments = food, slaves,
sacrificial victims, goods
o
During Aztec wanderings, seven calpulli
(clans) expanded & adapted to imperial position
o
some commoners could rise to noble
status through achievements in war, but most were born into noble class
o
Nobles controlled priesthood &
military leadership
o
military virtues were linked to the
cult of sacrifice and became justification for nobility’s status
o
Social distinctions exhibited
through use of & restrictions on clothing, hairstyles, uniforms and etc.
o
As nobility broke free from
calpulli, a new class of workers like serfs emerged (below commoners, but above
slaves)
o
scribes, artisans, healers were
valued
o
Aztec women worked in the fields,
but main job was to care for the household – weaving skill was highly regarded
o
marriages were arranged between
lineages & virginity was highly regarded for young women
o
Polygamy existed among nobility, but
commoners were monogamous
o
technological constraints included
lack of mills to grind corn more efficiently
o
Each city state was ruled by a
speaker chosen from nobility; The Great Speaker=ruler of Tenochtitlan=emperor
o
In1520, Hernando Cortes conquered
Aztecs by capturing Mactezuma II who allowed them to enter, then was killed
(but don’t know how he was killed)
Incas (1200-1535)
o
Inca Pachacuti (r.1438-1471) led a
series of military alliances & campaigns that brought entire area from
Cuzco to the shores of Titicaca
o
Topac Yupanqui (Pachacuti son)
conquered northern kingdom of Chimor by seizing irrigation system &
extended empire to present day Ecuador
o
Deceased rulers were mummified &
treated as intermediaries with the gods, paraded in the public during
festivals, offered food & gifts, consulted on important matters by oracles
o
Split inheritance= all the political
power & titles went to successor, but all palaces, wealth, land, and
possessions went to the Inca’s male descendants who used them to support the
cult of the dead Inca’s mummy for eternity=> need to get a lot of land to
support cult => expansion of empire
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