MESOAMERICA:
MESOAMERICA:
Mayan & Aztec Empires WORLD HISTORY NOTES
DATE: _____________
Climate of Mesoamerica
➢ Warm ______________
➢ ______________ Rainfall
➢ Rich _____________ soils
o Good for growing crops like _____________________________.
Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
➢ _______________
o (1200 BC to 300 AD)
➢ _______________
o (1500 BC to 750 AD)
➢ _______________
o (900 to 1200 AD)
The Mayan Civilization
➢ Developed around ______________BC
o At its height, Maya civilization consisted of some ____________________ spread among ______________.
Supporting Large Cities
➢ __________ and ______________ helped support larger populations, and early Maya villages grew into cities.
Mayan Farming Practices
➢ _________________________________- a method of farming involves burning the vegetation to clear land for planting.
Mayan Cities & Government
➢ Classic Age
o (250 to 900 AD)
➢ Mayans built:
o ________________
o ________________
o ________________
➢ Who did they build them for?
o ________________
o ________________
Mayan Society & Religion
➢ Society
o Kings ruled with absolute power
▪ It was believed they _________________________________.
o ______________________
▪ Upper Class
o ____________________________________________
▪ Middle Class
o ______________________
▪ Lower Class
➢ Religious Ceremonies
o Offering of blood to the gods. (______________________).
o _______________________
▪ Only allowed to use your elbows, knees, and hips to get a rubber ball through a hoop.
• Losing team sacrificed.
o __________________________
Religion: Major Gods
➢ Hun Hunahpu – _____________________.
o Father of the hero twins
o Most important deity for the Maya
o He brought about the creation for the present world age.
➢ Chac – _____________________________________.
o Both adored and feared by the Maya
o He was portrayed as both a benefactor and a violent warrior.
➢ Gukumatz – _________________________________.
o Taught the Maya the arts of civilization, including codes of law, agriculture, fishing, and medicine.
➢ Ixchel – __________________________________________________________.
o Goddess of creativity, weavers and childbirth, goddess of medicine and reason, and a bringer of the storms.
Mayan Achievements
➢ Architecture
o _________________
o _________________
➢ Astronomy
➢ Math
o _________________
➢ Writing
➢ ____________________
Mayan Calendar
➢ The Maya had ____________________:
o ___________________________________________
o ___________________________________________
➢ It was more _________ that the European calendar.
Decline of Mayan Civilization
➢ Factors to decline:
o ___________________________________________
▪ Overuse of resources
o Drought
▪ Not able to feed everyone
o ___________________________________________
▪ _____________________________________
o Abuse of Power by Kings
_______________________________________________________________________
The Aztecs
➢ Located in modern day ___________, and Tenochtitlan was the capital city and is located in what is now present day __________________.
Rise of the Aztec Empire
➢ According to legend, the war god told one of the tribes’ leaders that they should look for a place where they saw an ____________________________________. It was there that they should settle and build a new capital.
o They built Tenochtitlan after the prediction came true, and it was on a swampy island in __________________________________.
➢ Population consisted of farmers & warriors.
o __________________________________.
▪ After the alliance was formed the empire gained control over many region.
• Ruled ______________ other city-states.
• ___________________ under Aztec rule.
Aztec Empire
➢ Conquered people paid ____________.
o _______________________________
➢ The Aztec Empire gained wealth:
o ____________
o Tribute
Tenochtitlan
➢ Size
o __________________________
▪ Approximately 3200 acres
➢ Population
o __________________________
➢ __________________________
o Walled City
o Pyramid
o Temples
o Palaces
o Ball court
o _”______________________”_
▪ ____________________
o Canals
o Markets
Aztec Society
➢ Social Classes
o Though people were born into a certain class it was possible to move up the ranks within a life time.
▪ Also apart of the middle class
• _________________________
Aztec Religion
➢ Main deity in the Aztec religion was Huitzilopochtli and was known as both the _______________ and _________________.
o _______________________ was practiced heavily in the Aztec religion.
▪ Believed that these sacrifices gave ____________________ which in turn would insure the survival of the Aztec civilization.
➢ War captives were used in the sacrifices
o In times of peace the Aztec would have to resort to _________________________.
➢ In the year 1487 the Aztecs reported killing ___________________________ at the great pyramid of Tenochitlan.
o After a town was conquered the inhabitants where no longer eligible of sacrifice and became Aztec citizens.
Aztec Art
➢ The Aztecs also made other religious and non-religious artifacts such as _______________________.
o These artifacts were sold in markets by visiting merchants.
Aztec Achievements
➢ Written Record
o _____________- symbols that represented both objects and sounds.
▪ Kept track of _________________________________.
➢ Astronomy
➢ Calendar like the Mayans, but they also tracked the movements of some _________________________.[pic]
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