AKS 35 Introduction

Pre-columbian Empires

The Mayan, Aztec, and Incan worlds pre-1520CE

Open Ended

what do you know about the Mayan, Aztec, Inca (from stories, movies, TV shows, books, previous Social studies classes etc.)?

The civilizations in "the Americas" often get a bad reputation.

Despite what negative things you may have heard about or seen, these people were AMAZING perhaps even more so than more well known groups in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

So what makes the Aztec/Maya/Inca worlds so different and impressive in their own ways?

• For starters they lacked domesticated animals for food/labor ....all they had were small dogs (in Aztec and Maya) and llamas in Incan Empire. No Horses,Sheep, Oxen, Cattle, Camels, Goats, etc.

• lacked alot of the major natural resources of Eurasia...most importantly Iron

• They built their civilizations in places nobody would expect

Remains of a Mayan City-State in the Jungle

The Maya

The oldest and most culturally diverse of the central American civilizations

Collection of independent City States

Their golden age was about 1500 years ago.

Home regions in modern day Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, (aka the Yucatan)

Multiple Choice

What did Mayan culture contribute to in today's world?

• Art Style

• Religion

• sports

• Building designs

• clothing style

Pok-A-Tok aka Mayan Hoops

City of Tenochtitlan (the Capitol of Mexica/Aztec Empire circa 1500

Poll

what is most impressive about the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan

• that they built it in middle of a lake

• That it's population was 300k people

• The crops were planted on floating fields (chinampas)

• they has laws against adultery, drunkenness, etc.

• they had mandatory public education

Mexica Empire (Aztecs)

• located in central mexico around modern day Mexico City

• were the most dominant military power of the day

• built mega city capitol of Tenochtitlan

• Rich Culture and complex religion

• ancestors genetically to lots of Mexicans people today

Aztec Ritual Sacrafice

Native Incan Descendant visiting his ancestral land of Machu Pichu

The Incan Empire

• located far south of both Mayan and Aztec lands in modern day peru and Chile

• amazing engineering and building masters

• mountain dwellers with citys WAY UP HIGH

• last to fall to Spanish Invaders

Machu Pichu a city built at 8000ft above sea level

still intact Incan Rope Bridge over two Mountains

Poll

How much would i have to pay you to cross that bridge?

• Nothing! i love adventure

• a thousand bucks

• a hundred bucks

• a million bucks

• a billion dollars!