Author: Teacher

Incas
The Incas created a society that stretched out of Peru and ran from Chile to Ecuador. The capital was Cuzco, Peru. It was the largest empire ever seen in the Americas. The Inca started in the high mountains of the Andes in South America. The Incans settles in a valley and created a kingdom. The Incans believed they had descended from the sun god, Inti.
The Incan empire was 2,500 miles long and had more than 16 million people. They had a strong military but only fought when they must. They were good diplomats abroad and at home. To govern the huge territory, the rulers divided the land into manageable territories.
To support the empire, the Incans developed an extensive road system. The 2 main roads were the coastal road and the inland road, often called the Royal Road. Smaller roads would connect them. There were about 15,000 miles of roads that crossed tropical jungles, high mountains, and rapid rivers. There was a shelter ever 15 to 30 miles to rest. Using the roads and a relay system with messengers, information could travel 250 miles a day. There was no writing so a system of quipus (knotted strings), or memory aids was used to help messengers remember the message.
There was a class system. At the top was the emperor. All Incan emperors were thought to be descendants of the sun god Inti. The emperor lived in great wealth and often had many wives and children. No subjects could look him in the eye. Below him were nobles and then commoners such as farmers. Slavery was not used in a traditional sense.
Incan farmers grew a variety of crops. The potato was the most important because it could survive the frosty temperatures of the high Andes Mountains. There were more than 200 types of potatoes. Corn was also important as it could also be grown relatively high in the mountains (not quite as potatoes). Corn could be eaten fresh, fried, or popped.
Incans were polytheistic. Incans believed the gods influenced their everyday life. For example Illampu controlled the weather and rain, Raca Mama was the Earth Mother, while Mama Cocha was sea goddess. Inti was the most important giving power to the emperors and helping agriculture. There were many shrines and temples. There were sacrifices, including the occasional human sacrifice.
Set in the rocky countryside northwest of Cuzco, Peru, Machu Picchu is believed to have been a royal estate or sacred religious site for Inca leaders. For hundreds of years, until the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham stumbled upon it in 1911, the abandoned citadel’s existence was a secret known only to peasants living in the region. The site stretches over a 5-mile distance, featuring more than 3,000 stone steps that link its many different levels. Today, hundreds of thousands of people tramp through Machu Picchu every year, braving crowds and landslides to see the sun set over its towering stone monuments and marvel at the mysterious splendor of one of the world's most famous manmade wonders.
The Incan were taken over by the Spanish conquistador Pizarro. Pizarro brutally murdered many Incans for gold. Most were wiped out by disease of sold into slavery.

Aztecs
The Aztec people came to the Valley of Mexico in central Mexico around 1200 AD. Folklore says they were told to settle down in the valley when they saw the great sign. Previously they had wandered as nomads in the northern desert until in the valley they found an island in Lake Texcoco where they claim to have seen the sign, an eagle with a snake in its mouth. The Aztecs built a city there called Tenochtitlan (place of the fruit of the prickly pear cactus). Other groups had been in the valley before and created large beautiful pyramids. The Aztec mixed with these people and picked up many of their customs and even their gods.
Tenochtitlan became the Aztec’s capital and most important city. It held more people than London or Paris at that time. In the city there was a stone pyramid called the Great Temple that stood 150 feet tall. It could be seen from miles away. It had two stairways, one to the chief god and one to the rain god. In front of the shrines were stones where the priests performed human sacrifices. The altar displayed the skulls of thousands of sacrificial victims.
The Aztecs did not make colonies or a strongly unified empire. Instead they kept loose city-states that were required to pay tribute. The tribute of conquered people kept the population of Tenochtitlan going. Tributes depended on what each area could give. Many city-states paid in food, cocoa, gems, cotton/clothes, animal or skins, shells, building supplies or even soldiers. Warriors, priests, officials, and other workers of Tenochtitlan were paid in tribute goods. If cities refused to pay, the Aztecs would destroy villages and slaughter the inhabitants.
Social structure held the emperor at the top. The emperor may keep generals or officials to confer with, but in the end his power was absolute. Visitors, no matter their ranks, could only enter his presence without shoes and without making eye contact. Under the emperor were nobles, the commoners, and then slaves.
Religion was polytheistic. Human sacrifices were performed daily as were ritual dances and songs. Sacrifices might be prisoners of wars, slaves, criminals, or tributes from the city states. Even something like the sun rising everyday was considered dependent on making a human sacrifice.
The Aztec would be stunning and strong until discovered by the Spanish conquistador named Cortes. Cortes would enslaved the natives and steal their gold.

The Mayans
The Mayan Empire included parts of southern Mexico and Central America at its peak. While the Aztecs were in the deserts and the Incans were in the Andes mountains, the Mayans were in the rain forests, grasslands, and swamps.
Mayan governments were set up in city-states. Each city state was ruled by kings (unlike the Aztecs and Incans who were ruled by emperors). The kings were always men and they wore headdresses as tall as a person. They were considered king-gods.
Although independent of one another, the Maya city-states linked through alliances and trade. Local products like salt and flint where traded as were crafted goods like jewelry and clothing. There was no money but sometimes cacao beans could be used. Agriculture was the other part of the economy. They grew maize, beans, and squash.
The Mayans were also polytheistic. They had more than 160 gods. The gods could take on nature or animalistic like symbolism. They believed the gods created and could destroy the world. Only priests could explain signs or lead rituals. There were special rituals and ceremonies for almost all issues. Offerings might be with food or objects or blood (human or animal).
The Maya pyramids are structures built in the jungles of Central America by the Maya civilization. Unlike the straight sides of the Egyptian pyramids, the sides of Maya pyramids are typically stepped–sometimes for the purpose of enabling people to ascend to the top. Moreover, Egyptian pyramids have sharper tips, while Mesoamerican (including Maya) pyramids tend to have flatter tops. These flatter tops accommodate certain ceremonies, such as sacrificial rituals, and temples for gods.
The pyramids served a variety of very important functions. Apart from the religious ceremonies, Maya pyramids were used as landmarks to aid in navigation. In the jungle where these pyramids were built, the pyramids were so tall that they could be seen above the trees. Finally, inside some of the pyramids, there were burial chambers for the highest-ranking officials, just as in Egyptian pyramids.
Chichén Itzá was a major city of the Mayan Empire. It contains “El Castillo”, a pyramid, that is one of the new seven wonders of the world. The temple has 365 steps – one for each day of the year. Twice a year, on the equinoxes, a shadow shaped like a serpent falls on the temples. It has the largest ball court, a game where the losers were killed.
Chichén Itzá, like the rest of the Mayans disappeared mysteriously with no obvious reason why.

Accomplishments
Calendar
The Mayans used their knowledge of math and astronomy to develop a calendar system. The daily calendar was based on a solar year. It has 18 months of 20 days with 5 “unlucky” days. It ends up 365 days, the same as ours.
There was a sacred or ritual calendar called the Sacred Round. It had 13 months of 20 days, 260 day total. Only priests could read the hidden meanings in the Sacred Round. This calendar was used by priests to pick lucky days for hunting, planting, curing, going to battle, etc. Some priests in Southern Mexico still use this calendar.
The Aztecs would also adopt the Mayan calendars for daily life and religious use. One of the most famous Aztec artifacts is a calendar called the Sun Stone. It was dedicated to the god of sun. It is 12 feet wide and weighs 25 tons. The center is the face of the sun god.
Writing
The Mayans had the most sophisticated. Mayans also used picture symbols for words similar to hieroglyphics. Over time there were hundreds of these glyphs. Mayans wrote about rulers, history, mythology and gods, and their usage of astronomy.
The Aztecs used both glyphs and pictographs. There were not a lot of symbols so scribes used the writing to list data or outline important events.
Math in Building
Mayans – The Mayans used math to make large brick structures. They were also using the arches.
Aztecs – The Aztecs made massive stone temples. Their most impressive feat occurred when they created Tenochtitlan on an island and connected it to the mainland and another island. In order to support the population they made artificial islands which people still flock to see. They are often described as floating gardens.
Incans – The Incans created a massive road system. Their roads used engineering and math to create suspension bridges over water and mountains gorges. The Incans were also able to dig canals for irrigation.

Incans
What continent was the Incans on?
What country was the capital in?
What is the name of the capital?
What mountain range were they in?
The Incans developed and extensive_________________________________.
What were the 2 main roads?
How many miles where there total?
How many miles could a message go in a day?
What are items used as memory aids called?
What was the ruler called?
Why were crops like potatoes and corn grown?
Mono or Polytheistic?
What is Machu Picchu?
What country conquered them?
Aztecs
What country did the Aztecs live?
What is the name of their great and famous city?
What structures are the Aztecs famous for building out of stone?
What kind of sacrifices did priests make on the Great Temple?
What kind of government did they have (like Mesopotamia)? ______________-_______________
What did the Aztecs require city states to pay?
What happened if a city state did not pay?
What was the title of the top official?
Mono or Polytheistic?
What country conquered them?

Mayans
What areas was the Mayan culture in?
What was their environment like the other 2?
What kind of government organization did they have (like Mesopotamia)? ______________-___________
What was title of the ruler of each independent city state?
What linked the city-states together besides alliances?
What was the other major part of the economy?
Mono or polytheistic?
The Mayans also built ______________________ like the Aztecs and Egyptians.
How are the Mayans pyramids different than Egypt’s?
What else were pyramids used for besides religion?
What is Chichén Itzá?
What happened to the Mayans?
Accomplishments
Who made a famous calendar?
Was it close to ours?
Who else would use the calendar?
Which civilizations had writing techniques?
What did the Meso Americans build (2 examples)

Americas Objective Questions
Standard WHI.11a:
The student will demonstrate knowledge of major civilizations of the Western Hemisphere, including the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan, by describing geographic relationships, with emphasis on patterns of development in terms of climate and physical features;
On the map to the right , outline and color the: (2 pnts)
Mayan Empire (green)
Aztec Empire (red)
Incan Empire (blue)
Describe the climate and geography for each American civilization below. (3 pnts)
Aztec- -
Mayan—
Incan—
Standard WHI.11.b:
The student will demonstrate knowledge of major civilizations of the Western Hemisphere, including the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan, by describing cultural patterns and political and economic structures.
Complete the chart below: (10 pnts)

Describe the political structure and style of rule for all three early American Civilizations. (3 pnts)
Aztec- -
Mayan—
Incan—
How were the Mayans and Aztecs similar to the Egyptians when looking at writing and recordkeeping systems? How were the Inca completely different? (2 pnts)
Name the cite below and what early American civilization built it: (3 pnts)
_______________________ _______________________
_________________________ __________________________
________________________ ___________________________

Which civilization was Machu Picchu?
Which civilization was in Central America and had pyramids?
How do you describe the religion of the Incan, Aztec, and the Mayans?
Which civilization was in the rain forests?
Which civilization was in South America and practiced high altitude farming?
Which European power conquered the Aztec?
Who made me???
The Aztecs economy was based on tribute and ____________________
Who am I?
What mountain did the Incans live in?
Who built me?

Who lived here?
Tenochtitlan was part of what culture?
Which Latin American Empire was ruled by city states with their own kings?
Which empire has a famous “lost City”?
Which civilization created a road system?
Who am I?
The Aztec were in the present day country of?
Who lived here?
Represented by Chichen Itza, City-States ruled by kings, polytheistic, WHO AM I?
Which civilization would have gotten a ton of rain?

	Aztecs	Mayans	Incas
Location:
Capital/Important City:
Economy:
Religion: