MesoAmerican Civilizations

Inca Empire

How long did the Inca Society last

• The Inca Empire lasted almost 100 years.

Who was at the Top & Bottom

• At the top of the Inca society was the Sapa Inca or (supreme leader
• At the bottom of the social ladder were all the Incas who were not related by blood to the Sapa Inca.

Religious Life

• The Incas were polytheistic
• They worshiped many gods
• The Incas also had many complex ceremonies and rituals

Inti

• Inti was the Incas Numero Uno
• As the sun god, it was believed, he brought warmth and protected them.

Spanish Conquest of the Incas

• Francisco Pizarro led the conquest in 1532
• 168 Spaniards

Quechua

Quechua

• The indigenous language primarily spoken in the Andes
• Inca Empire main language
• About 8 million people still speck Quechua

Mayan Empire

Mayan gods

• Hunab Ku (creator god)
• Cizin (death god)
• Chac (rain god)
• Itzamma (aged god)
• Hun Hunahpu (maize god)
• Kin (sun god)

Mayan gods cont...

• Ik (wind & hurricane god)
• Ixhel (goddess of fertility and love)
• Kawil (god of rulers)
• Jaguar gods (underworld)
• Ek Chauh (merchants)
• Pauahtun (4 gods who hold up sky)
• Hun Bat & Hun Chuen (scribes)

What Caused the Collapse

• Over-Population
• Extensive Warfare
• Revolt of the farmer/laborer class
• A Natural Disaster

Calender

• The Mayan calender marked the movement of the Sun, Moon and Venus

Reading & Writing

• Writing was important because by writing about victory and a king's communication with the gods, scribes helped the king keep power.

Reading & Writing

• In war, scribes were either killed or had the fatty tissue on their fingers cut off.
• Sometimes after war a change in writing style is noticed which could mean a new scribe had been hired.

Aztec Empire

Aztec Calendar

• Made of basalt (hardened lava)
• The calendar showed a Sun god and sacrifices. The pictures also included days on when to sacrafice
• 18 months in year
• Each month 20 days long

Conquest of the Aztecs

• Hernan Cortes led the conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1519

Aztec gods

• Huitzilopochtli (patron god of aztecs)
• Tlaloc (rain god)
• Tonatuih (sun god)
• Tezcatlipoca (god of the night) (sometimes evil)
• Chalchiuhtlicue (goddess of water and aquatic things)

Social Ladder

• Aztec society divided into 3 classes
• 1. Nobles
• 2. Commoners
• 3. Slaves

Language

• The Aztecs spoke in a language called Nahuatl

Education

• To the Aztecs education was very important.
• Both children (girls and boys) of nobility and the commoners received education from a young age.
• Teachers were greatly admired

Education

• Boys- Military training, agriculture, & other trades
• Girls- Family formation, and trades that would help them ensure the welfare of their future homes.

Conclusion

• The Incas, Mayas, and Aztecs were very similar.
• They had many gods
• A similar social ladder
• They valued education very much

Conclusion

• Unlike the Incas and Aztecs who were conquered by Spanish Conquistadors, the Mayan's downfall is still a mystery

Conclusion

• In conclusion, these MesoAmerica Giants set the standard for good living. There societies were ahead of there time and the findings show it.