Early Agriculture in Mesoamerica
8000-7000 BCE people of Mesoamerica-Central Mexico to Honduras and El Salvador-began to cultivate beans, chili peppers, avocados, squash and gourds. 4000 BCE they discovered maize, which became staple food for the region. Agricultural villages appeared af
Ceremonial Centers
End of second millennium BCE, elaborate ceremonial centers with monumental pyramids, temples and places arose alongside agricultural villages. Permanent residents of ceremonial centers included members of ruling elites, priests and a few artisans and craf
Olmecs: The "Rubber People
Earliest ceremonial cities of Ancient Americas; coast of Gulf of Mexico, near modern city Veracruz; served as the nerve center for the Olmecs. Historians studied them since 1940s, real name not known. "Olmec" came from the rubber trees that grow in the re
Olmec Society
Authoritarian in nature. 1000s of laborers constructed ceremonial centers. Olmec sites had temples, pyramids, altars, stone sculptures and tombs for rulers. Common subjects gave part of their harvest to ruling elites in the centers and provided labor for
Trade in Jade and Obsidian
Olmec influence extended to central and south Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. Olmec influence spread by military force and trade. They produced decorative jade objects. Used obsidian to make knives and axes with sharp edges, without any metal technolog
The Maya
Earliest heirs of the Olmecs; south Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador. Guatemala had fertile soil and good conditions for agriculture. Permanent villages began appearing in third century BCE. Most prominent one; Kaminaljuyu, located near Gu
Tikal
Most important political center between 4th and 9th centuries CE. At its height(600-800 CE), it was a wealthy and bustling city with a population of 40,000. Enormous paved plazas, scores of temples, pyramids, palaces, and public buildings. Temple of the G
Maya Warfare
Maya kingdoms fought constantly with each other. Winners usually destroyed the people they defeated and took over their ceremonial centers; purpose of Maya warfare not to kill but to capture enemies in hand-to-hand combat in battle. Warriors won prestige
Chichen Itza
9th century CE(northern Yucatan Peninsula). Rulers preferred to absorb captives and integrate them into their own society rather than destroy them or offer them as sacrificial victims. Some captives refused this opportunity and died proud warriors, but ma
Maya Decline
800 CE, most Maya populations began to desert their cities. Within a century Maya society was in full decline everywhere except the northern Yucatan, where Chichen Itza flourished still. Historians suggested causes of decline; invasion by foreigners from
The Maya Calendar
Maya priest constructed most elaborate calendar of ancient Americas. Interwove two kinds of a year; a solar year(365 days governed the agricultural cycle) and a ritual year(260 days governed daily affairs by organizing time into 20 "months" of 13 days api
Maya Writing
Maya expanded on their predecessors' writing. Created most flexible and sophisticated of all early American writing systems. Maya script had ideographic elements and symbols for syllables. Scholars began to decode script in 1960s, writing was important to
Maya Religious Thought
Surviving inscriptions and writings reveal Maya religious thoughts and traditions. Popol Vuh(Maya creation myth), says gods created human beings out of maize and water which became flesh and blood. Maya religious thought reflected the role of agriculture
Bloodletting Rituals
Most important sacrifice involved the shedding of human blood which Maya believed would make gods send rain to water their crops of maize. Some bloodletting rituals centered on war captives. Before victims were decapitated, the ends of their fingers were
The Maya Ball Game
Inherited ball game from the Olmecs. Sometimes two men against each other, sometimes two teams of 2-4 players each. Players scored points by putting a rubber ball through a ring or marker without using their hands. Almost all Maya ceremonial centers, town
The City of Teotihuacan
31 miles northeast of Mexico City. Large agricultural village by 500 BCE. Expanded rapidly after 200 BCE, by end of milenium, population 50,000. Pyramid of the Sun largest structure in Mesoamerica. 400-600 CE, Teotihuacan home to 200,000, had many temples
The Society of Teotihuacan
Population included rulers, priests, cultivators, artisans, and merchants. 2/3 of the city's population worked during the say in fields surrounding the city and returned to small apartments at night. Artisans of Teotihuacan were famous for obsidian tools
Cultural Traditions
People of Teotihuacan built on cultural foundations established by the Olmecs. They played the ball game, adapted Olmec calendar to their uses, and expanded Olmec graphic symbols into a complete system of writing. Only a few samples of their writing exist
Decline of Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan began experiencing military pressure from other people 500 CE. Works of art from this period showed eagles, jaguars and coyotes(animals that were associated with fighting and military conquest.) After 650 CE the city entered a decline. Middle
Early Agriculture in South America
Most of early Andean cultivated around 2500-2000 BCE, permanent settlements around coastal regions. Earliest cultivators relied on beans, peanuts and sweet potatoes as main food crops. Cultivated cotton to make fishnets and textiles. Marine life of Pacifi
The Chavin Cult
After 1000 BCE, Chavin cult appeared in central Andes. Enjoyed popularity during 900-800 BCE, spread through modern Peru and vanished by 300 BCE. No information about it; scholars named it after Chavinde Huantar, one of the cult's most prominent sites. Th
Early Cities
No evidence to suggest Chavin cultural and religious beliefs led to the establishment of a state or political order. Probably inspired the building of ceremonial centers, as population increased and society became more complex, cities began to appear shor
The Mochica State
One of Andean states left an artistic legacy that allows a glimpse into the life of an almost entirely lost society. Mochica state based in the valley of Moche River and dominated the coasts and valleys of Peru 300-700 CE. Paintings survive on pottery ves
Early Hunting and Gathering Societies in Australia
Aboriginal Australians lived in small mobile communities that went on seasonal migrations to get food. They exploited the resources of various ecological regions of Australia. Plants like berries, fruits, nuts, roots, seeds, shoots and green leaves were m
Austronesian Peoples
Earliest inhabitants of New Guinea foraged for food. Austronesian-speaking people possessed remarkable seafaring skills. Sailed open ocean in large canoes with outriggers, which stabilized their crafts and reduced the risk of long voyages. By paying close
Early Agriculture in New Guinea
Austronesian seafarers came from societies dependent on the cultivation of root crops and animal herding. Once settled in New Guinea, they introduced yams, taro, pigs and chickens to the indigenous people, and they too began to cultivate crops and herd an
Austronesian Migrations to Polynesia
Austronesian people sailed long distances of open ocean, and their food crops and domesticated animals let them make agricultural societies in the islands of the Pacific. Once established in New Guinea, they sailed to Bismarck and Solomon Islands to trade
Austronesian Migrations to Micronesia and Madagascar
From the Philippines, some Austronesian people ventured to Micronesia(small islands like the Marina, Caroline and Marshall islands of western Pacific.) Other looked west, sailed through Indian Ocean and became first human settlers in Madagascar. Malagasy(
The Lapita Peoples
Earliest Austronesian people to sail into Pacific and establish human settlements there. Name comes from a beach in New Caledonia where their artifacts were found. 1500-500 BCE they maintained communication and trade about 2,800 miles from New Guinea and
Chiefly Political Organization
After 500 BCE Lapita trade networks fell into disuse b/c settlements grew large enough to supply their own needs and concentrate on the development of their own societies. Middle part of first millennium BCE they had established hierarchical chiefdoms. Le