The Life in the Americaslacked nearly all animals suitable for domestication
metallurgy was less developed in the Americas
Writing limited in the Americas to Mesoamericamost highly developed among the MayaEarly Andeans did not make use of writing
fewer and smaller classical civilizations in the Americas
lack of interaction with other major cultures
Migration to Mesoamerica By 9500 B.C.E., humans reached the
southernmost part of South America
As hunting became difficult, agriculture began (7500 B.C.E.)
Early agriculture: beans, squashes, chilis; later, maize became the staple (5000 B.C.E.) Agricultural villages appeared after 3000
B.C.E.
The "rubber people”Elaborate complexes built
The colossal human heads--possibly likenesses of rulers
Rulers' power shown in construction of huge pyramids
Trade in jade and obsidian
Decline of Olmecs: systematically destroyed ceremonial centers by 400 B.C.E.
Mayan society hierarchical
Kings, priests, and hereditary nobility at the top
Merchants were from the ruling class; they served also as ambassadors
Professional architects and artisans were important
Peasants and slaves were majority of population
Mayan CultureReligious thought
Popol Vuh (creation myth) taught that gods created humans out of maize and
water Gods maintained agricultural cycles in
exchange for honors and sacrifices Bloodletting rituals honored gods for rains
The Maya calendar: both solar and ritual years interwoven
Maya writing: ideographic and syllabiconly four books survive
Andean SocietyMain crops: beans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, cotton
Fishing supplemented
By 1800 B.C.E.: pottery, built temples and pyramids
Discovered gold, silver, and copper metallurgy
Chavín: A Pan-Andean Religious Movementbeliefs apparently drew on both desert region and
rain forestsprobably used hallucinogenic San Pedro cactus
Mayan City-Statesfrequent warfare; capture and sacrifice of
prisoners
densely populated urban and ceremonial centers
ruled by “state shamans” who could mediate with divine
no city-state ever succeeded in creating a unified empire
Rapid Collapse began in 840
population dropped by at least 85 %elements of Maya culture survived
Reasons for the collapseextremely rapid population growth after 600 c.e.
outstripped resourcespolitical disunity and rivalry prevented a
coordinated response to climatic catastrophewarfare became more frequent
Moche WorldComplex societies appear after 1000 B.C.E.
modern-day Peru and Bolivia
rule by warrior-priestssome lived on top of huge pyramidsrulers had elaborate burialsHuman scrafice
superb craftsmanship of elite objects
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