Chapter 13 Flashcards
Mesoamerica
is a region in Mexico and parts of Central America whose ancestral indigenous inhabitants shared a number of cultural traits
- a complex calendar
- Emphasis on bloodletting
- A ball game played on a special court
Urbnism and social complexity
- Teotihuacan
- Maya cities
- Aztec Empire
Olmec sites
earliest complex society on Mesoamerica is found along the Gulf Coast of Mexico
Major ceremonial centers
between 1200 B.C. and 300 B.C. Olmec peoples constructed a series in towns with populations in the thousands
Human heads
Olmec peoples developed a highly sophisticated artistic tradition that included monumental sculptures carved out of volcanic rock
colossal heads
possibly depict leaders and could represent competition in a ball game due to their helmet-like head covering
Clay sculptures of infants with adult heads
are often found on Olmec sites and could represnet leaders of deities
La Venta
16 male figures carved from jade and serpentine were found and possibly representing a town council
Monte Alban
in Oaxaca Valley in the Mexican highlands is the first city and thus, the oldest city in Mesoamerica
Central plaza
the population grew from 5,000-17,000 between the period of 500 B.C. and 350 B.C. and came to consist of neighborhoods
Teotihuacan
starting 2,000 years ago, grew into an enormous city covering 20 sq km (12.42 sp miles) with a population of over 80,000
Valley of Mexico
site is 2,169 meters (7,282 Feet) about sea level in the highlands, which is a rich agricultural area dotted by lakes
Teotihuacan
was laid out along a road known as the Avenue of the Dead, which stretches 5 km and enters the city from the south
The line up of three great mounments
Avenue of the Dead
Pyramid of the Sun
Pyramid of the Moon
Pyramid of the Sun
is the largest monument and has a cave that runs below it (contents in the cave have long been looted)
Temple of the Feathered Serpent
was named for carved heads of the deity that adorn the monument’s surface and it also was lined by burials of sacrificial victims distributed symmetrically along the four side of the temple
high-status positions
Items found with the male victims related to the milltary and reveal the role of human sacrifice on Teotihuacan ritual
Advance their power
It is likely that the great monuments were built by rulers that were
Temple of the Feathered Serpent
Around 400 A.D., the facade was smashed and burnt, and then it was re-covered with a new layer of construction
Apartment complexes
also were built around 200 A.D., lining the avenue and possibly indicating a gradual increase in the power of kin (family) group at the expense of the centralized ruler
Corporate (group) political structure
The construction of apartment complexes was likely a strong reaction against centralizing power on favor
Maya peoples
in Mesoamerica first began developing a state society with complex writing system in large urban centers around 2,000 years ago
Codices
much of Maya written history was lost under Spanish rule when Spaniards burned most of Maya books
Mayan hieroglyphs
had afforded great insight into the detailed history of early Mayan cities
Modern Maya
oral traditions and cultural practies also plays a major role in understanding the remins and pasts of ancestral Maya peoples
Developed along the Rivers and Swamps
most early Maya cities in the southern zone and may have been related to the arrival of ta ruler from Teotihuacan
Cenotes
The northern zone is flat scrubland and became the dominant focus of Maya settlement in later periods; sites in the northern zone were located near (sinkholes) that were a critical source of water
Slash-and-burn agriculture
which is a shifting system of agriculture that requires fields be used at different times after vegetation is burned and the land is left to rest
3 Early complex Maya periods
- Preclassic period (era up to 250 A.D.): settlements began to coalesce around a ceremonial complex
- Classic Period (250-900 A.D.): cities developed as large-scale settlements
- Postclassic period (900- arrival of Spanish in 1519 A.D.): large cities were abandoned in the “Maya Collapse” and most large settlements were located in the northern Yucatan Peninsual
Steep pyramids
became a defining feature of Maya cities in the Classic period and cities may have included population up to 20,000 people
Central area
pryamids typically sit in the city, along with royal residences, ball courts and open plazas
