Chapter 6 Flashcards
The Blodletting obseervance wer epolitical and religious ritials, actos of
deep piety performed as Chan Bahlum presided for funeral services
What did the Maya believe about shedding blood?
That it was necessary to do it for the usrvival of the world. IT was associated with rain and agriculture.
Although much is unclear about the ealry population of the Ameirca, what is known?
That he firstlarge wave of migraiton was from Sibera to Alaska was in 13000 BCe. Buover the Beiring Streit
Several archaeological excavation ant widely scattered sites have yeilded what date of migration?
1500 BCe
The earliest human inhabitants of the Americas lived by
hunting and gatheing.
By 8000-7000 BCe, the peoples of Mesamerica, the reigon from the central portion of modern Mexico to Hunduras and Elsavador had began to experiment with the cutivaiion of what?
beans, chili peppers,avocados, squashes,a dn gourds. Soon they had the potential of Maize, and tomatoes
Did the people fo MEsoamerica have domesitcated animals?
Not really, but they had dogs and trkyes
The tempo of Mesoamerican life quickende as elaborate cermonial centers
with monumentla pyramids, temples and palaces arose alognside the agricutral villages . The first of these centrs were not cities like those of early societes in the eastern hemisphere. Perman
Permanent residens ofthe ceremonial centers included embers of the
ruling elite, priests, and a few artisians and craftsman Large people came for good occasiosn
Agricultural villages and cermnial centers arose in where?
several region. Such as Veracruz.
What does Olmec come frome
Rubber people, the rubber trees that flourisn the region in which they inhabited
Where did the first Olmec society arise?
in 1200 BCE in the modern town of San lorezne and it was acapital ofor 400 years
What were others of cities?
La venta (800-400) and Trs Zapotes (400-100)
What was teh nature of Olmec society?
I twas most lkely authoriatarian. Untold htousands of laborers paricipated in the consturciton of all the cermonial centers.
What did each of the cermonial centers feature?
Complex temples, pyramids, altars, stone scupture and tombs fo nature. Common subjects delivered a portion of their harvest
What did common subjects have to do?
OWrk for the elites
What was the most distinctive art creations of the Olmecs?
The colossal human heads, of rulers form basalt rocks
In the absence of domesitc animals, how wasbasalt carried?
BY human laborers, Apart form the colossal heads, there were other stone sculpures
How did the Omecs spread thier infeluce?
By milary force. But htere was also trade
What did the olmecs produce?
LArge numbers of decorative obejcts from jad which they had to import. In absence of metla technology, they used obsidian from which tey fashioned knives and axes
ike jade, obsidian came form
the GUlf Coast
Among the many mysterious surrounding the Olemcs, what owas one perplexing thing
How they decined, they systematically destoryed their ceremonial centers.
Who was teh heir of the Olemc Society?
maya
Where did the Maya occpu?
Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Hunduras and El Salvador. THe highlands of Guatemal offer fertile soila nd excellent conditions of agriculte Permanentvilalges had began to appear there during the third century BCE
Kaminaljuyu
was a cereonial center but it dominated the ilife of other ocmmunities in teh region. 12-15 thousand laborers worked to built the temples.
After the 4th century,w here did Maya society flourish?
Mostly in teh porrly drained Mesoamerican lowelands wher thin tropical soils quickely lsot thier fertility.
To enhanvce the fertility, they
trapped silk form the numerous river saround the reigon. THey had a lot of miaze, cotton and caoco
Tikal
I twas the most important Maya political center. It was 600-800 CE in the height. It was city wtith a huge populaiton and big plazas,
The Maya organized themselves politically into scores of small city ckingdom
Tikal, Paelnque and Chichen ITza
What were kings associated with?
With Jaguire
What was discovered by Maya kingdom?
fought constantly with one another. Victors destoryed the poeples they defeated and took over thier cermonial centers. BUt, h
What What was teh purpose of Maya warfare?
Capture them in the battlefed. Warriors won prestige when they did so.
Chichen ITza
was in the northern Yucatan peninsula. Deaked to Damplen hostile anstincts and establish a larger political famework for Maya socoeity