2. LEGACY OF THE OLMECS
The earliest American civilization emerged in the
tropical forests along the Mexican Gulf Coast
The Olmec civilization lasted from about 1400BC500BC
Archaeologists know very little about the Olmecs
Rich tombs and temples suggest that a powerful
class of priests and aristocrats stood at the top of
Olmec society
The Olmecs did not build cities---instead they built
ceremonial centers
5. LEGACY OF THE OLMECS
The most dramatic remains of the Olmec civilization
are the giant carved stone heads found in the ruins
of a religious center at La Venta
No one knows how the Olmecs moved these
colossal 40-ton stones from distant quarries without
wheeled vehicles or draft animals
7. LEGACY OF THE OLMECS
Through trade, Olmec influence spread over a wide
area
The Olmecs invented a calendar and used carved
inscriptions as a form of writing
Their most important legacy may be the tradition of
priestly leadership and religious devotion that
became a basic part of later Middle American
civilizations
8. THE WORLD OF THE MAYAS
Between 300AD-900AD Mayan city-states
flourished from the Yucatan in southern Mexico
through much of Central America
Mayans used a unique method of farming in the
tropical environment---they cleared land the dense
rain forests and then built raised fields that caught
and held rainwater
They also built channels to drain excess water
This complex system produced enough maize
(native corn) and other crops to support rapidly
growing cities
13. TEMPLES AND PALACES
Towering pyramid temples dominated the largest
Mayan city of Tikal, located in present-day
Guatemala
Priests climbed steep temple stairs to perform
sacrifices while the people watched from the plazas
below
The Mayan pyramids remained the tallest
structures in the world until 1903 when the Flatiron
Building skyscraper was built in New York City
16. TEMPLES AND PALACES
Tikal also boasted large palaces and huge stone
pillars covered with carvings
The carvings recorded event in Mayan history
Much of the wealth of Tikal and other Mayan cities
came from trade
Goods traded included: honey, cocoa, cotton cloth,
and feathers
24. SOCIAL CLASSES
Each Mayan city has its own ruling chief
Nobles served as military leaders and officials who
managed public works, collected taxes, and
enforced laws
Rulers were usually men, however, Mayan records
and carvings show that women occasionally
governed on their own or in the name of young
sons
Priests held great power because only they could
conduct the elaborate ceremonies needed to
ensure good harvests and success in war
25. SOCIAL CLASSES
Most Mayans were farmers
They grew corn, beans, squash---the basic food
crops of Middle America---as well as fruit
trees, cotton, and brilliant tropical flowers
Men grew the crops while women turned them into
food
To support the cities, farmers paid taxes in food and
helped build the temples
26. ADVANCES IN LEARNING
The Mayans developed a hieroglyphic writing
system, which has only recently been deciphered
Mayan scribes kept their sacred knowledge in
books made of bark (Spanish conquistadors later
burned most of these books but a handful were
taken to Europe and are in museums)
Many priests were expert mathematicians and
astronomers and developed an accurate 365-day
solar calendar
Mayan priests invented a numbering system and
understood the concept of zero
27. DECLINE
About 900AD, the Mayans abandoned their cities,
leaving their great stone palaces and temples to be
swallowed up by the jungle (some of these were not
“rediscovered” till modern times)
No one knows for sure why the Mayan civilization
declined
Some causes may have been---frequent warfare,
overpopulation and overfarming, and heavy taxes
Some remnants of the civilization survive today:
millions of people in Guatemala and southern
Mexico speak Mayan languages and are
descendents from the original Mayans
