This document provides an overview of early societies in Mesoamerica, South America, and Oceania between 1200 BCE and 700 CE. It describes the origins and cultures of the Olmec, Maya, and Mochica civilizations, including their agricultural practices, religious traditions involving human sacrifice, and complex calendars. It also discusses early hunter-gatherer societies in Australia and the Lapita peoples who migrated through the Pacific Islands, establishing chiefdoms and participating in open-ocean trade.

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Chapter 6
Early Societies in the Americas and Oceania

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Early Mesoamerican societies, 1200
B.C.E.-1100 C.E.

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Origins of Mesoamerican Societies
 Migration across Bering land bridge?
 Probably 13,000 BCE, perhaps earlier
 By sea from Asia?
 By 9500 BCE reached southernmost part of South
America
 Hunter/Gatherer societies
 evolve into agricultural societies

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Olmecs
 1200-100 BCE
 The “Rubber People”
 Ceremonial Centers
 San Lorenzo, La Venta, Tres Zapotes
 Olmec Heads
 Up to 10 ft tall, 20 tons
 Transported by dragging, rolling on logs
 1000/workers per head

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Agriculture and Herding
 Staple: maize
 Herding: turkeys, barkless dogs
 Both food
 No draft animals
 No development of wheeled vehicles

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Olmec Society
 Probably authoritarian in nature
 Large class of conscripted laborers to construct
ceremonial sites
 Also tombs for rulers, temples, pyramids, drainage
systems

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Mysterious Decline of Olmecs
 Ceremonial centers destroyed
 No evidence of warfare
 Revolution?
 Civil war?

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Maya
 huge cities discovered in 19th c.
 300 BCE-900 CE
 Terrace Farming
 Cacao beans
 hot chocolate
 Currency
 Major ceremonial center at Tikal

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Maya Warfare
 Warfare for purposes of capturing enemy soldiers
 Ritual sacrifice of enemies
 Enslavement
 Small kingdoms engage in constant conflict until
Chichén Itzá begins to absorb captives
 Some nevertheless choose death
 Center of empire develops

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Mayan Ritual Calendar
 Complex math
 Invention of “Zero”
 Calendar of 365.242 days (17 seconds off)
 Solar calendar of 365 days
 Ritual calendar of 260 days
 Management of calendar lends authority to
priesthood
 Timing of auspicious moments for agriculture

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Mayan Language and Religion
 Ideographs and a syllable-alphabet
 Most writings destroyed by Spanish conquerors
 Deciphering work begins in 1960s
 Popol Vuh: Mayan creation myth
 Importance of bloodletting rituals
 Human sacrifices follow after removal of fingers,
piercing to allow blood flow
 Self-mutilation of penises, earlobes

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The Maya Ball Game
 Ritual form of ball game
 High-ranking captives, prisoners of war
contestants
 Execution of losers immediately follows the
match
 Bloodletting ritual for the gods

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City of Teotihuacan
 Highlands of Mexico
 Lakes in area of high elevation
 Village of Teotihuacan, 500 BCE, expands to
become massive city
 Important ceremonial center
 Extensive trade network, influenced surrounding
areas
 Begins to decline c. 650 CE, sacked in middle of
8th
century, massive library destroyed

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Andean Societies
 Migration into South
America c. 12000 BCE
 Climate improves c. 8000
BCE
 Largely independent from
Mesoamerica
 Highly individualized due
to geography

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Chavin Cult
 New religion in central Andes, 900-300 BCE
 South America, contemporary Peru
 Little known about particulars of religion
 Intricate stone carvings

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The Mochica State
 Valley of the Moche River
 Dominated northern Peru, 300-700 CE
 Painting survies
 One of many states in region, none able to
consolidate into empire

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Early societies of Oceania, 1500
B.C.E.-700 C.E.

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Oceania
 Prehistoric land bridges, lower seas permit
migration
 Outrigger canoes for open-sea travel
 Early hunter-gatherer societies in Australia
 Early agriculture in New Guinea

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Aborigine of the Naomi Tribe

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Lapita Peoples
 Found throughout Pacific Islands
 Agriculture, animal herding
 Political organization based on chiefdoms
 Trade over open ocean declines 500 BCE
 Greater independence of settlements