The document describes several advanced pre-Columbian civilizations in Latin America including the Maya, Inca, and Aztec empires. These civilizations had complex social hierarchies, religious and governmental institutions, agricultural practices including terraced farming, and calendrical and mathematical systems. They built monumental architecture and engineering works without the use of wheels. The Spanish conquest introduced new technologies, animals, crops, diseases, and led to a mixing of indigenous and European heritages in Latin America.

1. Primitive
Civilized

2. Latin American Civilizations

3. Characteristics of Advanced Civilizations
• High populations within societies
• Advanced food storage and domestication of a variety of food
• Complex institutions, such as organized religion and
government
• Written language
• Specialization of jobs

4. Mayan Empire

5. Characteristics of the Mayan Empire
• Highly organized religious and government systems
• Religious rituals demanded involvement by all social classes
• Mayan society was divided by class and status, living in kin-based groups with a
hereditary chief
• Rulers were recognized as god-kings

6. • Hieroglyphs were their form of
writing
• Mayans used two calendars, one
was based on a 365-day year; the
other was used for religious
purposes
• Applied complex mathematical
systems including the concept of
zero
• Highly developed astronomical
concepts

7. Architecture completed without the use of wheel technology

8. Incan Empire

9. Characteristics of the Incan Empire
• “the land of four quarters”
• No written language, but
pictographs, and quipus
• Engineering
accomplishments included
suspension bridges and
roads that connected the
empire.
• All property belonged to
the state. Central planning
organized peasants into
work crews.

12. • Trade included textiles, gold,
silver and bronze, Peruvian
livestock and agriculture; used
coin money
• Terraced farms dotted the
mountainous landscape and
corn was grown at altitudes
over 13,000 ft.; steps provided
access to farms; guano used as
fertilizer
• Macchu Picchu

13. • Religious ceremonies were highly complex
and included human and animal sacrifices
• The supreme god of the Incas was the
creator god, Viracocha
• The royal family was believed to be
descended from the sun god, Inti
• Incas also practiced ancestry-worship and
mummification

15. The Aztec

19. Characteristics of the Aztec Empire
• The Triple Alliance (Mexica,
Texcoco and Tlacopan)
ruled from about 1428 until
1521 CE
• Tenochtitlán
• Chinampas
• City-states helped support
large populations, which
were highly organized

22. • Writing included pictographs but was
not as developed as the Mayan
• Mathematical concepts included a
counting system based on 20
• Accurate calendar
• Had the wheel, but only used for
children’s toys.
• Herbal remedies for specific ailments
• Tradition of poetry, music, and
drama.

23. • Belief systems supported
necessary human sacrifices to
appease the gods; these also
included child-sacrifices

26. • Class system was highly stratified; rulers were considered semi-divine
• Highly advanced trade system, extending into Guatemala, included lake salt, cacao
and textiles (no coin money)
• Today, 30% indigenous people in Mexico claim ancestry to the Aztec, 9% are purely
Spanish, 60% are mixed.

27. Aztec
• Corn
• Chocolate
• Vanilla
• Rubber
• Tomatoes
• Suspension Bridges
• Pyramids
• Sewage System
Spanish
• Horses, Cattle, Pigs, Chickens
• Wheeled Vehicles
• Cannons
• Steel Swords
• Attack Dogs
• Body Armor
• Infectious Diseases
• Immunity to Infectious
Diseases

29. The Columbian Exchange