Overview
This lecture explains the major civilizations and Native American cultures of the Americas before the arrival of the Spanish, highlighting their achievements, societal structures, and differences in lifestyle and belief.
Early Migration and Settlements
- Early Americans crossed a land bridge (Beringia) from Asia between 13,000 and 7,000 BCE.
- Human migration spread throughout North and South America, forming diverse societies.
- Agriculture began about 10,000 years ago, leading to permanent settlements.
Major Mesoamerican Civilizations
- The Olmec (1200–400 BCE) were the first major Mesoamerican civilization, developing writing, a calendar, and large stone head sculptures.
- The Maya (2000 BCE–900 CE) perfected the calendar, written language, and built city-states, temples, and observatories.
- The Aztec (1325–1521 CE) built Tenochtitlán, a large, organized city with markets, aqueducts, and floating gardens; Aztecs practiced ritual human sacrifice.
The Inca Empire
- The Inca (1400–1532 CE) built an extensive empire in the Andes with advanced road systems and terraced farming.
- The Inca had no written language, but used a system called quipu (knotted strings) for communication and record keeping.
- Their society was hierarchical, with peasants supporting the elite and a welfare system in place.
North American Native Cultures
- North American Native cultures were mostly smaller, widely dispersed, and less centralized than Mesoamerican and Andean societies.
- Pueblo cultures (Mogollon, Hohokam, Anasazi) built multi-story dwellings, developed art, and constructed irrigation systems.
- The Hopewell and Mississippian cultures built large mounds and engaged in extensive trade networks.
- Cahokia, near present-day St. Louis, was a major population center with over 10,000 residents.
Eastern Woodland Peoples
- Eastern tribes lived in small clans, adapting to specific environments, and had frequent inter-tribal warfare.
- Societies were often matriarchal, with women holding significant influence and responsibility over agriculture and leadership selection.
- Native views of land did not include private ownership, in contrast to European beliefs.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Mesoamerica — Region from Panama to central Mexico known for advanced pre-Columbian civilizations.
- Olmec — The "mother" culture of Mesoamerica, noted for giant head sculptures and early writing.
- Maya — Civilization famed for its calendar, writing, and astronomy.
- Aztec — Empire in central Mexico with a capital at Tenochtitlán; known for human sacrifice.
- Inca — South American empire with a vast road network and quipu record-keeping.
- Pueblo — Native peoples of the U.S. Southwest living in permanent, multi-room dwellings.
- Quipu — System of knotted strings used by the Inca for communication and record keeping.
- Chinampas — Aztec floating gardens used for agriculture.
- Codex — Folding book of glyphs used by the Maya to record history.
- Mita — Inca public labor system.
- Hopewell — Early North American culture known for burial mounds.
- Cahokia — Major Mississippian urban center near St. Louis.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review maps of Mesoamerican and Andean civilizations.
- Explore Mayan codices, Aztec creation stories, and Incan artifacts via linked online resources.
- Prepare for discussion on differences in land use and social structures between Native and European societies.