America: The Post-Classical Era

1000-1500 B.C. collapse of Teotihuacan collapse of classical Mayan civilization

New Cultures

appearance of new peoples in central America

Toltecs Aztecs

The Toltecs

adopted sedentary agricultural practices added a strong military and imperial

culture– conquest of neighboring peoples

ritual wars– war....capture...sacrifice

“givers of civilization”

Toltec empire

central Mexico expansion into former Mayan territories northern Mexico

– trade with the American Southwest– Chaco Canyon ???

Contacts with North America

Hopewell culture ?? Mississippi culture maize, beans, squash ritual sacrifices and executions??? Cahokia

Quetzalcoatl

The Feathered Serpent Topiltzin: a priest

– religious reformer– opposed to human and animal sacrifice

exiled to the east, with a promise to return on a specific date

same year as Cortez and the Conquistadors

The Aztecs

collapse of the Toltecs: 1150 A.D. influx of nomadic invaders form the

north shift of power to central Mexico

– large lakes– fertile agricultural areas

contests for control

The Aztecs: Origins

obscure background claimed to have live in the area

originally exiled to the north to Aztlan actually, nomads from the North took advantage of the Toltec collapse wrote history to suit their purposes

Origins

group who settled near Lake Texcoco 1325 A.D. competed with other Chichimec

immigrants small states

– claiming connections to the Toltecs– speaking Nahuatl

Lake Texcoco

several tribes small city-state Azcapotzalco, Culhuacan Culhuacan: control by diplomatic

marriage complex alliances, constantly shifting

Aztecs

new group used as mercenaries and occasional

allies constant movement around the lake

shore– driven by stronger powers

reputation: good warriors and religious fanatics

Aztec Settlement

the legend: an eagle on a cactus, holding a rattlesnake

an island in Lake Texcoco Tenochtitlan

– 1325 A.D.– Tlateloco: a second settlement

Aztec expansion

more active role in regional politics rebelled against Azcapotzalco emerged as an independent power political merge: 1434

– Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, Tlacopan – Aztecs dominated the alliance

Social and Political Change

imperial expansion subject peoples paid tribute, surrender land, and

do military service stratified society

– under the authority of a supreme ruler– Tlacaelel: advised rulers and rewrote histories– the Aztecs had been chosen to serve the gods

human sacrifice greatly expanded

Human sacrifice

role of the military role of expansion flower wars means of political terrorism cult of sacrifice united with the political

state

Religion and Conquest

little distinction between the natural and supernatural

traditional gods and goddesses 128 major deities

Gods

male/female dualism different manifestations five aspects

– four directions – the center

gods as patrons complex ceremonial year

Gods, con’t

gods of fertility and agriculture gods of creation

– cosmology and philosophical thought gods of warfare Huitzilopochtli: their tribal deity

– identified with the Sun God

The Sun God and Sacrifice

a warrior in the daytime sky fighting to give life to the world enemy of the forces of night the sun needs strength 52 year cycle of the world

– required blood to avert destruction

The Sun God, con’t

sacrifice for sacrifice the gods need nourishment

– human blood and hearts adoption of longstanding human

sacrifice expansion to “industrial” proportions

– 10,000 people on one occasion

The Empire: the Economy

high population density combination of tradition and innovation

– chinampas– 20,000 acres– four crops a year

food as tribute

The Fall

20 million people large cities appearance of the Spanish disease and European military

technology

South America: the Incas

Cuzco: original home– 1350 A.D.

expansion by 1438 Incan empire

– ruled 10-13 million people

Religion and expansion

cult of ancestors “split inheritance”

– position to successor– land and wealth to descendants to care for

the dead new land necessary for each ruler

Religion

animism sun worship

The Empire

four provinces decimal organizations Ouechua: the official language colonists

The Empire con’t

infrastructure: roads and bridges communications by runners

– 10,000 purpose: land and labor little actual tribute

Inca “socialism”

empire claimed all resources redistributed them evenly to all peoples local independence access to new goods and services

Weakness

top-heavy with royal and noble families low level of technology easy prey for the Spanish