Siberia to Alaska, 20,000 BCE?
*Monte Verde, Chile, 12,600 BCE
Travel by boat?
Alaska burial, 11,500 BCE
Ancient Beringians
Clovis complex of N. America, 11,000 BCE
Land route?
Paleolithic hunters and gatherers
Maize, beans, squash, chili peppers
Turkey, 400-500 CE
Wild teosinte developed into domesticated maize, 7000 BCE
Why would human harvesting and planting of teosinte have encouraged fuller heads of maize to evolve?
Potatoes, quinoa, beans, squash, chili peppers, llama
Periodic collapses
Spanish conquests, 16th c.
Limited written sources
Religious and administrative buildings
Large plazas and pyramids
Houses and workshops and
Stone tools vs. bronze in Afro-Eurasia
Writing
Mathematics
Zero, 350 CE
Calendrical systems
Solar (365.242 days)
Ritual (260 days)
Cycles
52 years
5,125-year "Long Count"
Polytheism
Lizard House
Lady Rainbow
Xibalba Underworld
Sacred kingship
Bloodletting
Human sacrifice
Ritual ball game
1. What is the archaeological evidence for human migrations from Siberia to North and South America? Why is it difficult to know exactly when and how humans migrated?
2. How did the transition from gathering and hunting to Neolithic agriculture occur in Mesoamerica? Why would human harvesting and planting of teosinte have encouraged fuller heads of maize to evolve?
3. What were the characteristics of Mesoamerican complex society?
4. How was Mesoamerican agriculture and complex society similar and different in comparison to Mesopotamia, Egypt and China?
1. How did the development of agriculture and the building of early cities in Mesoamerica differ from that in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China?
2. Why do the authors of the textbook consider the Olmec to be a complex society?
3. What have archaeological excavations revealed about the layout and social organization of Teotihuacan and Mayan city-states? Critical thinking: What elements of complex society must be present to allow these city states to be built and continue to function?
4. What topics do the surviving Mayan writings describe? How much can we learn about Mayan government, society and religion based on these writings?
1. . What new historical information did the excavation of the frieze and inscription at Holmul reveal about the relationship between Mayan city-states?
2. How does the new evidence contribute to changing ideas about the Mayan history and political organization in the sixth century?