#8 - Mesoamerica

What is there to be said about Mesoamericans?

by Sam Green

1. How does the speaker define the area that is "Mesoamerica"?

2. How did the topography of Mesoamerica impact civilizations?

3. What goods were produced in the highlands and lowlands?

4. Why was is so difficult to move goods in Mesoamerica?

5. What accomplishments can we credit the Olmecs with?

6. Describe the Olmec calendar system.

7. What was the purpose of Olmec pyramids?

8. How were Mayan pyramids different than Olmec pyramids?

9. Why was Mayan history "lost" at the time of contact?

10. How does she say that the Aztecs were different than other Mesoamericans?

11. What was the purpose of the tribute systems of the Aztecs?

12. Describe the Aztec creation myth.  

13. How was sacrifice of women different than men?

1. It's Mexico and Central America.

2. Different altitudes throughout could support only certain resources. Therefore, you had to live where you could produce the product you wanted to produce.

3. The highlands were about obsidian production, while the lowlands were known for their seashells and bird feathers.

4. Rivers were unable to be navigated, animals were not domesticated, and the roads were few.

5. They are famous for their freaky, giant megalithic heads, the centers of worship, pyramids, ball courts, pyramids, and calendars.

6. There were two calendars: solar (365 days) and lunar (260 days). Every 52 years, the two would begin on the same day.

7. The pyramids were places of worship.

8. Mayan pyramids were steeper and more narrow.

9. By the time the Spanish arrived, the Mayans had vacated their homes. Because of this, the Spanish were not able to translate many of the histories recorded on the sides of Mayan architecture.

10. The Aztecs were expansionists led by one ruler, unlike everyone else. On top of that, they took human sacrifice to the next level.

11. The tribute system was one way the Aztecs kept themselves fed.

12. The world was created and destroyed four times before the Aztecs came into existence. For it to begin again, one of their gods had to sacrifice him/her/itself. One god was asked to be the hero, but he was a chicken and backed out. A lesser god decided to play hero and sacrificed him/her/itself, but when that happened, the original god, not to be shown up, sacrificed him/her/itself as well. When everyone noticed that the moon and sun were not moving around the Earth yet, it was discovered that the un-sacrificed gods had to begin sacrificing themselves as well, which they did.

13. While men were taken to the tops of pyramids and had their hearts cut out, women just danced at the bottom of pyramids until it was time for them to be beheaded.