Ancient civilizations

A Look at the

Mississippian, Maya,

Aztec and Incan

Civilizations

Ancient Civilizations
of the WBy: estern
HemBisyp:here

Claire Walden

Learning About Time

Watch the “Commonly Asked Questions about Dates” video on
Schoology to learn about the abbreviations/key words listed
below. As you watch, pause the video and write in your own
words what each of these means.

What does B.C. stand Before christ
for when looking at Anno domini

dates?

What does A.D. stand
for when looking at

dates?

What does B.C.E. stand Before common era
for when looking at Common era
dates?

What does C.E. stand
for when looking at

dates?

What do c. and ca. Circa (laten for around or about).
stand for when looking

at dates?

Multiple-tier
Timelines

The
Mispostitsersy ippMiaounnsds

Crops

Where in the World…
Were the Mississippian Located?

Directions: Use the shape tool to add color to the areas
where the Mississippian people lived. Use the text box
tool and arrow tool to create labels that point to the area.

What is the approximate latitude
and longitude of the location you
colored?

What might the weather be like in
this location based on the latitude
and longitude?

● Warm because it is closer to
the equator

MGisesoisrgsiiappian

What’s This?

Study this picture and then answer the questions
on the next page.

What’s This?

Use the picture on the previous page to answer the following
questions.

Serpent mound What is
this?

Egg What is the
circle on the
They buried people left side of the
and a temple
drawing?
To show they were
fierce Why do you
think it was
Religion made? What was
it used for?

Why do you
think they
chose this

shape?

How do you
think they
made this?

The Mounds

Read the Khan Academy article posted in your
Schoology course: Fort Ancient Culture: Great
Serpent Mound. After you read, complete the
page below with your team.

Describe the physical attributes What do archeologists believe
of the Serpent Mound in your might be the reason the mounds

own words: are shaped like a serpent?

The great serpent The head faces the
mound is 1-3 feet tall east acting as a
and is over 1300 feet campus.

tall.

The fort ancient The people who Danielle Knight GO Interactive, 2015
culture. built them were
creative and were
great architects.

Who is believed to have created What relationship generalization
it? can you make between the
mounds and the people who
built them?

Research the Relationships

Explore the Mississippian links in the Symbaloo posted in your Schoology
course as well as in the books and other resources available in class to
complete this organizer.

What was the government like? Led by chefs called suns
Did powerful relationships exist 4 classes suns,nobbles,honored

between the people and their men/women,lower class.
leaders?

How was their society set up?
What were the types of jobs
people had? Were the jobs people
did purposeful for the civilization?

Describe their religion. Did the They worship they sun and there temple is
relationship the people had with around a temple served by priest with shaved
their gods and religious leaders heads.

follow rules?

What did the people invent, create, Pottery ,effigy heads, traded stone.
or trade that allowed them to
exchange ideas or values with
others they had relationships
with?

What was the agriculture like? corn (Zea mays), squash(Cucurbita), and
What food did they eat? How beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris)is the Mississippian
diet. Pottery containers were used for storing,
did they grow it? What
relationships did the people preparing, serving, and eating food.
have with their environment?

pfaaicnteesMdatyhaenirsThe MayaThtehemreayoawnns chaaledndar.

Earrings Step pyramids

The Mayans ate squash, corn, beans

Where in the World…
Were the Maya Located?

Directions: Use the shape tool to add color to the areas
where the Mayan people lived. Use the text box tool and
arrow tool to create labels that point to the area.

Yucatan maya

Lowland maya What is the approximate latitude
Highland maya and longitude of the location you
colored?

What might the weather be like in
this location based on the latitude
and longitude?

Ancient Maya
Concept Map

Replace this example with your own concept map!

The Mayan Government/
Social Structure

Priests

Were like gods and
they looked down on

their nation.

Nobles

Did not have to pay taxes
then they chose if they want

to work

Merchants and Craftsmen

The Maya didn't have a middle class,
merchants and craftsmen were either nobles

or peasants creating art or running a
business.

Peasants

Farmers, paying rent, tax, fees or services to a
landlord.

Slaves

Slaves were the lowest class in Mayan society. They were usually orphans,
war prisoners, criminals, or the children of slaves. Although they weren't
necessarily mistreated by their owners, slaves still had no rights or
privileges in society.

Mayan Religion Mural

This relates to the mayan religion
because there are sacrifices,
temples, good gods and bad
gods. There are lots of trees and
bushes.

Mayan Language and
Number Systems

Determine the Relationships

Explore the Mayan links in the Symbaloo posted in your Schoology course as
well as in the books and other resources available in class to complete this
organizer.

What was the government like? The mayan government was ruled by
Did powerful relationships exist the kings and priests. Peasants and
slaves were sacrificed to gods and
between the people and their
leaders? leaders.

How was their society set up? There were 4 groups:priests, nobles,
What were the types of jobs peasants, slaves.
people had? Were the jobs people
did purposeful for the civilization?

Describe their religion. Did the The mayas were very religious some
relationship the people had with people even got sacrificed for their
their gods and religious leaders
gods;sun, maize, etc gods.
follow rules?

What did the people invent, create, Mayans traded:salt, slaves, flint,
or trade that allowed them to obsidian, cacao, and shells. They
exchange ideas or values with
others they had relationships created a solar calendar.
with?

What was the agriculture like? Mayans ate: corn, beans, squash,
What food did they eat? How potato,and tomato. To farm the
used: hoes, chisels, plumb-bob, and
did they grow it? What
relationships did the people grinding tools
have with their environment?

The Aztec

Where in the World…
Were the Aztec Located?

Directions: Use the shape tool to add color to the areas
where the Aztec people lived. Use the text box tool and
arrow tool to create labels that point to the area.

What is the approximate latitude
and longitude of the location you
colored?

What might the weather be like in
this location based on the latitude
and longitude?

Ancient Aztec
Concept Map

The Aztec Government/
Social Structure

Government: King/ emperor/ Laws:
Huey Tlatoani ● Stealing
● Murder
The leaders and ● Being drunk
overlookers. ● Destroying

Ultimate leaders property
power over the

land

Pipiltin

Only the noble class could wear
certain types of clothes and

jewelry. The pipiltin held the high
ranking positions in the

priesthood, the army, and the
government. The king was

always chosen from the pipiltin.

Macehualtin

This included the farmers, warriors,
and craftsmen. Craftsmen and
warriors began to have a higher

position in society than the farmers.

Slaves

At the bottom of Aztec society were the slaves. In Aztec
society, the children of slaves were not slaves. Aztec people
became slaves by selling themselves into slavery to pay for

debts or as punishment for crimes.

Religion and Calendar

1. The Aztecs sacrificed prisoners of war and you
could do self sacrifice.

2. The aztecs call themselves “ the people of the sun”.
3. It somehow got lost for 300 years and was found

in 1790, buried under the zocalo, or central square
of Mexico City.

Determine the Relationships

Explore the Aztec links in the Symbaloo posted in your Schoology course as
well as in the books and other resources available in class to complete this
organizer.

What was the government like? ● Government made conquered cities pay tax
Did powerful relationships exist ● Kings had lots of workers to keep the

between the people and their government running smoothly.
leaders?
● Based off of huey tlatoani and how he
How was their society set up? commanded
What were the types of jobs
people had? Were the jobs people ● The society was King/ emperor/ Huey
did purposeful for the civilization? Tlatoani, Pipiltin, Macehualtin, Slaves

Describe their religion. Did the ● They barded almost everything for services.
relationship the people had with
their gods and religious leaders ● They sacrificed to make their gods happy
● The Aztecs called themselves the "People
follow rules?
of the Sun".
What did the people invent, create, ● The Aztecs believed that the sun needed
or trade that allowed them to
exchange ideas or values with the blood of human sacrifice in order to
others they had relationships rise each day.
with?
● Glyphs
What was the agriculture like? ● Calendar
What food did they eat? How ● Pottery/traded
● Jewelry/traded
did they grow it? What ● Feather work/traded
relationships did the people
have with their environment? ● People believed that the gods have control
over the environment

● They ate meat, beans, avocados, squash, and
tomato

The Inca

Where in the World…
Were the Inca Located?

Directions: Use the shape tool to add color to the areas where the

Incan people lived. Use the text box tool and arrow tool to create
labels that point to the area. Complete the questions in the box.
Delete this text box when you are finished.

What is the approximate latitude
and longitude of the location you
colored?
What might the weather be like in
this location based on the latitude
and longitude?

Ancient Inca
Concept Map

The Inca Government/
Social Structure

LAWS Sapa Inca Gods
He was at the top
● Laziness of the Inca social ● Inta (most important)
● Murder ● Mama quilla (moon god)
● Stealing class and was
● Cheating on taxes considered a god, ● Pachamama (mother
● Cursing god's (worse nature)

do not do) ● Viracocha (god of
humans

Villac Umu

The high priest was just

behind the Sapa Inca in

social status.

Royal Family
They received high positions in

the government.

Inc

The noble class, or Inca class, was
made up of the people directly

descended from the people who first
established the city of Cuzco

Inca Religion, Science,
Roads, Language

Roads and Bridges Writing and Math

Roads were called royal They used bundles of cord
highway.The roads covered called quipus to keep their
400,000 Km.Used numerical records. The quipu
wooden,stone and bronze was made up of a horizontal
tools.These were paved with cord with a series of strings
stone.Moved goods and suspended from it.
people from city to city

ÎNCĂ

They sacrificed their lives for the invented a flute, a drum, the
gods. They sacrificed children, famous Inca panpipe (a
women, and animals. They
collection of hollow tubes of
believed in afterlife and mummified various lengths stuck
their dead. They had an Inti god
that was the god of the sun. The together), terrace farming,
Inca had bishops called Vilcas. The freeze dried foods,
Vilcas would travel around the
Kingdom to supervise the temples aqueducts, strange and
and religion practice. The Inca’s scary art, a central
would hold festivals every month
for worship purposes. government, a unified
language, woven colorful

textiles, gold and silver
jewelry and statues

Determine the Relationships

Explore the Inca links in the Symbaloo posted in your Schoology course as
well as in the books and other resources available in class to complete this
organizer.

What was the government like? The government is called Tawantinsuyu. The
Did powerful relationships exist emperor or king of the Inca Empire was called the
Sapa Inca. It was a monarchy ruled by a single
between the people and their leader called the Sapa Inca.
leaders?

How was their society set up? Craftspeople were paid by the government with
What were the types of jobs food that the government received from the tax on
people had? Were the jobs people farmers. Craftspeople also did not have to pay the
did purposeful for the civilization? labor tax called the mit'a. Women and men had
paralleled roles, but were separate in Inca society.

Describe their religion. Did the The Incas had an large amount of deities or gods. They lived
relationship the people had with in heaven and on earth and each of them had a purpose
their gods and religious leaders
which determined its hierarchy. Some of the gods names are
follow rules? of the gods names were Hanan Pacha which was the god of
the sky, Inti was the god of thesun, and Mama Quilla was the

god of the moon.

What did the people invent, create, Because they counted everything a conquered tribe
or trade that allowed them to owned, they needed a way to remember everything
exchange ideas or values with
others they had relationships they had counted. They invented the quipus. The
with? quipus had colored strings tied to a main string. ...

The Inca invented a calendar they called time
makers or time watchers.

What was the agriculture like? They grew potatoes and peanuts, tomatoes and
What food did they eat? How avocados and peppers, cotton for clothing, and coca
leaves for medicine. Many other people spent their
did they grow it? What time fishing from boats. Some people made pottery,
relationships did the people built big stone palaces and temples, collected taxes,
have with their environment?
and built roads paved with stone.