Reed's Notebook

A Look at the

Mississippian, Maya,

Aztec and Inca

Civilizations

Ancient Civilizations
of the WBy: estern
HemBisyp:here

Reed Wilson

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. cyrca
stand for when looking

at dates?

Multiple-tier Timelines

Multiple-tier timelines use two or more rows of events.
While each row represents a different subject, the time
period is the same.

Multiple-tier timelines can be used to help us look at
cause and effect relationships or patterns and themes
among events in a specific period of time.

We will be using a multi-tier timeline to show the rise
and fall of four early civilizations in the Americas: The
Mississippian, Inca, Maya, and Aztec and look for
RELATIONSHIPS between the dates.

The
Mississippians



Where in the World…
Were the Mississippian Located?

What is the approximate latitude and longitude of the location you colored?
Latitude is 35 and longitude is 85 it would be in about Atlanta, Georgia and
south of Michigan
What might the climate be like in this location based on the latitude and
longitude?
It would be warmer because it is close to the equator
How would this affect the way people live in this area?This area is going to b
good because of the warmth and but they won’t have much clean water

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. *Note these answers are all based on your
observations at this point!

The skinny line is a What is
snake and the circle is this?

an egg

The circle is an egg What is the
Tribal Meeting circle on the
left side of the

drawing?

Why do you
think it was
made? What was
it used for?

It was some kind of Why do you
religious symbol think they
chose this
Piling dirt and letting
grass go over it. 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?

It looks like a long skinny One thing they believe it
snake trying to eat an was used as a compass
egg with a dot in the or as a clock to tell the
middle. time

The Fort Ancient culture The great Serpent Mound Danielle Knight GO Interactive, 2015
or the Mississippians is must have been an
believed to have important piece of history
created. just like the Mississippian
Culture

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? They had priest rulers in their
Did powerful relationships exist government and there was a lot of

between the people and their alliances between villages.
leaders?

How was their society set up? One job someone had was to work at
What were the types of jobs a trading outpost and some of them
people had? Were the jobs people
did purposeful for the civilization? were horticulturalists.
Horticulturalists planted vegetables.
Describe their religion. Did the There society was set up to live off of
relationship the people had with
their gods and religious leaders planting and growing things.

follow rules? In the Mississippian culture they had
deites in a world above and in a
What did the people invent, create,
or trade that allowed them to beneath world with sacred gifts. Also
exchange ideas or values with Earth Mothers carried dead souls to
others they had relationships
with? the above world and the great
Serpent was the protector of the
What was the agriculture like?
What food did they eat? How Mother.

did they grow it? What They made a lot of different pottery
relationships did the people like heads they made sculptures of
have with their environment?
their people and iconography.

They ate a lot of vegetables they
could grow easily. They also eat the
animals that they hunted.



The Maya

The mayan people was a successful farming
and inventing things. Some examples of what
they were farming were the three sisters ( corn,
squash, and beans ). They also grew black
beans, red beans, and pumpkins. Besides they
farming the mayans were also great inventors.
They were such great inventors they made a
calendar, a number system and even elastic.

Out of all the questions I can answer I will
answer is how did the Mayan’s beliefs influence
their actions. One way the beliefs influence the
actions is by to keep the gods happy they
would have sacrifices and festivals for the
gods. They also made sculptures as a replica of
the gods. Overall the Mayan people were a very
successful society and were really in to
religion.

Where in the World…
Were the Maya Located?

Map from ducksters.com What is the approximate latitude and
longitude of the center of the Maya
Empire?
10 latitude north and 90 liongitude
west.

What might the climate be like in this
location based on the latitude and
longitude?
It would be hot and humid because it
was closer to the equator

How would this affect the way people
live in this area?

They might hae a drought causing
them to have problems farming and
finding clean water might also be a
struggle

The Mayan Government/
Social Structure

Each city state was ruled by a
king or k’ul ahou the gods
picked them and they could be
judges or advisors and batabs

Priests spoke with the gods they told

the future and chose who to sacrifice

Nobles were judges too had
slaves to do their work did not
have to pay taxes chose job

The merchants made things so they could have a
better life than the peasants and slaves

Peasants and slaves one of the lowest ranks
they worked a lot and had to pay taxes and were most
often sacrificed

Overview of Mayan government: Is unfair and it is

Mayan Religion Mural

Replace this mural picture with your own

There are a lot of gods that are like other gods
from different cultures like the same types and
meanings for the names. They were powerful and
would do bad things to the mayans when they got
mad at them.

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 kings would rule over the
Did powerful relationships exist city-states and whatever he said
would happen. Kings were also
between the people and their priests and they would perform
leaders?
rituals for the people.
How was their society set up?
What were the types of jobs There were
people had? Were the jobs people city-states that acted as a country.
did purposeful for the civilization? The jobs were priests, merchants,
crafters and peasants. Yes because
Describe their religion. Did the without the peasants nobody would
relationship the people had with do any work.
their gods and religious leaders
The mayans had gods and the priests
follow rules? could speak to the gods. They also
had sacrifices for the gods. They
What did the people invent, create, thought that the gods controled
or trade that allowed them to everything and could make things
exchange ideas or values with bad really fast.
others they had relationships
with? They made chocolate drinks, a clock,
a number system, rubber, and pain
What was the agriculture like?
What food did they eat? How medication

did they grow it? What They grew pumpkins, cucumbers
relationships did the people watermelons and many more using
have with their environment?
stone and flint tools to help with

Ancient Maya
Concept Map

The Aztec

At the end of this unit,
you will insert at least
three images on this page
that you feel represent
the Aztec people. Delete
this text box when this is
complete.

At the end of this unit, you will write a
well-developed paragraph in this space explaining
what you learned about the Aztec people. You
might want to include who the Aztec people were,
what they valued, how their society was set up, the
relationship generalizations you uncovered while
learning about the people, etc. *Note: Your pictures
on page 4 should relate to this paragraph!

Where in the World…
Were the Aztec Located?

Map from ducksters.com What is the approximate latitude and
longitude of the center of the Aztec
Empire?

98 degrees west 19 degrees north
North of guatemala. Now would be
southern mexico;.

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

They were in a valley and it was
really cold at winter time and it will
sometimes frost big rainy season

How would this affect the way people
live in this area?

Soil would be bad because of it’s
horrible winter and their clothes will
have to be able to withstand that bad

The Aztec Government/
Social Structure

Emperor was
chosen by gods

to rule with
ultimate power
Cihuacoatl kept government
running daily and had
personal servants

Council of four were powerful generals in the army
and were sometimes next in line for general.

Priests were the one who could talk to the gods and would tell people things
the gods wanted them to do

he Inca Government:

Aztec Sun Stone
Calendar

Replace this sun stone picture with your
own.
It is not actually a calender but it represents the
five consecutive worlds of the sun. It is also
represented rulership and the begining of the
present sun. Last but not least it was once part of
an ancient temple.

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? The Aztecs invented a lot of
Did powerful relationships exist things. The best/most valuable
invention was the sun stone
between the people and their calendar. They also made high
leaders? valued art for their gods. They
based their economy off of their
How was their society set up? agriculture.Corn, beans, and
What were the types of jobs avocados were valued highly.
people had? Were the jobs people
did purposeful for the civilization?

Describe their religion. Did the The aztec people had money to
relationship the people had with trade. Because they did they
their gods and religious leaders became rich and powerful. The
aztecs had to pay the government
follow rules? like taxes. The education was a
big part of the government
What did the people invent, create, because more jobs were open for
or trade that allowed them to this. The government made strict
exchange ideas or values with laws. If they broke the laws they
others they had relationships would get fines or fees.
with?
Ruled by a variety of gods and
What was the agriculture like? they had sacrifices to pay the dept
What food did they eat? How of the gods sacrificing themself to
create the sun and everything on
did they grow it? What
relationships did the people
have with their environment?

Ancient Aztec
Concept Map

Replace this example with your own concept map!



The Inca

At the end of this unit,
you will insert at least
three images on this page
that you feel represent
the Incan people. Delete
this text box when this is
complete.

At the end of this unit, you will write a
well-developed paragraph in this space explaining
what you learned about the Incan people. You
might want to include who the Incan people were,
what they valued, how their society was set up, the
relationship generalizations you uncovered while
learning about the people, etc. *Note: Your pictures
on page 4 should relate to this paragraph!

Where in the World…
Were the Inca Located?

What is the approximate latitude and
longitude of the center of the Inca
Empire?

30 south longitude 75 west latitude
next to argentina

What might the climate be like in this
location based on the latitude and
longitude?
It would be rainy and cooler where
they lived

How would this affect the way people
live in this area?
Crops would need to adapt the cold
weather and thicker clothes for the
cold weather aswell

Map from ducksters.com

The Inca Government/
Social Structure

The Inca Government:

Inca Social Structure

Sapa inca they were the kings
or the main rulers of the land

Public administrator
They were 3 parts of it they are called

the Curacas, tax collectors and the
record keepers

Cometers are farmers. They were also
Artisans are crafters who made pottery and
things with gold and diamonds.
Ayllu a bunch of different families working together like
one big family. Also there was more than one and

everyone in the empire was in one.

Inca Religion,
Science, Roads,

Language

Replace this slide with the
template you chose or created.

Determine the Relationships

Explore the Incan 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? Once a person turned into fifteen, it became obligatory to participate in the Mita. It remain
Did powerful relationships exist mandatory for a person until he became fifty. But Inca government always wisely
calculated the amount of time one could share in Mita.Messages were carried by relay.
between the people and their Groups of messengers lived in houses by main roads. The two messengers would run
leaders? together for a while and the message was passed on from one man to the other. Using this
relay system messages could be sent over long distances very quickly. Inca messengers
could take messages 240 kilometers in one day.The Inca imperial system which controlled
an area almost 3000 miles in extent was a stunning achievement of statecraft, but like all
empires it lasted only as long as it could control its subject populations and its own
mechanisms of government.The tax requirements were high. Women were expected to
weave a certain amount of cloth, while men had to mine or serve in the army. Taxes were
expected to be paid by commoners.

How was their society set up? The Inca society is set up into 4 social classes. At the top is the Sapa Inca.
What were the types of jobs The Sapa Inca was the most powerful person in the whole empire. Next
people had? Were the jobs people comes the public administrators. The Curacas, the Tax keeper, and the
did purposeful for the civilization? Record keepers. They were in charge of keeping the city “under control”, or
to keep things in piece. Next is the commoners. The commoners were split
Describe their religion. Did the into 2 parts, the farmers, and the Artisans. The farmers were the most
relationship the people had with important part of the empire providing food for the whole empire. The
their gods and religious leaders Artisans are architects and really good craftsman that made pottery and
gold jewelry. Next comes the Allyu. The Allyu is a family, made up of
follow rules? different families working together like a family. Almost everyone was in an
Allyu.

The incas had a lot of deities or gods. They lived in heaven ad
on earth and each of them. Had a carse which determined it

hierarchy. The Inca population believed that some gods
specially the gods in nature or human form gods had human
behavior phases the gods felt hatred, love, compassion or any

other human feeling.

What did the people invent, create, The incas made a flute, drum, and a panpipe. They also
or trade that allowed them to made roads they tried to make automobiles. They
exchange ideas or values with invented freeze dried foods, aduquets, and strong scary
others they had relationships art. They also made medicine out of coca leaves. They
with? also developed central government.

What was the agriculture like? They lived in the Amazon rainforest. They lived a the Andes
What food did they eat? How mountains. It ranged from columbia to chile. The land was
named the land of four corners. THey lived at a very high
did they grow it? What place on the mountains. The andes mountains had sharp
relationships did the people slopes and made crops like potatoes and corn.
have with their environment?

Ancient Inca
Concept Map

Replace this example with your own concept map!