Samira's Ancient Civilizations Interactive Notebook

A Look at the
Mississippian, Maya,

Aztec and Inca
Civilizations

By:
Samira Kandhari



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

I learned a lot about the Mississippian people. There are many reasons
why people find the Missispanians so interesting. They had a powerful
government, jobs divided among their people, a interesting religon, useful and
creative inventions and good agriculture. This is what made the MIssissippian
people who they were.

Chiefdoms were a special social organization that is split between
something called Elites and somethings called Commoners. Elites are made up
of relatively small groups of children, but had a higher social standing than
Commoners. Chiefdoms were like god to the Mississippians and were highly
respected.

The Missipanians also invented and created useful items such as a digging
tool. This was helpful to them as shovels were not yet invented. They also
created beautiful artifacts such as pottery. They used what ever they could find to
make these creations. They created artifacts from stone, native copper, marine
shell and clay. Using these materials, them made cups, pennants and beads.

The Mississippians ate corn, beans, squash (the Three Sisters), sunflower
seeds, goosefoot, sumpweed, turkeys, small animals, fish, shellfish, turtles and
other river animals. The Three Sisters were the main crops that the
Mississippians used.

The Mississippians usually grew food in small gardens with stone axes,
digging sticks and fire. They spend lots of time outdoors and only use shelter
during bad weather and use shelters for storage. Walls were made by weaving
saplings and cane around the poles, and the outer surface of the wall was
sometimes covered with sun baked clay or daub. Roofs were covered with
thatch, with a small hole left in the middle to allow smoke to escape.

The Mississippians had religious beliefs beyond being wealthy and having
military power. They believed that the chiefdom and their families were
descendents of the Sun. To them, the Sun was a god. It was said that the
chiefdom had have supernatural powers that allowed them to make sure that it’d
rain some of the time, and be able to make the sun rise every morning, and set
every night. They made sure that their Fall harvest came in time every year. This
was the chiefdoms was kind to them.

Although I have learned a lot about the Mississippians, there is still so
much out there to learn about them and other Native American tribes. There is
always more to learn when it comes to history! The Missispanians have a rich
history. I believe it is important to learn about those who have come before us so
when can learn and grow from them.

Where in the World…
Were the Mississippian Located?

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?

33* north 84* west, Southern Georgia or Northern Florida
About mid-temperature, in summer about 70-80*, winter 10-40*. In general,
the temperature is warm.
The people that live in Georgia will have to be prepared for all types of
weather. In the winter it is very cold and in the summer, it can get pretty
warm. Need a good source of water and protection from the sun.



What is
this?

malevolent, malignant, creature. What is the
circle on the
left side of the

drawing?

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

Why do you
think they
chose this

shape?

How do you
think they
made this?

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.

It was shaped like a
serpent because
native americans
believed that they
had power and they
were superior the
rattlesnake was a
motto for the
Missipanian
people.

Danielle Knight GO Interactive, 2015

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?
Did powerful relationships exist

between the people and their
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
relationship the people had with
their gods and religious leaders

follow rules?

did the people invent,
create, or trade that allowed
them to exchange ideas or
values with others they had
relationships with?

What was the agriculture like?
What food did they eat? How

did they grow it? What
relationships did the people
have with their environment?

irrigation They lived in building that
was made of various types of dried mud including adobe a
type of clay brick. In the plains tribes like the Sioux hunted
for bison and other large animals. In the Southest, the
Missisppian people made something called platform
mounds. In the Northeast, lots of Iroquois nations banded
together and followed a constitution called the Great Law of
Peace. Many people believe that the Americans borrowed a
few ideas to construct the US constitution. Alaska even has
Native American tribes living there today. Some tribes
include the Eskimo, the Athabascans, Aleuts and Tlingit.
Sadly, most Native American tribes are gone. This is
because they died out in various ways. The Spanish
(conquistador) enslaved many tribes. Many also died as
European settlers came and took over the land. Americans
tried to make peace with the indians, but the government
didn’t stuck to their word which caused trouble. Lots of
Indians died from disease that the Europeans brought

The Maya

I learned a lot about the Mayan people. There are
many reasons why people find the Mayan interesting. This
is because we know lots about them, unlike the
Mississippians. They had a powerful government, a useful
calendar, and unfair caste system.. This is what made the
Mayans who they were.

The Mayans had a caste system.The upper caste was
composed of rulers, nobles and priests. The middle caste
were businessmen, merchants and soldiers. The lower
caste was made up of farmers/peasants and slaves. The
Rulers lived a lived of luxury. The Mayan people treated
there ruler like god. The Priest were the next level down,
but they still lived very comfortable lives. The Priest had a
big say in the government and could make a big impact.
Religion was also a big part in Mayan life. Next, were the
Nobles. They had the second power in Mayan government.
They too lived comfortable lives. Next is the Craftsmen and
Merchants. This is where the comfortable lives end. The
Craftsmen and Merchants were often peasants seeking a
better life, or could be nobles who wanted a job. This caste
made lots of art or ran a business. Next, were the peasants.
The majority of the Mayan people were peasant and could
also be referred to as Commoners for obvious reasons.The
peasants lead hard lives. They were forbidden to wear
tokens or clothes of the nobles and were not allowed to
speak to the king directly. Finally, we come to the slaves.
The slaves were the lowest caste, that being said they often
were cared for better than the peasants as they were
clothed and fed by their masters.

The Mayan religious calendar tzolkin comprised of only
260 days and two cycles each comprises of weeks
spanning 30 days and 20 days. Another calendar called tun
comprised of 360 days and five added unlucky days.

The Mayan beliefs influenced their actions. The early
Mayans believed in the religious sacrifice of humans,
particularly practiced by the elder priests in the religious

Where in the World…
Were the Maya Located?

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

90 degrees west and 17 degrees north

Northwest of the tip of Mexico, North of
Guatemala

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

The climate would be hot and humid and not
get too cold in the winter as it only 15 degrees
north of the equator. Might have a rainforest.

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

People in this area would need to wear thin
clothing and have a good water source nearby
also have protection from the sun and heat and
good shelter.

The Mayan Government/
Social Structure

King/Ruler Military l
The Mayan people believed that their The Mayan
kings had the power to rule like there leaders we
gods did. They believed that their king quiche, if the
they would ret
were as much as gods as regular battle in the fo
people.Lived the life of luxury. Men also had
warriors whe
Priest commanded.
Priest were powerful figures in the
Mayan government. In some ways, usually n
kings were also considered Prist.
Region was an important part of
Mayan life. The Priest had a big
influence on the government.

Nobles and Batab
Nobles are the second strongest power. They can serve

as a judge. A batab is chosen from a class of nobles.

Craftsmens and Merchants:Some were peasants who wanted a

better life and some were nobles that wanted a job. They made art or
ran business.

Peasants/Commoners
Most Mayan people were peasants. They worked very hard. Commoners
were not allowed to wear clothing or symbols of the nobles. Commoners
were also not allowed to talk to the king directly. They had to pay taxes to

support the king and nobles.

ves: Many times they were treated better than the peasants because they were taken ca
othes and food, but they had no rights. They could be children whose parents died or di
e. They were usually used as human sacrifice.

Mayan Religion Mural

We chose to draw the 4 Gods of the
Mayan religion. We chose this because
we thought that it is a very important
part of their government and religion.
Each of us used the description of the
god we chose and drew an image the
characteristics of the god.

Mayan Language and
Number Systems

Sa ME Ra Sa Mi Ya

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?
Did powerful relationships exist

between the people and their
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
relationship the people had with
their gods and religious leaders

follow rules?

did the people invent, create, The Mayans had a caste
or trade that allowed them to system.The upper caste was
exchange ideas or values with composed of rulers, nobles and
others they had relationships priests. The middle caste were
with? businessmen, merchants and
soldiers. The lower caste was
What was the agriculture like? made up of farmers and slaves.
What food did they eat? How (see more about social standings

did they grow it? What in slide 15)
relationships did the people
have with their environment?

Ancient Maya
Concept Map

The Aztec

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?

19.25 degrees north, 105
degrees west

By Mexico City, The center
of the Aztec empire was
located in waht central and
Southern Mexico. It was
North of Guatemala and east
of Pacific and west of
Adantic

What might the climate be
like in this location based on

The Aztec Government/

Social Structure

Emperor/King Huey Tlatcani

The Aztec Emperor did not interfere
with the city states. The Emperor was
the primary ruler and was like a
monarchy. When the Emperor died,
the new was chosen by a group of
high ranking nobles.

Tecuhtli

These were the rulers of the city states. They
were wealthy and lived in places within they
city. They held all the power in the city so long
as they paid tribute to the king/emperor .

Pipiltin
These people were the noble class. Only these people
could wear special clothing like jewelry. They had power
over the government. The ruler was chosen from this
class.

Pochteca
This class was mechants. These people were treated well by the
government because the Aztec believed there job was very important.
They traveled far to bring back luxurious goods.

Macehualtin

This class was the commoners. The were farmers craftsmen and
warriors. Over time this position became far more highly ranked.

Slaves

avery was much fairer during these times. Slaves became slaves by crime or
ying for debt. You could by your freedom. There masters treated well and
uldn't sell them without permission. If a slave escaped and made it to the pala
ey were granted freedom.

Aztec Sun Stone
Calendar

I colored the gods on my calendar bright
colors because the gods are important
in the Aztec reilgon. Everything else is
colored brown as it is not as important.

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?
Did powerful relationships exist

between the people and their
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
relationship the people had with
their gods and religious leaders

follow rules?

did the people invent, create,
or trade that allowed them to
exchange ideas or values with
others they had relationships
with?

What was the agriculture like?
What food did they eat? How

did they grow it? What
relationships did the people
have with their environment?

Ancient Aztec
Concept Map

The Inca

Where in the World…
Were the Inca Located?

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

16 degrees south
74 degrees west

West part of current day South
America

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

The summer is warm and very cold
winters. Could be rainforests in this
area.

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

The people would need blankets and
items to keep warm. They would
need to be prepare year round for
cool weather. Some source of heat.
Maybe some rain in the area.

Map from ducksters.com

The Inca Government/
Social Structure

Noble Classes

The emperor or king was called the Sapa Inca. He was at the top of the Inca
social class and was considered a god in many ways. Also included in the Noble
Class is the priest. He was second to the Sapa Inca. He was callled the Villac
Umu. The royal family was also in ths top class (heirs to the throne and
queens), people who first established the city of Cuzco, and finally people called
Inca-by-privilege, these people were not the original Inca to rule, but the
government needed more people in the government so they created this class.

Public Administrators

These people ran the government in the low level. Curacas were the leaders of
the tribes that Inca conquered. These people would be moved if not loyal.They
were also very important tax collectors.

Commoners

Usually were farmers. They grew crops for the tribe and they also grew it for trading with
other tribes. Also the commoners which can also be called Curcas. They were the leader

for the tribe.

The Ayllu

The basic unit of Inca society was the ayllu. The ayllu was a number of families that
worked together almost like one large family. Everyone in the empire was part of an

ayllu.

Once a person was born into
a social class, that was
where they would remain for
the rest of their life.

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?
Did powerful relationships exist

between the people and their
leaders?

How was their society set up? The emperor or king was called
What were the types of jobs the Sapa Inca. He was at the top
people had? Were the jobs people of the Inca social class and was
did purposeful for the civilization? considered a god in many
ways.These people ran the
Describe their religion. Did the government in the low level.
relationship the people had with Curacas were the leaders of the
their gods and religious leaders tribes that Inca conquered. These
people would be moved if not
follow rules? loyal.They were also very
important tax collectors.The ayllu
did the people invent, create, was a number of families that
or trade that allowed them to worked together almost like one
exchange ideas or values with large family. Everyone in the
others they had relationships empire was part of an ayllu. Once
with? a person was born into a social
class, that was where they would
What was the agriculture like? remain for the rest of their life.
What food did they eat? How

did they grow it? What
relationships did the people
have with their environment?

Ancient Inca
Concept Map