Humanity’s Origins and the Rise of Mesoamerican Civilizations
Humanity’s Origins and the Rise of Mesoamerican Civilizations
The man makes history.
- 4,500,000,000 years ago: The solar system is generated.
- 3,500,000 years ago: The first forms of life (unicellular) appear, which mix or cover the Earth with water and oxygen, cooling the outside of the land, but not the interior.
- 2,000,000 years ago: Mammals appear.
- 5,000,000 years ago: Hominization, a process in which an animal evolves.
- 4,000,000 years ago: Ardipithecus ramidus, a humanoid fossil, is found in Africa (4.4 million years ago).
- 1,300,000 years ago: Man appears in Atapuerca, Europe.
- 1,200,000 years ago: Homo erectus (Gongwangling) appears in Asia.
Theories of the peopling of the Americas:
- Florentino Ameghino: Claimed that American humanity originated in Argentina, and that Native Americans are indigenous to the region.
- Alex Herdlicka: Proposed that during the Ice Age, Mongolians traveled across much of America. Some settled in northern Canada and became the “Eskimos” (Inuit). He believed that the Bering Strait, a narrow passage between America and Asia, was once a land bridge called “Beringia” that connected the two continents.
- Paul Rivet: Agreed with Herdlicka, but suggested that the Mongolians also came via Oceania, and that the American man has Polynesian origins.
Culture and Civilization
Culture and civilization refer to a way of life, particularly that of living in a city. The Aztecs and Mayas developed civilizations in Mesoamerica, while the Incas occupied the Central Andes. These areas are known as “core areas,” where civilizations settled geographically and physically.
The Aztecs
The Aztecs spoke Nahuatl and were located on the shores of Lake Texcoco in the city of Tenochtitlan, considered the most beautiful city of its time. Within the walled city (ceremonial center) was the Teocalli, a truncated pyramid with two temples at the top: one for Tlaloc, the rain god, represented by blue and white, and one for Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, represented by red. Also within the city was the Calmecac, a school for nobles, where they played the ball game, and the Tzompantli, the monument of skulls.
- Bloody Religion: The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice to give blood to the gods, which weakened them.
- Xochiyaoyatl: “Flowery wars” were agreed-upon conflicts to take prisoners of war.
Aztec Social Structure:
- Uey Tlatoani: Emperor.
- Capullis: There were 20 clans, each working their own land.
- Tlamacazquis: Priests who taught the people and nobles, acted as healers, performed sacrifices, were astronomers, studied mathematics, and served as teachers.
- Mayeque: Serfs and peasants who were not slaves.
- Tamen: Slaves, usually prisoners of war who were eventually sacrificed.
- Pochtecas: Traders who engaged in barter.
- Tiangui: The largest market, located in Tlatelolco.
- Chinampas: Floating gardens.
Hernán Cortés destroyed Tenochtitlan and founded Mexico City on a swamp.
The Mayas
The Mayas settled in the Yucatan Peninsula and were organized like the Greek city-states, with each state having a representative. They had two calendars, a polytheistic religion, and also practiced human sacrifice, but to a lesser extent than the Aztecs. The Yucatan Peninsula was extensive but poor and flat for agriculture. They had underground pools called cenotes, which were considered sacred and where sacrifices were made. Their greatest contribution was the concept of zero in mathematics. They were peaceful and concerned about their personal hygiene. La Milpa was the system used to work the land.
The Aztecs were organized politically and socially in a typical pyramid structure. However, the rest of the people could potentially gain power if they were citizens and had earned prestige. Merchants had their own god, Yacatecutli, who financed traders whose conquests benefited the emperor.