1. Chapter 6
Early Societies in the Americas and Oceania
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2. Early Mesoamerican societies, 1200
B.C.E.-1100 C.E.
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3. Origins of Mesoamerican Societies
 Migration across Bering land bridge?
 Probably 13,000 BCE, perhaps earlier
 By sea from Asia?
 By 9500 BCE reached southernmost part of South
America
 Hunter/Gatherer societies
 evolve into agricultural societies
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4. Olmecs
 1200-100 BCE
 The “Rubber People”
 Ceremonial Centers
 San Lorenzo, La Venta, Tres Zapotes
 Olmec Heads
 Up to 10 ft tall, 20 tons
 Transported by dragging, rolling on logs
 1000/workers per head
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5. Agriculture and Herding
 Staple: maize
 Herding: turkeys, barkless dogs
 Both food
 No draft animals
 No development of wheeled vehicles
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6. Olmec Society
 Probably authoritarian in nature
 Large class of conscripted laborers to construct
ceremonial sites
 Also tombs for rulers, temples, pyramids, drainage
systems
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7. Mysterious Decline of Olmecs
 Ceremonial centers destroyed
 No evidence of warfare
 Revolution?
 Civil war?
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8. Maya
 huge cities discovered in 19th c.
 300 BCE-900 CE
 Terrace Farming
 Cacao beans
 hot chocolate
 Currency
 Major ceremonial center at Tikal
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9. Maya Warfare
 Warfare for purposes of capturing enemy soldiers
 Ritual sacrifice of enemies
 Enslavement
 Small kingdoms engage in constant conflict until
Chichén Itzá begins to absorb captives
 Some nevertheless choose death
 Center of empire develops
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10. Mayan Ritual Calendar
 Complex math
 Invention of “Zero”
 Calendar of 365.242 days (17 seconds off)
 Solar calendar of 365 days
 Ritual calendar of 260 days
 Management of calendar lends authority to
priesthood
 Timing of auspicious moments for agriculture
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11. Mayan Language and Religion
 Ideographs and a syllable-alphabet
 Most writings destroyed by Spanish conquerors
 Deciphering work begins in 1960s
 Popol Vuh: Mayan creation myth
 Importance of bloodletting rituals
 Human sacrifices follow after removal of fingers,
piercing to allow blood flow
 Self-mutilation of penises, earlobes
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12. The Maya Ball Game
 Ritual form of ball game
 High-ranking captives, prisoners of war
contestants
 Execution of losers immediately follows the
match
 Bloodletting ritual for the gods
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13. City of Teotihuacan
 Highlands of Mexico
 Lakes in area of high elevation
 Village of Teotihuacan, 500 BCE, expands to
become massive city
 Important ceremonial center
 Extensive trade network, influenced surrounding
areas
 Begins to decline c. 650 CE, sacked in middle of
8th century, massive library destroyed
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14. Andean Societies
 Migration into South
America c. 12000 BCE
 Climate improves c. 8000
BCE
 Largely independent from
Mesoamerica
 Highly individualized due
to geography
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15. Chavin Cult
 New religion in central Andes, 900-300 BCE
 South America, contemporary Peru
 Little known about particulars of religion
 Intricate stone carvings
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16. The Mochica State
 Valley of the Moche River
 Dominated northern Peru, 300-700 CE
 Painting survies
 One of many states in region, none able to
consolidate into empire
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17. Early societies of Oceania, 1500
B.C.E.-700 C.E.
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18. Oceania
 Prehistoric land bridges, lower seas permit
migration
 Outrigger canoes for open-sea travel
 Early hunter-gatherer societies in Australia
 Early agriculture in New Guinea
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19. Aborigine of the Naomi Tribe
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20. Lapita Peoples
 Found throughout Pacific Islands
 Agriculture, animal herding
 Political organization based on chiefdoms
 Trade over open ocean declines 500 BCE
 Greater independence of settlements
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