Pre-Columbian America : Empires of the New World {The Britannica Guide to Ancient Civilizations}

"From the Mayan calendar to the Toltec architecture at Chichén Itzá, the bequests of ancient Mesoamerican civilizations have endured long after the societies that created them declined. The intellectual and cultural achievements of Pre-Columbian America rivaled those of ancient Rome and Egypt, and greatly enriched the landscape of present-day Mexico and Central America. The traditions, social organizations, languages, and ideas that shaped each of these cultures are examined in this fascinating volume."-- Provided by publisher TITLE......Page 4 COPYRIGHT......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 6 INTRODUCTION......Page 9 CHAPTER 1 MESOAMERICAN CIVILIZATIONS......Page 16 EARLY HUNTERS (TO 6500 BC)......Page 18 INCIPIENT AGRICULTURE (6500–1500 BC)......Page 20 EARLY FORMATIVE PERIOD (1500–900 BC)......Page 21 EARLY VILLAGE LIFE......Page 22 EARLY RELIGIOUS LIFE......Page 23 THE RISE OF OLMEC CIVILIZATION......Page 24 OLMEC CIVILIZATION AT LA VENTA......Page 27 OLMEC COLONIZATION IN THE MIDDLE FORMATIVE......Page 28 EARLY MONTE ALBÁN......Page 29 THE MAYA IN THE MIDDLE FORMATIVE......Page 30 LATE FORMATIVE PERIOD (300 BC–AD 100)......Page 32 VERACRUZ AND CHIAPAS......Page 33 IZAPAN CIVILIZATION......Page 34 THE EARLIEST MAYA CIVILIZATION OF THE LOWLANDS......Page 36 EARLY CLASSIC PERIOD (AD 100–600)......Page 38 TEOTIHUACÁN......Page 39 CLASSIC CENTRAL VERACRUZ......Page 43 SOUTHERN VERACRUZ......Page 44 CLASSIC MONTE ALBÁN......Page 45 THE MAYA HIGHLANDS AND PACIFIC COAST......Page 46 CLASSIC CIVILIZATION IN THE MAYA LOWLANDS: TZAKOL PHASE......Page 48 LATE CLASSIC MESOAMERICA (600–900)......Page 50 LATE CLASSIC LOWLAND MAYA SETTLEMENT PATTERN......Page 51 MAJOR SITES......Page 53 MAYA ART OF THE LATE CLASSIC......Page 56 MAYAN HIEROGLYPHIC WRITING......Page 58 THE MAYA CALENDAR......Page 61 CLASIC MAYA RELIGION......Page 63 CREATION......Page 65 THE GODS......Page 66 SACRIFICE......Page 68 RITES......Page 69 SOCIETY AND POLITICAL LIFE......Page 70 THE COLLAPSE OF CLASSIC MAYA CIVILIZATION......Page 71 CHAPTER 3 THE TOLTEC AND THE AZTEC, POST-CLASSIC PERIOD (900–1519)......Page 73 SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND TECHNOLOGY......Page 74 THE HISTORICAL ANALS......Page 78 THE RISE OF THE AZTEC......Page 79 THE QUESTION OF THE TOLTEC......Page 80 TULA......Page 81 CHICHÉN ITZÁ......Page 82 ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNITY OF THE POST-CLASSIC......Page 84 ACCOUNTS WRITTEN BY THE CONQUISTADORES......Page 85 THE CODICES......Page 87 OFFICIAL ECCLESIASTICAL AND GOVERNMENT RECORDS......Page 89 AGRICULTURE......Page 90 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION......Page 92 THE AZTEC CAPITAL: TENOCHTITLÁN......Page 97 AZTEC RELIGION......Page 98 AZTEC RITUAL CALENDAR......Page 107 CHAPTER 4 ANDEAN CIVILIZATION......Page 108 THE NATURE OF ANDEAN CIVILIZATION......Page 109 AGRICULTURAL ADAPTATION......Page 111 THE COLD AS A RESOURCE......Page 113 THE HIGHLANDS AND THE LOW COUNTRIES......Page 115 THE LATE PRECERAMIC......Page 116 THE INITIAL PERIOD......Page 119 THE EARLY HORIZON......Page 121 THE EARLY INTERMEDIATE PERIOD......Page 126 THE MIDDLE HORIZON......Page 132 THE LATE INTERMEDIATE PERIOD......Page 136 CHAPTER 5 THE INCA......Page 143 THE NATURE OF THE SOURCES......Page 144 SETTLEMENT IN THE CUZCO VALLEY......Page 146 THE BEGINNINGS OF EXTERNAL EXPANSION......Page 147 INTERNAL DIVISION AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION......Page 150 ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE......Page 152 TOPA INCA YUPANQUI......Page 154 HUAYNA CAPAC......Page 155 CIVIL WAR ON THE EVE OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST......Page 156 THE SPANISH CONQUEST......Page 158 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE......Page 159 INCA TECHNOLOGY AND INTELLECTUAL LIFE......Page 161 INCA RELIGION......Page 163 CONCLUSION......Page 169 CHALCHIUHTLICUE......Page 171 HUITZILOPOCHTLI......Page 172 MICTLANTECUHTLI......Page 174 TEZCATLIPOCA......Page 175 TLALOC......Page 176 TLAZOLTÉOTL......Page 177 VIRACOCHA......Page 178 XIUHTECUHTLI......Page 179 XOCHIQUETZAL......Page 180 GLOSSARY......Page 181 THE MAYA......Page 183 ANDEAN CIVILIZATIONS—GENERAL WORKS......Page 184 THE INCA......Page 185 INDEX......Page 186 BACK COVER......Page 196 TITLE 4 COPYRIGHT 5 CONTENTS 6 INTRODUCTION 9 CHAPTER 1 MESOAMERICAN CIVILIZATIONS 16 EARLY HUNTERS (TO 6500 BC) 18 INCIPIENT AGRICULTURE (6500–1500 BC) 20 EARLY FORMATIVE PERIOD (1500–900 BC) 21 EARLY VILLAGE LIFE 22 EARLY RELIGIOUS LIFE 23 THE RISE OF OLMEC CIVILIZATION 24 MIDLE FORMATIVE PERIOD (900–300 BC) 27 OLMEC CIVILIZATION AT LA VENTA 27 OLMEC COLONIZATION IN THE MIDDLE FORMATIVE 28 EARLY MONTE ALBÁN 29 THE VALLEY OF MEXICO IN THE MIDDLE FORMATIVE 30 THE MAYA IN THE MIDDLE FORMATIVE 30 LATE FORMATIVE PERIOD (300 BC–AD 100) 32 VALLEY OF MEXICO 33 VALLEY OF OAXACA 33 VERACRUZ AND CHIAPAS 33 IZAPAN CIVILIZATION 34 THE EARLIEST MAYA CIVILIZATION OF THE LOWLANDS 36 CHAPTER 2 THE MAYA: CLASSIC PERIOD 38 EARLY CLASSIC PERIOD (AD 100–600) 38 TEOTIHUACÁN 39 CHOLULA 43 CLASSIC CENTRAL VERACRUZ 43 SOUTHERN VERACRUZ 44 CLASSIC MONTE ALBÁN 45 THE MAYA HIGHLANDS AND PACIFIC COAST 46 CLASSIC CIVILIZATION IN THE MAYA LOWLANDS: TZAKOL PHASE 48 LATE CLASSIC MESOAMERICA (600–900) 50 LATE CLASSIC LOWLAND MAYA SETTLEMENT PATTERN 51 MAJOR SITES 53 MAYA ART OF THE LATE CLASSIC 56 MAYAN HIEROGLYPHIC WRITING 58 THE MAYA CALENDAR 61 CLASIC MAYA RELIGION 63 CREATION 65 COSMOLOGY 66 THE GODS 66 DEATH 68 ESCHATOLOGY 68 SACRIFICE 68 THE PRIESTHOOD 69 RITES 69 SORCERY 70 SOCIETY AND POLITICAL LIFE 70 THE COLLAPSE OF CLASSIC MAYA CIVILIZATION 71 CHAPTER 3 THE TOLTEC AND THE AZTEC, POST-CLASSIC PERIOD (900–1519) 73 SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND TECHNOLOGY 74 KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF 78 THE HISTORICAL ANALS 78 THE RISE OF THE AZTEC 79 THE QUESTION OF THE TOLTEC 80 ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS OF POST -CLASIC CIVILIZATION 81 TULA 81 CHICHÉN ITZÁ 82 ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNITY OF THE POST-CLASSIC 84 AZTEC CULTURE TO THE TIME OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST 85 ACCOUNTS WRITTEN BY THE CONQUISTADORES 85 POSTCONQUEST HISTORIES 87 THE CODICES 87 OFFICIAL ECCLESIASTICAL AND GOVERNMENT RECORDS 89 AGRICULTURE 90 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 92 THE AZTEC CAPITAL: TENOCHTITLÁN 97 AZTEC RELIGION 98 AZTEC RITUAL CALENDAR 107 CHAPTER 4 ANDEAN CIVILIZATION 108 THE NATURE OF ANDEAN CIVILIZATION 109 AGRICULTURAL ADAPTATION 111 THE COLD AS A RESOURCE 113 THE HIGHLANDS AND THE LOW COUNTRIES 115 THE PRE-INCA PERIODS 116 THE LATE PRECERAMIC 116 THE INITIAL PERIOD 119 THE EARLY HORIZON 121 THE EARLY INTERMEDIATE PERIOD 126 THE MIDDLE HORIZON 132 THE LATE INTERMEDIATE PERIOD 136 CHAPTER 5 THE INCA 143 THE ORIGINS AND EXPANSION OF THE INCA STATE 144 THE NATURE OF THE SOURCES 144 SETTLEMENT IN THE CUZCO VALLEY 146 THE BEGINNINGS OF EXTERNAL EXPANSION 147 INTERNAL DIVISION AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION 150 ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE 152 TOPA INCA YUPANQUI 154 HUAYNA CAPAC 155 CIVIL WAR ON THE EVE OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST 156 THE SPANISH CONQUEST 158 INCA CULTURE AT THE TIME OF THE CONQUEST 159 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE 159 INCA TECHNOLOGY AND INTELLECTUAL LIFE 161 INCA RELIGION 163 CONCLUSION 169 APPENDIX: SELECTED GODS OF THE NEW WORLD 171 BACAB 171 CHAC 171 CHALCHIUHTLICUE 171 CHICOMECÓATL 172 COATLICUE 172 HUITZILOPOCHTLI 172 INTI 174 ITZAMNÁ 174 IXCHEL 174 MICTLANTECUHTLI 174 OMETECUHTLI 175 PACHACAMAC 175 TEZCATLIPOCA 175 TLALOC 176 TLAZOLTÉOTL 177 TONATIUH 178 VIRACOCHA 178 XIPE TOTEC 179 XIUHTECUHTLI 179 XOCHIQUETZAL 180 GLOSSARY 181 BIBLIOGRAPHY 183 MESOAMERICAN CIVILIZATIONS—GENERAL WORKS 183 THE MAYA 183 POST-CLASSIC PERIOD 184 ANDEAN CIVILIZATIONS—GENERAL WORKS 184 THE INCA 185 INDEX 186 BACK COVER 196 161530150X,9781615301508,1615302115,9781615302116 The innovation and progress that characterize modernity often eclipse the accomplishments of ages past. However, close examination of ancient civilizations reveals a sophistication in both thought and accomplishment that in some ways surpasses what is observed in the present. The books in this series detail the ancient lifestyles and cultures that have produced concepts and technologies still in use today. Illustrations complement the text and instill excitement for the achievements of these rich and highly developed societies.

From the Mayan calendar to the Toltec architecture at Chichén Itzá, the bequests of ancient Mesoamerican civilizations have endured long after the societies that created them declined. The intellectual and cultural achievements of Pre-Columbian America rivaled those of ancient Rome and Egypt, and greatly enriched the landscape of present-day Mexico and Central America. The traditions, social organizations, languages, and ideas that shaped each of these cultures are examined in this fascinating volume.

From the Mayan calendar to the Toltec architecture at Chiche n Itza , the bequests of ancient Mesoamerican civilizations have endured long after the societies that created them declined. The intellectual and cultural achievements of Pre-Columbian America rivaled those of ancient Rome and Egypt, and greatly enriched the landscape of present-day Mexico and Central America. The traditions, social organizations, languages, and ideas that shaped each of these cultures are examined in this fascinating volume.