History of Ancient Mexico, Aztecs, Maya and more Explained in ten minutes
Summary
TLDRThis script offers a comprehensive history of Mesoamerica, highlighting the cultivation of corn and the rise of civilizations like the Olmecs, Zapotecs, and Maya. It details the development of complex societies with unique cultures, including the construction of cities, pyramids, and the establishment of writing systems. The narrative also covers the interactions and conflicts between these civilizations, the influence of Teotihuacan, and the eventual Spanish conquest, which brought about significant changes and the near-eradication of indigenous cultures and knowledge.
Takeaways
- 🌽 Mesoamerica's early farmers were skilled in cultivating corn, chilies, beans, tomatoes, squash, and cocoa, with corn becoming a staple crop.
- 🗿 The Olmecs were an early civilization known for their large stone sculptures, the development of a writing system, and a complex calendar.
- 🏆 The Olmecs valued jade highly and established extensive trade networks to acquire it, influencing later Mesoamerican cultures.
- 🏰 The Zapotecs emerged from a union of warring groups, developing an early calendar system and possibly the first glyphic script in the New World.
- 📈 The Maya civilization developed large urban centers, monumental architecture, and a script, with a history of warfare and competition among city-states.
- 🌆 Teotihuacan rose as a dominant religious and political center, with a population of over 100,000, and a unique social structure with stone dwellings for its citizens.
- 🔥 Teotihuacan's fall was marked by the burning of temples, possibly due to an internal uprising against its religious and political leadership.
- 🛡️ The Toltecs were known as great conquerors, with a standing army and a society built around religious war, extending their influence throughout Mesoamerica.
- 🏰 The Maya experienced a 'Golden Age' of achievement in mathematics, city planning, and science, with city-states engaging in complex alliances and rivalries.
- 🌟 The Aztecs, or Mexica, founded the well-planned city of Tenochtitlan, which quickly became a dominant political and military force in the region.
Q & A
What is Mesoamerica known for in terms of agriculture around 7,000 years ago?
-Mesoamerica is known for the cultivation and harvesting of corn, which became a staple crop in the region. Farmers also farmed chilies, beans, tomatoes, squash, and cocoa.
Who were the Olmecs and what are they known for?
-The Olmecs were an early Mesoamerican civilization known for developing a writing system, constructing large cities and pyramids, playing ritual ballgames, and creating a complex calendar. They also prized jade highly and established expansive trading networks.
How did the Zapotec civilization distinguish itself in Mesoamerica?
-The Zapotec civilization is noted for developing an early calendar system and possibly the earliest glyphic script in the New World, predating 600 BC. They also established a large empire that administered from 15 palace complexes.
What was unique about the city of Teotihuacan?
-Teotihuacan was a dominant city that began as a religious center and grew to have over 100,000 inhabitants, making it one of the most populous cities on earth at the time. It was unique in that its citizens enjoyed permanent stone dwellings, often large and spacious.
What is the significance of the destruction of Teotihuacan's temples and how was it interpreted by archaeologists?
-The destruction of temples in Teotihuacan was initially thought to be due to foreign invasion. However, the fact that the rest of the city remained inhabited suggests it may have been an internal mass uprising against the city's religious and political leadership.
Who were the Toltecs and what was their primary method of expansion?
-The Toltecs were a Mesoamerican civilization known as the greatest conquerors in ancient America. They expanded their influence through a permanent standing army with disciplined and highly trained warriors.
How did the Maya civilization change after the fall of Teotihuacan?
-After the fall of Teotihuacan, the Maya civilization experienced a Dark Age characterized by depopulation and the abandonment of cities. This was followed by a period of renaissance where they achieved advancements in mathematics, city planning, and science.
What was the role of the League of Mayapan in the post-Toltec era?
-The League of Mayapan was formed after the collapse of the Toltec Empire. It was a coalition of city-states that emerged to lead the region, although they were greatly diminished compared to the cities of their classical Maya predecessors.
How did the Aztecs gain control over surrounding city-states?
-The Aztecs, or Mexica, gained control over surrounding city-states through a combination of alliances and conquest. They quickly became the dominant military and political force in the region.
What was the impact of the Spanish arrival on Mesoamerica?
-The arrival of the Spanish led to the conquest of the Mexica and the spread of diseases that the Mesoamericans had no immunity to, causing a Great Plague. The Spanish also sought to wipe out human sacrifice and burn many books, leading to the loss of much of Mesoamerica's history and culture.
Outlines
🌽 Early Mesoamerican Civilizations and Agriculture
Mesoamerica, a historical and cultural region primarily in modern-day Mexico and Central America, saw the development of agriculture around 7,000 years ago. Farmers cultivated corn, chilies, beans, tomatoes, squash, and cocoa. The Olmecs, known for their large stone heads, were the first to develop a writing system in the Americas. They left a legacy of large cities, pyramids, ritual ballgames, chocolate drinking, a complex calendar, and a pantheon of animal gods. The Olmec civilization mysteriously declined, but their culture was continued by successors. The Zapotecs emerged from a union of warring groups, developing an early calendar system and a glyphic script, and their civilization lasted until the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century. The Maya developed large urban centers, monumental architecture, and a script, with divine kingship as a political institution. Teotihuacan, known for its large population and foreign quarters, experienced a mysterious destruction that may have been due to an internal uprising. The Toltecs, known as great conquerors, established a standing army and expanded their influence through warfare and trade.
🏰 Rise and Fall of Mesoamerican Empires
The Maya civilization experienced a period of decline and abandonment known as the Classic Maya collapse. Meanwhile, the Toltecs, under the leadership of Kukulcan, expanded their influence over the Yucatan Peninsula and much of the Mayan world. However, they faced internal strife and natural disasters, leading to a significant decrease in population and the burning of their capital, Tula, in 1122. The fall of the Toltecs was followed by a period of chaos and a shift in power dynamics, with various tribes moving into central Mexico. The Mexica, or Aztecs, founded the city of Tenochtitlan, which became a massive and well-planned capital. The Aztec Empire, initially part of the Triple Alliance, became the dominant force in the region. Other powers like the Tarascans and the Caxcan state also rose to prominence, engaging in constant warfare. The Maya Confederation further declined, while the Zapotecs and Mixtecs eventually found peace. The arrival of the Spaniards in 1519, led by Cortes, marked the beginning of the end for these civilizations, as they were conquered with the help of local allies and the devastating impact of new diseases from the Old World.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Mesoamerica
💡Olmecs
💡Zapotecs
💡Teotihuacan
💡Toltecs
💡Maya
💡Tenochtitlan
💡Aztec Empire
💡Human Sacrifice
💡Spanish Conquest
Highlights
Mesoamerica is a historical and cultural region with a rich history of agriculture and civilization.
Corn was the staple crop in Mesoamerica, cultivated around 7,000 years ago.
The Olmecs were the first to develop a writing system in the Americas and left behind large stone sculptures.
The Olmec culture included complex calendars, ritual ballgames, and a pantheon of gods.
Jade was highly prized by the Olmecs, leading to extensive trading networks.
The Zapotecs developed an early calendar system and one of the first glyphic scripts in the New World.
The Zapotecs ruled over 1,000 cities and towns from 15 palace complexes at their height.
The Maya civilization developed large urban cities, monumental architecture, and a script.
Teotihuacan was a dominant city with a population of over 100,000, known for its religious center.
The fall of Teotihuacan is believed to have been due to an internal uprising against its leadership.
The Toltecs were known as the greatest conquerors in ancient America, with a standing army and warrior castes.
The Toltec leader Kukulcan extended political influence over much of the Mayan world.
The Maya experienced a Dark Age characterized by depopulation and abandonment of cities.
The Maya Confederation eventually collapsed, leading to further decline and abandonment of cities.
The Aztecs, or Mexica, founded the city of Tenochtitlan, which became a massive, well-planned capital.
The Aztec Empire, initially part of the Triple Alliance, became the dominant force in the region.
The Spanish conquest of Mexico was aided by alliances with local tribes and the introduction of new diseases.
The Spanish sought to eradicate human sacrifice and burn Mesoamerican books, preserving only a few.
Transcripts
mesoamerica is the historical and
cultural region located mostly within
modern-day Mexico as well as El Salvador
Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua and Billy's
around 7,000 years ago the farmers in
this region became proficient in the
cultivation and harvesting of corn which
became a staple crop in the region they
also farm chilies beans tomatoes squash
and cacoa the Olmecs were first
discovered from the many large stone
helmeted heads they left behind we're
the first to developer in language in
the Americas large cities pyramids
ritual ballgames chocolate drinking a
complex calendar and pantheon of animal
gods were all features of Olmec culture
which were passed on to successor
Mesoamerican civilizations more than any
other material object the Olmecs prized
jade above all else they created
expansive trading networks that
stretched hundreds of miles to obtain
this precious mineral the Olmec
civilization was destroyed in just a
mysterious as a manner as they appeared
a successor civilization maintained
their culture in a diminished fashion
and endured for several hundred more
years in the northwest but as the Olmecs
faded away several prominent
civilizations began their ascent along
the old Olmec trading network to the
south the Zapotecs arose from the union
of three distinct populations who had
waged war on each other for hundreds of
years they either banded together or
United forcibly on a mountaintop Beast
riding the three valleys a magnificent
capital city was built at its height the
Empire ruled over 1,000 cities and towns
administered from 15 palace complexes
the Zapotecs developed an early calendar
system and as many scholars have
postulated the earliest glyphic script
in the new world beginning before 600 BC
and directly related to all other
scripts in the region the zapotec stand
out as being the longest continuous
civilization in the region their capital
fell in a gradual disuse and abandonment
after 1000 AD although their empire
would deteriorate after a long period of
intermittent decline and foreign
domination they would continue to exist
as a smaller Kingdom all the way until
the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th
century to the zapotec southeast the
pre-classic Maya developed large urban
cities monumental architecture a Mayan
script and political institutions
including
divine kingship in contrast to the unity
of the Zapotecs the Maya would primarily
wage war on and compete with other mine
kingdoms to the north the city of
Teotihuacan began to dominate beginning
as a religious center it attracted a
flood of migrants from all over the
region the metropolis had a staggering
population of over 100,000 perhaps as
much as 250,000 making it one of the
most populous cities on earth at the
time in contrast to nearly all other
ancient metropolis around the world the
citizens of Teotihuacan enjoyed
permanent stoned dwellings often large
spacious multifamily apartments among
the city's population there were many
foreign quarters in the city including a
Zapotec district from the Teotihuacan
seem to have enjoyed a good relationship
with around 558 D virtually all the
temples atop the pyramids and palaces in
the city were burnt and or destroyed
initially archaeologists had surmised
that this was due to for an invasion
however the fact that the rest of the
city stone houses where the city's vast
population lived seems to have remained
unscathed and inhabited for a few
hundred more years seems to indicate
that the destruction may have been
caused by an internal mass uprising
against the city's religious and
political leadership as the Totti WA
cons faded from history a tribe from the
north moved to the same region initially
appearing to be a vassal state of the
teotihuacans
and then they seem to have been involved
in the Tarot tiwa Khan's eventual
collapse they were the Toltecs this were
like people founded a capital Tula they
are not known as the builders of the
greatest cities like the teotihuacans or
the innovators like the Zapotecs or
Olmecs but they should be known as the
greatest conquerors in the ancient
Americas back to them in a moment to the
south as the Totti Wacom's fell so did
the zapotec empire they were dominated
by one of their vassal states the mix
tanks and for centuries this highly
populated area Mesoamerica would be
consumed by their rivalry as one would
gain the upper hand and then the other
in the east the pre-classic Maya
suffered a Dark Age of depopulation and
the mysterious abandonment of their
cities following this was a period where
the emerging mine states seemed to have
been under the influence of Teotihuacan
who installed puppet rulers for a short
time and then the Maya embarked upon a
gold
age of achievement in mathematics city
planning and scientific achievement
often compared to Renaissance Italy and
classical Greece with multiple
city-states engage in a complex network
of alliances and M 'not ease just as
with classical Greece and Renaissance
Italy a few powerful steady states arose
to control the region and beyond during
this period copan and Palenque remained
independent and prosperous but the two
dominant rivals to emerge in the
classical Maya world were calakmul the
populist snake Kingdom dominating the
northern Mayan States while two cow
dominated the southern states through
political economic and military means
cacao also founded or sponsored several
colonies over a widespread area to
increase their influence in the region
as the Maya built their cities in waged
war on each other to the west the
Toltecs were building a society built
around religious war a permanent
standing army with different warrior
castes was established their armies were
disciplined drilled and highly trained
ports Garrison's reserve units and
supply depots were all hallmarks of
Toltec warfare and they used this to
great effect in conquering a swath of
Kingdom city-states villages and towns
throughout Mesoamerica near the
beginning of the 10th century the
semi-mythical leader of the Toltecs
Kukulcan conquered the Yucatan Peninsula
and extended toltec political influence
over much of the Mayan world
toltec trading networks and culture
spread to the south and as far north as
modern-day Arizona seventy years later
the Toltecs lost control of the Yucatan
and it descended in a widespread chaos
famine and civil war and after a great
famine that lasted seven years toltec
influenced further contracted for the
next century the Toltecs were plagued by
famines civil war and widespread
uprisings and in a grand finale of chaos
the Toltec capital of tula was burnt to
the ground in 1122 after the collapse of
the Toltecs there was a 60% decrease in
the population in central Mexico after
emerging from that period of chaos the
Maya form the League of my upon the new
city-states that emerged to lead it were
greatly diminished compared to the
cities of their classical Maya
predecessors during the centuries
following the collapse of the Toltec
Empire many tribes moved from the north
into central Mexico according to legend
wondered the earth seeking an eagle with
a snake in its beak perched on a prickly
pear cactus wherever they saw this would
be a sign of where their people would
live in the early 14th century they
found this sign on an island in Lake
Texcoco here they built a magnificent
capital city Tenochtitlan with a massive
population not seen since the height of
the teotihuacans this well-planned city
was criss-crossed with canals separating
marketplaces gardens plazas ball courts
sprawling apartments and many palaces
and temples the mexica quickly gained
control of the city states surrounding
Lake Texcoco through alliances and
conquest
although the Aztec empire was initially
conceived and called the Triple Alliance
the Mexica of Tenochtitlan quickly
became the dominant military and
political force in the 14th century two
other powerful states developed in the
region the Tarasque ins another northern
people that migrated south and spoke a
completely different dialect they
quickly gained many allies and were seen
as benevolent rulers the clack Scallon
state arose which was a republic ruled
by a Council of Chiefs which was drawn
from all classes of society who gained
their position by service to the state
usually through effectiveness and
warfare over the next century and a half
the Tarasque ins and mesh iike empires
would rapidly grow and we're in a state
of near constant warfare with one
another in the East the Maya
Confederation collapsed the cities went
in a further decline in abandonment in
the South the Zapotecs and mixed ex
finally got along with each other and
such was the state in Mesoamerica when
the Spaniards arrived in 1519 after
landing Cortes ordered the ships to be
scuttled so that the men would know
there is no possibility of retreat only
conquest and then moved inland there the
Spaniards encountered the klutz Collins
who they fought to a stalemate after
three days of battle they were able to
negotiate a peace with the clacks
Collins together they made an alliance
to conquer the Mexica together with a
hundred thousand packs Calvin allies the
Spaniards were able to conquer the
Mexica the Spaniards were also aided by
the fact that they brought several
diseases from the old world with them
that the best Oh Americans had no
immunity - and a Great Plague preceded
them wherever they went
after and during the conquest of Mexico
in the Yucatan the conquistadors were
horrified by the human sacrifice that
they practiced and sought to wipe it out
in all traces of the religion culture in
history of Mesoamerica burning many
thousands of books with only a small
handful surviving until today and that
has been a brief history of ancient
Mexico in the Mesoamerican region I
wanted to focus a lot on the cultures
besides just the Aztec and classical
Maya and Joe had they've been in the big
picture of Mesoamerican history this has
been Epimetheus and a huge thanks to all
my patrons and subscribers who helped
the cost of running this channel and if
you want to check out Nava shown in
Espanola check out the link in the
description don't forget to like and
comment as you like muchisimas gracias
señoras Damas Y Caballeros
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