PART 3 THE AMERICAS: 800 BCE - 1500 AD

• START: 3:56 — The Olmecs
• STOP: at end

In the Americas, what civilization was most “advanced” in about 800 BCE ?
What does it mean to be a “parent” or “mother” culture?
In Canada, what were the original inhabitants called?
North American First Peoples are divided into five major categories based on location. Describe one of these categories.
Around the time the Roman Empire in Europe, what was the largest city in the Americas?
What are the dates of the Classical Mayan Period?
For 700 years, what tradition contributed to the Eastern Woodlands growth? (Hint: from about 200 BCE to 500 CE).
What big event happened in 536 CE?
For 300 years, between 1000 and 1300 CE, there were two advanced civilizations in what is today the United States. What were they?
When Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas, how many major ethno-linguistic groups were there?

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PART 3 THE AMERICAS: 800 BCE - 1500 AD

The Olmecs

In about 800 BCE, the most “advanced” civilization in the Americas was definitely that of the Olmecs.

I put quotes around “advanced” to remind you that I’m not making value judgments. By “advanced,” I mean a society with more cities, larger structures, and more material goods.

The Olmecs were the first advanced civilization to arise in Mesoamerica and can be seen as the parent culture for every other Mesoamerican civilization that followed.

From this point forward, Mesoamerica will be the location for the most advanced civilizations in the Americas. It was in Mesoamerica that writing developed and the largest cities and buildings were built.

Roughly speaking, the Olmecs were contemporaries of the first classical civilizations in Europe and the Middle East.

At the same time the Persians and Greeks were experiencing their golden ages, the Olmecs were building massive stone heads, creating beautiful jade figurines, inventing the Mesoamerican ball game, and, for the first time in the Americas, keeping written records (although we have no idea what these Olmec symbols mean).

Native Americans & North America

For some reason, there was a major drop in the Olmec population around 400 BCE. After that, the Olmec civilization went into decline and was eventually replaced by several new civilizations, including the Mayans, Zapotecs, and people of Teotihuacan.

Before looking at these, let's discuss North American First Peoples. I’ve already mentioned the mound builders, but they were just one of many cultures in what is today the US and Canada.

In Canada, the original inhabitants are called “First Nations.”

In the US, the term “Native American” is more frequently used. Some Native American groups still prefer the word “Indian,” though in Canada, this term is avoided as it is a misnomer and considered offensive.

It’s best to use more specific terms whenever possible, as Native Americans were never a single, united group. On the chart, North American First Peoples are divided into five major categories based on location, which gives a sense of cultural differences due to the continent’s size.

Some examples will help.

In the American Southwest, a unique culture developed known for basket making. The cultivation of corn was introduced, probably from Mesoamerica.

In the Great Plains, native peoples continued to hunt American buffalo, as they had for thousands of years.

In the Pacific Northwest the abundance of natural resources, due to climate and sea access, led to more free time for art and the production of unique artistic creations.

In the Eastern Woodlands there were permanent settlements with agriculture and pottery, not unilke Europe at the time.

In the Arctic region we find the Dorset people who were replaced by the Inuit.

Mesoamerica & South America Civilizations

Around the time the Roman Empire dominated the Mediterranean, Teotihuacan in today’s Mexico was the largest city in the Americas, with a population around 125,000. It housed the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon, two of the largest Pre-Columbian structures.

The nearby Mayan civilization existed around the same time.

We know much about the Mayans because their writing system was deciphered in the twentieth century, revealing details about rulers, religious ideas, and their interest in math and astronomy.

They used an intricate calendar system, possibly inherited from the Olmecs. Importantly, there was never a unified Mayan Empire but rather independent city-states.

During the Classical Mayan Period (approximately 300 to 900 CE), the Nazca culture flourished in South America, near where Nor-che Chico had existed 3,000 years earlier.

The Nazca are remembered for large geoglyphs visible from the air and artistically advanced pottery and textiles.

Their culture was eventually replaced by the Huari and Tiwanaku Empires, which co-existed peacefully. Tiwanaku is known for the Gate of the Sun, carved from a single 10-ton stone.

North America: Hopewell Tradition & Later Civilizations

From approximately 200 BCE to 500 CE, the Eastern Woodlands experienced growth and stability through the Hopewell tradition, characterized by social stratification, larger mounds, and extensive trade networks. The bow and arrow were introduced near the end of this period.

Around 500 CE, the Hopewell tradition suddenly declined, coinciding with the Medieval Period in Europe. This may have been caused by extreme weather events in 536 CE, likely from a volcanic eruption that dropped global temperatures.

• The volcanic winter of 536 was among the most severe and protracted episodes of climatic cooling in the Northern Hemisphere in the last 2,000 years.

The Mayan civilization collapsed about 400 years later, around 900 CE, for debated reasons. The decline of the Mayans coincided with the rise of the Toltecs, known from Aztec records.

Between 1000 and 1300 CE, two advanced civilizations in today’s US—the Mississippian culture and the Puebloan civilization—flourished but are often downplayed in history.

Europeans arriving later assumed Native Americans were primitive because these civilizations had declined before their arrival.

The Mississippian culture had large cities like Cahokia, with populations around 20,000, flourishing during the Medieval Warm Period.

The Puebloan civilization in the American Southwest built multi-storied mud brick dwellings, sometimes on cliffs.

By 1300 CE, both cultures declined rapidly. Migration occurred, including Dorset people being replaced by Inuit in the far north and Athabascan-speaking groups migrating south to become the Navajo. There was also a general westward shift of some groups.

Indigenous Groups at European Contact

By the time Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas, North America had six major ethno-linguistic groups and many smaller ones, especially along the west coast.

It is important to remember that indigenous people’s locations and cultures in 1500 were not static; groups moved, and their cultures waxed and waned.

Final Civilizations: Incas & Aztecs

The Incas lived in the Andes of South America and built Machu Picchu, a mountaintop retreat for their elite.

The Aztecs lived in Mesoamerica around present-day Mexico City and built Tenochtitlan, the largest city-state in the Americas at European arrival.

Conclusion

This overview is brief and incomplete.

Its purpose is to outline major civilizations and their timelines, serving as a springboard for further research.

Abundance – A large amount of something; more than enough.
Agriculture – The practice of growing crops and raising animals for food.
Ancient – Very old; from a time long, long ago.
Astronomy – The science of studying stars, planets, and space.
Civilization – A group of people with cities, organized government, art, religion, and learning.
Climate – The usual weather in a place over a long time.
Contemporaries – People or groups that lived at the same time.
Decline – A time when something becomes weaker or less successful.
Ethno-linguistic – Related to both the language and the ethnic group of a people.
Figurines – Small figures or statues, often used for decoration.
Flourished – Grew strong and healthy; did very well.
Geoglyphs – Large pictures or designs made on the ground, often only visible from high up.
Intricate – Very detailed and carefully made.
Inhabitants – The people or animals who live in a certain place.
Mesoamerica – A region in Central America that was home to many ancient civilizations.
Misnomer – A wrong or misleading name.
Pottery – Objects like bowls or vases made from clay and hardened by heat.
Pyramid – A large, triangle-shaped building or monument with a square base, usually used in ancient times.
Stratification – A system that separates people into different social levels or classes.
Unified – Joined together as one; not separated.

► COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

— please answer with complete sentences

In the Americas, what civilization was most “advanced” in about 800 BCE ?
What does it mean to be a “parent” or “mother” culture?
In Canada, what were the original inhabitants called?
North American First Peoples are divided into five major categories based on location. Describe one of these categories.
Around the time the Roman Empire in Europe, what was the largest city in the Americas?
What are the dates of the Classical Mayan Period?
For 700 years, what tradition contributed to the Eastern Woodlands growth? (Hint: from about 200 BCE to 500 CE).
What big event happened in 536 CE?
For 300 years, between 1000 and 1300 CE, there were two advanced civilizations in what is today the United States. What were they?
When Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas, how many major ethno-linguistic groups were there?

► From EITHER/OR ► BOTH/AND

► FROM Right/Wrong ► Creative Combination

THESIS — Argue the case…
ANT-THESIS — Argue the case…
SYN-THESIS — Create a better solution…