Life before the conquest…

The Aztecs, the Maya,

and the Inca
 Introduction

 Human occupation of the Americas began 15000 to

40000 years ago.

 The three main civilizations of the region were the

Maya, the Aztecs, and the Inca.

 During the Age of Exploration in the 15th century

there were only two – the Aztecs (Mexico) and the
Incas (Peru).

 The Age of Exploration relates to the time that

European explorers first reached the Americas.
 The Maya

 The oldest of the three

civilizations
 Skilled in arithmetic,
astronomy, and had their
own form of hieroglyphic
writing.
 The Maya civilization
declined after AD 900 for
reasons that are not fully
understood.
 Fun Facts about the Maya

 The culture continues today!

 They were skilled doctors and dentists.

 They built ball courts so they could play games.

 The Aztecs

 The Aztec Empire grew rapidly through the

conquering of other tribes.

 The society was organized according to a strict

hierarchy – the emperor, nobles, warriors,
commoners, and slaves.

 They worshiped a variety of Gods.

 The Aztecs Video

Fun Facts About the Aztecs

 They were very artistic.

 They had mandatory

schooling for girls and
boys.

 Families would sell their

children into slavery.

 They performed human

sacrifices to worship their
Gods.
 The Incas

 By 1493, the Incan Empire has become the most

powerful in the pre-Columbian Americas.

 Cuzco was the capital.

 The Incas developed an efficient administrative

system in order to govern.

 The excelled in working with metals such as silver,

copper, and gold.
 Fun Facts about the Incas

 They were the largest empire.

 They practiced human sacrifice.

 The spread of diseases from the Spanish helped

cause the fall of the Incas.