Chapter 1.1
 Land-Bridge Theory
 Glaciers
 Dry land
 Bering Strait
 Coastal-Route Theory
 Crossed the arctic waters by boat.
 Traveled southwestward along pacific coast.
 Early humans could fill most of their needs by hunting.
 Hunting provided them with food, furs, clothing, and tools (bones).
 Large animals began to disappear.
 Discovery of farming changed lives.
 Discovery of irrigation
 Surplus=trade
 Definition of Civilization
 An advanced culture in which people have developed cities, science, and industries.
 Three largest civilizations
 Mayas
 Aztecs
 Incas
 Between A.D. 250 and A.D.900
 Built cities in Mexico and Central America
 Large plazas with pyramids, temples, ball courts, and palaces.
 Developed arts, a system of government, and written language.
 Observed stars and heavens
 Most accurate calendar known until modern times
 A.D. 900 began to abandon their cities
 Remains a mystery
 Disease? Overpopulation?
 Language remains the root of more than 20 languages in Central Amer.
 Was on the rise as Mayan civilization declined.
 Tenochtitlan
 Great capital city, site of Mexico City
 Built on a series of islands in a large lake.
 Connected to mainland by stone roadways.
 Farmers raised crops on floating platforms.
 Largest city in the world at the time- more than 200,000 people.
 Religion dominated Aztec life.
 Dozens of temples honored Aztec gods.
 To them, prosperity depended on the good will of gods.
 Practiced human sacrifices as an offering to the gods.
 1400s-Aztec armies bought half do modern-day Mexico under their control.
 Had effective but harsh rulers.
 Conquered tribes were forced to send treasure, food, and prisoners to capital.
 Conquered people had to pay high taxes.
 1400s- largest empire.
 Empire stretched down the coast of South America, along the Andes, across the
Atacama desert, and reached the fringes of the Amazon rain forest.
 Cuzco
 Capital of Incan empire
 Linked to other cities and towns by a great network of roads.
 Spaniard man called inca highway "the finest road to be seen in the world"
 Constructed buildings of huge stones.
 Produced fine weavings and metalwork.
 Rulers wore gold and silver jewelry and palaces contained plates of gold.