308-311 CO6-868874 1/5/05 5:02 PM Page 308 The Ancient .

AncientAmericasTheThe ancient Mayancity of Chichén Itzá1100 B.C.400 B.C.A.D. 300 A.D. 1000c. 1200 B.C.c. A.D. 100c. A.D. 500Olmec buildan empireMoche civilization beginsMayan civiliza- Mayantion reaches citiesits peakabandonedc. A.D. 950

Chapter OverviewVisit ca.hss.glencoe.com fora preview of Chapter 6.The First AmericansPhysical geography plays a role in how civilizations develop anddecline. The first people in the Americas arrived thousands ofyears ago. Farming led to the growth of civilizations in what isnow Mexico, Central America, and Peru.The Mayan PeopleCivilizations are strengthened by a variety of advances. The Maya builta complex culture in Mesoamerica with great temples and madeadvances in science and writing.View the Chapter 6 video in the Glencoe Video Program.Compare-Contrast Make this foldable to help you compare and contrast whatyou learn about the ancient Americas.Reading and WritingStep 1 Fold a sheet of paper in half fromside to side.Fold it so the leftedge lies about12 inch from theright edge.Step 2 Turn the paperand fold it into thirds.Step 3 Unfold and cut only thetop layer along both folds.This will makethree tabs.Step 4 Label as shown.OlmecBothAs you read the sectionson the ancient Americas,record importantconcepts and eventsunder the appropriatetabs. Then record ideassimilar to both under themiddle tab.Maya309

Taking NotesWhen you do research for a report or study for a test, it helpsto write down information so that you can refer to it later. By taking notes, you can: phrase the information in your own words learn to restate ideas in short, memorable phrases stay focused on main ideas and only the most important supporting details.BAs the ice froze and the seas fell, an area ofdry land was exposed between Asia andAlaska. Scientists call this land bridge Beringia(buh RIHN jee uh), after Vitus Bering, afamous European explorer. They think thatpeople in Asia followed the animals they werehunting across this land bridge into theAmericas. By testing the age of bones and toolsat ancient campsites, scientists estimate thatthe first people arrived between 15,000 and40,000 years ago.A—from page 313ket and tasrifduaReards. Yowretfasnoteke downatotylon ifare likefor matinihcuyoutoo mnotes asekatuyoread.These notes were recorded for the paragraph above.A. Asians followed animals across Beringia to theAmericasB. Beringia—named after European explorer VitusBeringC. People came to Americas about 15,000 to 40,000years agoC

Using a two-column chart can make note-taking easier. Writemain ideas in the left column. In the right column, write at least twosupporting details for each main idea. Read the text from this chapter under the heading Mayan Culture on pages 320–321. Then takenotes using a two-column chart, such as the one below.Main IdeaSupporting DetailsLife in Mayan Cities1.2.3.4.5.Mayan Scienceand Writing1.2.3.4.5.What Happenedto the Maya?1.2.3.4.5.Read to WriteChoose an important person or place from thechapter. Then do researchusing at least threesources and take notesusing the two-columnmethod. Use your notesto write a brief paragraphsummarizing your topic.Mayan ballplayerAs you read one of the sections, makea chart with important dates, names,places, and events as main ideas.Under each main idea, list at least twodetails from your reading.311

The First AmericansHistorySocial ScienceStandardsWH7.7 Studentscompare and contrastthe geographic, political,economic, religious, andsocial structures of theMeso-American andAndean civilizations.Looking Back, Looking AheadContent VocabularyWhile civilization flourished inMesopotamia, India, and China,thousands of miles away in theAmericas, new civilizations beganto develop.glacier (GLAY shuhr)Focusing on theReading Strategy People came to the Americas duringthe Ice Age, and about 10,000 yearsago, farming began in Mesoamerica.(page 313) The first civilizations in America werebased on farming and trade.(page 315)Academic Vocabularyexpose (ihk SPOHZ)estimate (EHS tuh MAYT)Summarizing Information Create achart to show the characteristics of theOlmec and Moche.OlmecMocheLocationDatesLocating PlacesMesoamericaLifestyle(MEH zoh uh MEHR ih kuh)Teotihuacán(TAY oh TEE wuh KAHN)Meeting PeopleOlmec (OHL mehk)Maya (MY uh)Moche (MOH cheh)1500 B.C.Teotihuac an312A.D. 1A.D. 500c. 1200 B.C.c. A.D. 100c. A.D. 400Olmecbuild sCHAPTER 6 The Ancient Americas

WH7.7 Students compare and contrast the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the Meso-Americanand Andean civilizations.Farming in MesoamericaPeople came to the Americas during theIce Age, and about 10,000 years ago, farming beganin Mesoamerica.Reading Connection What would our lives be like ifpeople never learned to farm? Read to learn how farming made civilization possible in Mesoamerica.When the Ice Age ended about 10,000years ago, the glaciers melted and releasedwater back into the seas. The land bridge toAmerica disappeared beneath the waves.Hunting and GatheringHunters in theAmericas were constantly on the move insearch of food. They fished and gatherednuts, fruits, or roots. They also hunted massive prey, such as the woolly mammoth,antelope, caribou, and bison.It took several hunters to kill a woollymammoth, which could weigh as much as9 tons. These big animals provided meat,hides for clothing, and bones for tools.As the Ice Age ended, some animalsbecame extinct, or disappeared from theearth. Other animals found ways to surviveWe know people came to America along time ago, but how did they get here?Today, America is not connected by land tothe rest of the world, but in the past it was.Scientists have studied the earth’s geography during the Ice Age—a period whentemperatures dropped sharply. At thattime, much of the earth’s water froze intohuge sheets of ice, or glaciers (GLAY shuhrz).As the ice froze andthe seas fell, an area ofdry land was exposedMigration to AmericabetweenAsiaandAlaska. Scientists callARCTIC OCEANGreenlandthis land bridge Beringia2,000 mi.0(buh RIHN jee uh), afterNORTHnd bridge theoraL2,000 kmy0Vitus Bering, a famousASIAAMERICAMercator projectionEuropean explorer. TheyBeringthink that people in AsiaSeaEUROPEfollowed the animalsetul rothey were hunting acrossCoastathis land bridge into thePACIFICATLANTICAmericas. By testing theOCEANAFRICAOCEANage of bones and tools atNancient campsites, scienSOUTH W Etists estimate that the1.MovementHowdidprehistoricAMERICAfirst people arrived beAUSTRALIASpeople get to America from Asia?tween 15,000 and 40,0002. Human/Environmentyears ago.Interaction Why do you thinkprehistoric people spreadthroughout the Americas?Find NGS online map resources @www.nationalgeographic.com/mapsKEYExtent of ice sheetLand now under waterPossible migrationroutesStone arrowheadCHAPTER 6 The Ancient Americas313

the change in environment. The warmweather, however, opened new opportunities to early Americans.The Agricultural Revolution in AmericaThe first Americans were hunter-gatherers,but as the Ice Age ended and the climatewarmed, people in America made an amazing discovery. They learned that seedscould be planted and they would grow intocrops that people could eat.Farming began in Mesoamerica (MEH zoh uh MEHR ih kuh) 9,000 to 10,000 yearsago. Meso comes from the Greek word for“middle.” This region includes landsstretching from the Valley of Mexico toCosta Rica in Central America.The region’s geography was ideal forfarming. Much of the area had a rich, volcanic soil and a mild climate. Rains fell inthe spring, helping seeds to sprout. Theydecreased in the summer, allowing crops toripen for harvest. Then, in the autumn, therains returned, soaking the soil for the nextyear’s crop.The first crops grown in the Americasincluded pumpkins, peppers, squash,gourds, and beans. It took longer todevelop corn, which grew as a wild grass.Early plants produced a single, one-inchcob. By about 2000 B.C., early Americanshad learned the technique of crossing cornwith other grasses to get bigger cobs andmore cobs per plant. This increased thefood supply and allowed Mesoamericanpopulations to grow. Corn, also known asmaize, became the most important food inthe Americas.Summarize How did theagricultural revolution begin in America?Ancient American CivilizationsGulf of MexicoTeotihuac anValley ofMexicoAn Olmec stone headYucat anPeninsulaLa VentaMEXICOTikalMoche potteryin the shape ofa llama100 W10 NNWES0300 mi.PACIFICOCEAN300 km0Bipolar Oblique projection0 EQUATORKEYOlmec c. 500 B.C.Moche c. A.D. 700Maya c. A.D. 750Moche90 WMichael Holford80 W1. Region What geographical trait didall three civilizations share?10 S2. Location How far apart were theMayan and Moche civilizations?

WH7.7.1 Study the locations, landforms, and climates of Mexico, Central America, and South America and their effects on Mayan,American Museum of Natural HistoryAztec, and Incan economies, trade, and development of urban societies.Early American CivilizationsThe first civilizations in America werebased on farming and trade.Reading Connection Have you ever traded somethingwith your friend for something you wanted? Read to findout how early American civilizations traded goods to getwhat they needed.Growing corn and other crops allowedMesoamericans to form more complex societies. Starting around 1500 B.C., the firstAmerican civilizations appeared.Who Were the Olmec? Near present-dayVera Cruz, Mexico, a people called theOlmec (OHL mehk) built a far-reaching trading empire. It started around 1200 B.C. andlasted about 800 years.The Olmec enjoyed rich farming resources. For example, they received abundantrainfall and crops grew well. Instead of building irrigation systems, they built drainagesystems to divert water to protect their crops.The Olmec lacked important raw materials. They traded salt and beans with inlandpeoples to get jade for jewelry and obsidian,or volcanic glass, to make sharp-edgedknives. They used other trade goods such ashematite, a shiny volcanic stone, to makepolished mirrors and basalt to carve gigantic stone heads.The Olmec used the region’s many riversas highways for trade, but eventually, theinland peoples seized control of the trade.One of these groups built the first plannedcity in the Americas. It became known asTeotihuacán (TAY oh TEE wuh KAHN), or“Place of the Gods.” The city reached itsheight around A.D. 400. It had a populationof between 120,000 to 200,000 people.This pyramid was in the Mayan city of Tikal, whichwas located in present-day Guatemala. Whatcaused the downfall of the Mayan civilization?The Pyramid of the Sun is located in theMesoamerican city of Teotihuacán. At over200 feet tall, this pyramid is the tallest inpresent-day Mexico.CHAPTER 6 The Ancient Americas315