Americas Notes

Intro to the Americas

The Land Bridge

  • The first Americans came from Asia over Beringia, a land bridge that connected Russia with Alaska.
  • The first Americans arrived sometime toward the end of the last Ice Age, following herds of wild animals migrating from Siberia.
  • Siberian hunters followed these animals into North America.

Arrival of the Americans

  • The exact date of the first crossing is unknown, with estimates ranging from 40,000 to 10,000 B.C.
  • Most experts believe the earliest Americans traveled by foot across the land bridge.
  • Some scholars suggest they may have also paddled from Asia to the Pacific Coast in small boats.
  • A skull discovered near Mexico City has been dated to about 11,000 B.C., making it the oldest skull found in the Americas and possibly related to the Ainu people of Japan.

Transition and Development

  • Humans came to the Americas as hunters and gatherers, with the mammoth as their chief prey.
  • Mammoths provided materials for food, clothing, shelter, and tools.
  • As mammoths died out, Americans transitioned to smaller game.
  • Farming developed around 7000 BC, with maize (corn) becoming the staple crop by 3400 BC.
  • Farming improved society and increased population, leading to the development of communities.

The Olmecs

  • The Olmec civilization began in Mesoamerica around 1200 B.C.
  • Mesoamerica includes the region from central Mexico to northern Honduras.
  • The Olmecs are known as the Mother Culture of Mesoamerica, creators of the earliest found civilization in southern Mexico.
  • Historians first discovered the Olmecs in 1860.
  • Massive carved stone heads became the identifier of the Olmecs.
  • San Lorenzo, the oldest Olmec site, dates to 1150 B.C.

Geography of the Olmecs

  • The area where the Olmecs lived was hot and humid, with swamps, jungles, and thick vegetation.
  • Heavy rainfalls often led to flooding.
  • The region was resource-rich, with salt, tar, clay, wood, rubber, and stone.
  • Rivers provided transportation and fertile land for farming.

Olmec Society

  • San Lorenzo featured earthen mounds, pyramids, and sculptures.
  • La Venta, another Olmec site, had a 100-foot-high mound of clay and earth, possibly a tomb.
  • Olmec trade spanned north and south, helping to expand their influence.
  • The Olmec civilization appears to have lasted until 400 BC, but the reason for its collapse is still unknown.

Zapotec Civilization

  • The Zapotecs built a new civilization in the Oaxaca Valley, with their culture showing some Olmec influence.
  • By 1000 B.C., the Zapotecs built San José Mogote.
  • By 500 B.C., the Zapotecs developed writing and a calendar.

Monte Albán

  • Around 500 B.C., the Zapotecs built Monte Albán, the first city in America.
  • The population of Monte Albán was about 25,000 people.
  • The city had impressive stone buildings, a plaza, and an observatory.
  • Stone sculptures there show Olmec influence.
  • The Zapotec civilization declined shortly after A.D. 600 for unknown reasons.

Mesoamerican Legacy

  • Olmec contributions include art and construction techniques that influenced future cultures like the Maya.
  • They developed ceremonial centers and the idea of a ruling class.
  • Zapotec contributions include writing and calendar systems, and they were the first city builders.
  • Monte Albán inspired other cities in America.

Civilizations of the Andes

  • The Andes are much different from Mesoamerica.
  • The Andes Mountains' climate and environment made travel and farming difficult.
  • Harsh deserts lie along the Pacific coast.
  • Coastal areas with rivers had good soil and were among the earliest settled locations (3600–2500 B.C.).
  • Agriculture made its way down by 3000 BC, and communities started by 1800 BC.

The Chavín

  • The Chavín were the first influential culture in South America.
  • The culture is named after a major ruin, Chavín de Huántar, which features pyramids, plazas, and massive earthen mounds.
  • Chavín culture spread quickly across much of northern and central Peru.
  • There is no evidence of political or economic organization within the culture.
  • Like the Olmecs, the Chavín are considered the mother culture of South America.

Nasca Culture

  • The Nasca culture existed on the southern coast of Peru.
  • It flourished from 200 B.C. to A.D. 600.
  • The Nasca developed extensive irrigation systems, including underground canals, to improve their farming.
  • They were known for their beautiful textiles and pottery.
  • They are even more famous for the Nazca Lines, which are geoglyphs (drawings carved directly into the ground).

Moche Culture

  • The Moche culture existed in the northern part of Peru, lasting from about A.D. 100 to A.D. 700.
  • Like the Nasca, the Moche constructed large irrigation systems.
  • They farmed a wide range of crops, including corn, beans, potatoes, squash, and peanuts.
  • Neither Moche religion nor the reason for the culture's fall are well understood.