Unit 6 GEOS

Humans in Latin America and Pre-Columbian Cultures

  • No other hominids or Neanderthals: There is no record of other hominids or Neanderthals in the Americas.

  • Earliest Human Activity:

    • Clovis culture: ≈13,000\approx13,000 years ago, characterized by fluted spear points.

    • Monte Verde, Chile: 14,70014,700 years ago, indicating pre-Clovis presence.

    • Cueva de las Manos, Argentina: ≈10,500\approx10,500 years ago, featuring rock art of animals and hands.

  • Migration Routes to Americas:

    • Mainly the Bering Land Bridge and Pacific coastal route.

    • Other debated possibilities include Atlantic or Pacific crossings.

  • First Hominids Evolution and Migration: Evolved in East Africa (≈200,000\approx200,000 years ago) and migrated out through Eurasia before reaching the Americas.

  • Megafauna Extinction: Around 10,00010,000 years ago, many megafauna went extinct, including mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths, glyptodonts, American horses, and giant bison.

  • Key Crops:

    • Mesoamerica: Maize, beans, squash.

    • Andes: Potatoes, quinoa, manioc.

  • The Olmecs (1200-800 BC):

    • Considered the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica.

    • Developed writing, colossal head sculptures, and trading networks.

    • Influenced later civilizations.

  • The Maya:

    • Occupied the Yucatán Peninsula, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

    • Economy was based on agriculture, especially maize.

    • Achievements: Hieroglyphic writing, codices, monumental architecture (temples, cities), astronomy, calendar systems, and art.

  • The Aztec Empire:

    • Established around 1200−15201200-1520 AD (capital Tenochtitlán founded in 13251325).

    • Tenochtitlán had about 300,000300,000 people before the conquest.

    • Distinctive traits: Militarism, maize-based agriculture, tribute system, human sacrifice, and rich artistic/religious culture.

  • The Inca Empire:

    • Stretched about 4,0004,000 km, across Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, northern Chile, and Argentina.

    • Achievements: Quipu record system, advanced road and bridge networks, architecture (Machu Picchu, palaces), fine textiles, pottery, and centralized administration.

  • Impact of Iberian Conquest:

    • Caused massive population collapse due to war, forced labor, and European diseases.

    • Diseases: Devastated natives because they had no immunity after millennia of isolation; main killers were smallpox, measles, influenza, typhus, and chickenpox.