EUROPE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MODERN AGE AND PRE-COLUMBIAN AMERICA PRE-COLUMBIAN ERA Before the arrival of Christopher Columbus, a wide variety of peoples and cultures inhabited the American continent. These peoples were referred to as pre-Columbian. Generally, they were small tribes with very primitive forms of life, such as the Caribs or the Tainos in the Caribbean. However, there were also others like the Maya, the Incas, and the Aztecs, who had developed advanced civilizations. MAYA CIVILIZATION The Maya civilization achieved great splendor between the years 300 and 900 AD. When the Spanish arrived, they were experiencing a profound decline caused by a succession of internal wars. TERRITORY The Maya inhabited the Yucatán Peninsula and other territories in present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras. GOVERNMENT, SOCIETY AND ECONOMY GOVERNEMENT They organized themselves into independent cities that were governed by a supreme leader. SOCIETY ECONOMY It was divided into four groups: nobility, priests, peasantry, and artisans, which made up the majority of the population, and enslaved individuals, who were primarily prisoners of war. They engaged in internal trade between different cities and cultivated crops such as maize, cotton, cocoa, and tomatoes. INDICATE THE CORRECT STATEMENTS ABOUT THE MAYAN CIVILIZATION They organized themselves in cities that depended on a capital. Wars for power led it to decline. The period of splendor was between the years 300 and 900 of our era. They sacrificed prisoners of war. They were led by a supreme leader. They cultivated maize, cotton, cocoa, and tomatoes. They populated the area of present-day Argentina. One of the economic activities they carried out was trade. Socially, it was divided into three groups: nobility, priests, and artisans. INCA CIVILITACION The Inca civilization created the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. It began to take shape around the 13th century and fell with the arrival and conquest by the Spaniards, at a time of maximum territorial expansion. TERRITORY The Incas settled in the Andean mountain range. They created a vast empire that encompassed parts of present-day Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Chile. GOVERNMENT, SOCIETY AND ECONOMY GOVERNEMENT The supreme religious and political authority was held by the Inca, considered the son of the Sun. SOCIETY ECONOMY It was composed of the nobility, the common people, serfs, and slaves. The common people included the peasantry and individuals dedicated to craftsmanship, excelling in goldsmithing and pottery. They cultivated maize and potatoes on terraced slopes of the mountains. They raised llamas and alpacas, from which they obtained food and wool for making clothes. These animals also served as a means of transportation. COMPLETE THE TEXT ABOUT THE INCA CIVILIZATION The Inca civilization inhabited the mountain range of the……….. The highest religious and political authority was………….. who was considered the son of ………... He carried a.………….adorned with feathers and shaped like.……….. Inca society was composed of the nobility, the common people, serfs, and slaves. The common people included.………….. and craftsmanship. They cultivated maize and………... on stepped terraces on the mountain slopes. To move and obtain food and materials for making clothing, they used llamas and.………… AZTEC EMPIRE When the Spaniards arrived in America, the Aztec civilization's Empire was in its early stages. The Aztecs inhabited the Valley of Mexico since the 12th century. GOVERNMENT, SOCIETY AND ECONOMY GOVERNEMENT The Empire was based on the alliance of three cities: Tenochtitlán, Texcoco, and Tlacopán. An emperor held both political and religious power.. SOCIETY ECONOMY The society was organized into tribes divided into groups: the nobility (warrior leaders, highranking government officials, landowners, and priests), merchants, peasantry, artisanal population, and enslaved individuals. The main economic activity was agriculture, but they also excelled in pottery manufacturing and gold and silver metallurgy. INDICATE WHETHER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS ABOUT THE AZTEC CIVILIZATION ARE TRUE OR FALSE: They were established in present-day Mexico Texcoco was the capital of the Empire. The society was distributed in villages. The emperor held both political and religious power. The main economic activity was agriculture. Chinampas were land extensions used for agriculture.