PDF-(BOOS)-Olmecs: America\'s First Civilization (Ancient Peoples & Places)

The Olmecs of southern Mexico are Americas oldest civilization and Mesoamericas Mother Culture Long famous for their colossal heads carved from giant boulders the Olmecs have fascinated the public and archaeologists alike since the 1940s when National Geographic magazine reported the initial explorations of their centers Despite wellpublicized discoveries of spectacular basalt sculptures portable jade objects and richly decorated pottery vessels until recently almost nothing was known about Olmec history foreign contacts and daily life Now archaeologists have recovered information that allows them to assemble a reasonably complete picture of Olmec culture and its impact on later Mexican civilizationsThe Olmecs established the first cities in the Americas on high ground overlooking the rivers that meander across southeastern Mexicos fertile coastal lowlands Between the thirteenth and sixth centuries BC rulers of San Lorenzo and La Venta oversaw the construction of palaces pyramids plazas richly stocked tombs and religious sanctuaries and commissioned hundreds of sculptures carved from raw basalt Thousands of Olmec farmers supported themselves and their leaders by growing maize and other domesticated plants Rulers and priests interceded on behalf of the entire society with the gods and spirits while merchants ventured into distant lands searching for rare stones shells animal pelts feathers and exotic foods such as cacaoThe Olmecs presents the first modern overview of information from recent archaeological field projects and studies of Olmec art Profusely illustrated it will become the standard work on this enigmatic culture. It is called civilization Government A new type of government developed in Sumer that included a city and its surrounding lands Government Religion dominated life in Sumer but in time powerful men who were not priests became the political rulers The It is called civilization Government A new type of government developed in Sumer that included a city and its surrounding lands Government Religion dominated life in Sumer but in time powerful men who were not priests became the political rulers The Minoan Civilization. © Student Handouts, Inc. www.studenthandouts.com. Archaeology. Cretan history previously known only through myths and legends. British archaeologist Sir . Two. Ancient Middle East and Egypt. 3200 B.C.-500 . B.C.. Section . Four. Egyptian Civilization. The ancient Egyptian civilization had an organized religion.. Ancient Egyptians believed . that many gods and goddesses ruled the world and the afterlife. . , . the beginning of civilization. World History. Today’s Date. Mesopotamia, . the beginning of . civilization. Page # (Your next available page). Interactive Notebook. Table of Contents. Given instructional . SOL-WHI-3. The 1. st. River Valley Civilizations. During the New Stone Age, permanent settlements appeared in river valleys and around the Fertile Crescent. . River Valleys provided water and rich soil for crops as well as protection from invasion. . List some things that you feel would be needed for a civilization to be successful…. River Valley Civilizations. Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China. 9000 – 3000 Years Ago… . Advanced. Cities. 3200 B.C.-500 . B.C.. Section . Four. Egyptian Civilization. The ancient Egyptian civilization had an organized religion.. Ancient Egyptians believed . that many gods and goddesses ruled the world and the afterlife. . How did the history of . Meroë. and Axum reflect interaction with neighboring civilizations?. Both . Meroë. and Axum traded extensively with neighboring civilizations. . Both . Meroë. and Axum developed their own distinct writing scripts. . Preview:. . What does this image show?. Native American Civilizations. Mayan, Incan, & Aztec Civilizations. The Civilizations of America. While classical civilizations were developing in the Mediterranean & Asia… . Create Your Own Civilization. Your map must include the following:. Your name. The name of your civilization in big letters. The physical features you choose in Section 1 . Symbols to show what resources your civilization has from Sections 2, 3 and 4.. BY: KATHY RICHARDSON. GEOGRAHPHY. The first Olmec people settled along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the southern Mexico's tropical lowlands. This part were the Olmec first settled in now Mexican states. . “Masterly. . . . The complexities of Mexico’s ancient cultures are perceptively presented and interpreted.” —Library Journal Michael D. Coe’s Mexico has long been recognized as the most readable and authoritative introduction to the region’s ancient civilizations. This companion to his best-selling The Maya has now been revised by Professor Coe and Rex Koontz.The seventh edition incorporates new findings in a number of disciplines. The solution to the long-standing puzzle of the origin of maize-farming has at last been solved, and spectacular new discoveries shed light on Mexico’s earliest civilization, the Olmec culture. At the great city of Teotihuacan, recent investigations in the earliest monumental pyramid indicate the antiquity of certain sacrificial practices and the symbolism of the pyramid. Expanded information on the Huastec region of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico is included, while discoveries in the sacred precinct of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan have led to a refined understanding of the history and symbolism of this hallowed area. The American Southwest is home to some of the most remarkable monuments of America\'s prehistoric past, such as Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. Visitors marvel at the impressive ruined pueblos and spectacular cliff dwellings but often have little idea of the cultures that produced these prehistoric wonders. Stephen Plog, who has spent decades working in the region, provides the most readable and up-to-date account of the predecessors of the modern Hopi and Pueblo Indian cultures in this well-received account. Ten thousand years ago, humans first colonized this seemingly inhospitable landscape with its scorching hot deserts and freezing upland areas. The initial hunter-gatherer bands gradually adapted to become sedentary village groups, and the high point of Southwestern civilization was reached with the emergence of cultures known to archaeologists as Anasazi, Hohokam, and Mogollon in the first millennium A.D. Chaco Canyon became the center of a thriving Anasazi cultural tradition. It was the hub of a trading network extending over hundreds of miles, whose arteries were a series of extraordinary roads that are still being discovered and mapped. To the south lay the settlement of Snaketown, focus of the Hohokam, where the inhabitants built courts for a ritual ball game--intriguing echoes of ancient Mexican practices. The Mogollon people of the Mimbres Valley created some of the world\'s finest ceramics, decorated with human figures and mythical creatures. Interweaving the latest archaeological evidence with early first-person accounts, Professor Plog explains the rise and mysterious fall of Southwestern cultures. As he concludes, despite the depredations and diseases introduced by the Europeans, the Southwest is still home to vibrant Native American communities that carry on many of the old traditions.