Pre-Columbian America - Summary on a Map
Pre-Columbian America - Summary on a Map
We retrace on maps the evolution of Pre-Columbian America since the first settlements until the arrival of Europeans.
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Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geohistory
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English translation \u0026 voiceover: Rahul Venkit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD1X…
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Original French version: • L’Amérique précolombienne - Résumé su…
Russian version: • Америка до Колумба - на карте
Arabic version: • العصر الأمريكي قبل الكولومبي
Spanish version: • América Precolombina - Resumen en map…
Portuguese version (Brazil): Coming soon
Japanese version: • 先コロンブス期の歴史
German version: • Das Präkolumbianische Amerika - Zusam…
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Music: Higher Powered - Audio Hertz (Youtube Library)
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Software: Adobe After Effects
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Chapters
00:00 First origins
01:06 Beringia
01:45 Agriculture
02:29 Sedentarization
03:46 Mesoamerica
05:08 Teotihuacan
06:47 Andean civilizations
08:04 Maya civilization
09:19 Population growth
10:35 Aztec Empire
11:23 Inca Empire
#geohistory #history #america #aztec #maya #incas
Content
0.56 -> We begin around 30,000 BC. The Earth is in its
last Ice Age; the sea level is about 120 meters lower than current levels.
10.531 -> The American continent
is completely isolated by large glaciers.
15.36 -> Yet the first signs of human occupation are
popping up everywhere.
19.837 -> Tools, bones of hunted animals and fires appear in various places on
the continent.
26.049 -> To this day, the origins of these early settlements remain a mystery, but a few
theories are suggested.
33.115 -> According to one theory, people from the Bay of Biscay would have
followed the 5,000 km icefield that crossed
40.08 -> the Atlantic Ocean to reach the north of the
American continent.
44.212 -> But this hypothesis is controversial and undermined by recent genetic
data which points to Asian origins of the first American settlements.
53.784 -> Another theory contemplates that groups sailed along the “Kelp Highway,”
58.216 -> a gigantic seaweed forest rich in fish that ran
along the Pacific rim from north Asia to America.
69.36 -> As the Ice Age draws to a close, Beringia
forms a land corridor that connects America with Asia.
76.346 -> The climate is milder here; local vegetation is suitable for large animals such as bison, caribou and mammoths,
83.964 -> attracting Siberian populations who are hunters.
87.628 -> Further east, the melting of enormous ice caps
opens a corridor towards the continent.
93.34 -> Animals, followed by humans, gradually
pour in, while the melting ice causes waters to rise.
100.031 -> Beringia is flooded;
the American continent is once again isolated.
108.48 -> New nomadic populations spread across the
continent, who gather, fish and hunt.
114.139 -> The climate continues to warm up, which facilitates the
domestication of plants endemic to the continent.
120.8 -> Due to cross-breeding, American
populations create and cultivate avocados,
125.84 -> chilli peppers, squash, corn and even cassava.
129.747 -> Ceramics appear, a very useful invention not only for storing crops, but also
for art.
135.983 -> Meanwhile animals such as the llama and guinea pigs are domesticated.
140.549 -> Populations begin to settle, initially mainly on the central Mexican plateau and in
the coastal areas along the Andes mountains.
153.04 -> Gradually, groups of populations begin to take
shape and the first cultures appear.
158.363 -> In the Atacama Desert, the Chinchorros are the first
in the world to mummify their dead.
163.732 -> A little further north, the Valdivia culture emerges.
167.336 -> This is one of the first to produce ceramics in large quantities.
171.485 -> In the Mississippi Basin are the Mound
Builders, a group of nomadic peoples famous for the many large mounds they erect.
179.348 -> Their chiefs meet regularly and trade develops throughout the region.
183.803 -> In the South, the Caral civilization
is the first to emerge on the continent.
188.936 -> It brings together around 30 sites and population
centers, including Caral, which is probably the first city on the continent.
197.37 -> Pyramids, squares as well as residential quarters are built there.
201.848 -> This civilization is prosperous, thanks to the
irrigation system it develops, among other things.
207.736 -> Yet despite its isolation, the Caral civilization
mysteriously declines and disappears around the 19th century BC
216.265 -> perhaps because of the numerous earthquakes or the El Niño phenomenon,
220.532 -> a warm sea current that causes the disappearance of fish and devastating climatic upheavals.
230.24 -> In the center of the continent, the Olmecs appear
and form the first Mesoamerican civilization.
236.56 -> They first develop in the city of San Lorenzo,
where nearly 10,000 inhabitants live in 1600 BC.
243.92 -> Huge basalt sculptures representing
heads are built there.
248.206 -> The Olmecs set up agricultural terraces with a complex system
of water distribution using U-shaped stones.
256.24 -> Further south, the Chavin civilization emerges in
the Andes.
260.669 -> Known in particular for its religious ceremonies, the civilization prospers and deeply
influences the region.
267.872 -> Among the Olmecs, while San Lorenzo is in decline, La Venta reaches its peak.
273.26 -> According to some, the first Mesoamerican pyramid was built there.
277.309 -> To stock up on precious stones in particular, important networks of exchange are developed with cultures and civilizations of the region.
285.3 -> There are also traces of writing among the Olmecs, but the exact origin of this invention is still debated today.
292.387 -> Finally, Tres Zapotes is the last great Olmec city as the civilization
falls into decline.
299.597 -> This benefits the Zapotecs who become the new dominant civilization, with Monte
Alban as the capital, where writing is developing.
311.84 -> A little further north is an
important city called Cuicuilco.
316.08 -> But it declines from the 1st century BC
because of the neighboring volcano Xitle
321.44 -> which, in one or more eruptions, covers the
city in lava and destroys the surrounding fertile land.
327.769 -> There is still no consensus over
the precise date of this event.
331.88 -> In any case, this benefits the neighboring city of Teotihuacan
which sees dazzling prosperity and development.
339.574 -> Surrounded by fertile land and located near
deposits of obsidian, a volcanic stone used in the making of tools,
346.739 -> the city attracts artisans and traders from all over Mesoamerica and becomes an important hub.
353.871 -> Monumental pyramids are built and become places of pilgrimage.
358.359 -> At its peak, Teotihuacan is the largest city on the
continent with a population of at least 100,000.
365.44 -> Further east, the Mayan civilization is divided
into a multitude of city-states which are often rivals.
372.946 -> Tikal and Calakmul, both in competition
against one another, are the two greatest powers.
378.934 -> But in 378, Teotihuacan seizes power in Tikal.
383.684 -> A new dynasty is established there and the war continues against Calakmul.
388.843 -> Between 550 and 575, the central districts of Teotihuacan are set on fire and vandalized, possibly during internal revolts.
399.769 -> While in the East, Tikal is defeated by Calakmul. Teotihuacan's
power wanes until the city collapses.
410.72 -> We return to 200 BC. At this time, in the south
of the continent, the civilization of Chavin collapses,
418.278 -> which allows the development
of other civilisations in the region.
422.07 -> The Nazca civilization develops in an arid zone,
in particular by building underground aqueducts
428.777 -> which make it possible to transform the desert
into cultivated fields.
433.921 -> They also do large drawings often representing animals, which
become an important part of ritual ceremonies.
441.52 -> Further north, the Moche culture becomes
prevalent.
445.019 -> Remarkable for its metallurgy and agricultural techniques in a desert environment,
this warrior civilization spreads rapidly.
453.44 -> Prisoners are sacrificed during rites.
456.185 -> During the 7th century, it is probable that important climatic changes
precipitates the fall of the Nazcas and the Moche.
465.36 -> This benefits the Wari civilization, which extends
considerably to the north.
470.334 -> Meanwhile their ally, the Tiwanaku civilization, originating
from the shores of Lake Titicaca,
476.41 -> spreads south and eastwards, thus ensuring military
and cultural domination over the entire region.
487.28 -> In Mesoamerica, the fall of Teotihuacan leaves a
void in the region, which benefits several cities that develop rapidly.
495.54 -> In Mayan territory, rivalries remain a constant despite intense trade.
501.098 -> The cocoa bean is used as money, but it is also consumed as a drink during ritual ceremonies reserved for elites and kings.
509.866 -> The Mayans use writing and create a calendar designed by combining three existing calendars.
516.428 -> The Long Count calendar has a cycle of 5,125 years, with its first cycle ending in 2012.
525.535 -> From 780, a succession of periods of intense drought, followed by a major political and demographic crisis, leads to the desertion of most Mayan cities.
537.305 -> Architectural constructions are interrupted, as are exchange networks.
542.38 -> Dynasties collapse and only a few Mayan cities remain.
546.269 -> The Zapotec capital of Monte Alban
also collapses, to the benefit of the neighboring Mixtec people.
553.816 -> Tula, further north, grows to
become the new Mesoamerican cultural center.
562.8 -> In the north of the continent, the
development of intensive agriculture
567.2 -> in the Mississippi River basin spurs the growth of
so-called Mississippian cultures.
572.912 -> Further north, around the year 1000, Vikings from Greenland
reach the coasts of America.
578.939 -> They build camps, but these are abandoned after a few years
and forgotten.
583.815 -> In the south of the continent, El Niño is probably responsible for the
collapse of the Wari and Tiwanaku civilizations.
591.84 -> This benefits the Kingdom of Chimor, which
quickly becomes the main center of the Andes
597.2 -> with Chan Chan as its capital -- an immense city
of approximately 20 sqkm,
602.263 -> composed among others of 10 fortified citadels corresponding to the 10
kings.
608.399 -> The Chimús dominate the region through war and impose their religious beliefs, including the sacrifice of children and llamas.
616.513 -> Other peoples and civilisations develop in South America,
notably the Muiscas in the north.
622.722 -> They are renowned for covering their new leader in gold
dust before he submerges himself in a sacred lake.
629.44 -> Further south, the Kingdom of Cuzco
develops, where the Incas live.
638.08 -> On a small island in Lake Texcoco, the Mexicas
people live in the city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan.
645.2 -> In 1428, they ally with the neighboring
city of Texcoco to destroy the powerful city of Azcapotzalco.
653.149 -> Then Texcoco, Tenochtitlan and
Tlacopan unite and form the Triple Alliance.
659.28 -> Tenochtitlan becomes the capital of the
new Aztec empire.
663.489 -> All men receive military education. Considered to be invincible,
their armies quickly conquer a large part of the Mesoamerican territory.
672.522 -> Despite a certain unity and cohesion in the empire, the heavy taxes imposed on the subjugated provinces becomes the cause of frequent rebellion.
686.4 -> In 1438, after pushing back an offensive in
Cuzco, Pachacuti becomes the new Inca emperor.
693.84 -> Quickly, he begins an expansionist
policy throughout the Andean area.
698.56 -> The Incas operate mines and build bridges, dams
and roads to link the entire empire to Cuzco.
705.12 -> The rapidly expanding capital grows
to 60,000 to 100,000 inhabitants.
711.12 -> The Inca territory is solidly organized in four
quadrants which conquer in the four directions.
717.92 -> Complex irrigation networks are built to
cultivate land, of which about a third is intended for the emperor and officials.
725.773 -> In 1470, the Incas lay siege to their powerful rival Chan Chan and cut their water supply.
733.062 -> The city is defeated and the kingdom of Chimor is annexed. Shortly after, Pachacuti dies.
739.908 -> His heirs continue to extend the Inca territory considerably.
743.917 -> Only the Chiriguanos in the south-east and especially
the Mapuches in the far south, resist brilliantly.
750.188 -> The emperor then hears about mysterious explorers
in the north of the empire.
755.498 -> He sets out to find them, but contracts an unknown illness and
quickly dies.
760.769 -> This disease, against which the Incas are not immune, spreads through the empire
in a short time, also proving fatal for the heir.
769.041 -> His death generates a war of succession.
772.171 -> The Inca Empire is weakened from within, while on the coasts, an external threat seems to be looming with the arrival of unknown navigators.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yipm-Be3uFQ