Vocabulary
A society or group of people with similar beliefs, customs, language, and form of government
What is civilization?
Civilization in Central Mexico. Fearsome, ruthless and conquered neighboring city-states. Forced inhabitants to send gold, silver, jade, and turquoise to Tenochtitlan. Captured soldiers for human sacrifices. They believed life was uncertain. Kept the gods happy by sacrificing humans. Ruled by priests and soldiers.
Who were the Aztec Warriors and Aztec Government?
New home of the Aztec’s; a swampy island in Lake Texcoco. ”The place of the prickly pear.” “The place of the cactus.”
Where is Tenochtitlan?
The Maya calendar that occurred every four years
What is leap year?
Great civilization on the western coast of South America stretching more than 2,000 miles.
Organized into tribal groups or clans responsible for farming a pice of land.
Lived in one-room stone huts with thatched roofs.
What is the Inca civilization?
A city that is an independent political state with it’s own ruling government.
What is city-state?
Incas believed he was the living son of Inti, the sun god. No one was allowed to look at this powerful king. His empire was very large - most of Peru, parts of Columbia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina
Who is Sapa Inca?
The Maya controlled this large group of city-states in southeastern Mexico and in modern-day countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize.
Where is the Yucatán Peninsula?
Incas carved flat pieces of land out of the side of a mountain or hill to grow crops better. They also built irrigation systems to bring water.
What are terraces?
Excelled at mathematics and astronomy without the use of a telescope, computers, or satellites. Created the solar calendar and the Sacred Round. Developed a powerful system of number symbols.
Who were the Maya?
To give or to kill something for a religious purpose.
What is sacrifice?
Aztec emperor in the early 1500s, he was carried in a fancy litter (chair on 2 beams). During his reign there was a drought, a comet appeared, and lightning struck one of the temples which caused fear among the people. They thought the gods were angry and doomsday might be near.
Who is Moctezuma II?
Famous city built by the Incas located in the mountains. It sits in a high valley between two peaks of the Andes.
Where is Machu Picchu?
Incas were engineers.
What is built roads like the “Royal Road”, lots of bridges, and how to farm in the Andes Mountains, they invented the quipu to count and keep records, used messengers to run at great speed, and engineered the famous city of Machu Picchu?
City built on an island in the middle of a lake. Three causeways connected the city to the mainland and network of canals connected various parts of the city. Traveled around their capital in canoes.
What is the Aztec Civilization?
A piece of string that had shorter strings of various colors dangling on it.
What is quipu?
Spanish explorer, interested in Montezuma’s gifts, enlisted the help of Montezuma’s enemies. Surrounded Tenochtitlan - people began starving, dying from small pox killing many. May 1521 attacked the Aztec Empire causing the fall of Tenochtitlan in August 1521.
Who is Herman Cortes (Hernan Cortes)?
Large buildings used for religious purposes, rose high above the treetops of the surrounding rain forest. Hieroglyphs were carved into the walls.
What are the Maya pyramids and temples?
Time spent raising crops for their family and time spent raising crops for the empire.
What is Inca Farming?
A material used in building that is soft at first but that then gets hard and rock like.
What is mortar?
Sapa Inca’s son who defeated his brother for the throne, met with Pizarro, refused to accept Christianity, Spaniards attacked - it was a massacre! He became a prisoner and thousand of Incas died. Executed by the Spaniards.
Who is Atahualpa?
Sacrificial ceremonies were held on top. Victim’s heads were placed on large racks and displayed in the plaza in front. In the heart of the city is the ceremonial center - largest temple, the Great Temple. Smaller temples dedicated to a particular god.
What are the Aztec pyramids and temples?
Who grew corn, squash, tomatoes, peanuts, cotton, and potatoes; raised livestock, including Guinea pages, alpacas, and llamas. Women were master weavers. A government official named “He-Who-Sees-Everything“ made the people pay their fair share of taxes and served as a matchmaker.
Who were the Incas?