Preceramic Foundations
When did people arrive to the Americas?
Ice Age; 10,000 years ago (8000 BC); Paleoindian period
Power was hereditary in chiefly societies, which means that they were no longer this type of society.
Egalitarian (equal from birth)
Which chiefdom in the Valley of Oaxaca gained an advantage over its competitors and relocated to Monte Albán?
San José Mogote
What generation state is Teotihuacan and where did it develop?
First-generation state in the Basin of Mexico
How do second generation states like in the Basin of Mexico compare to first generation states?
They are petty, unstable, small, and there are a lot of them.
The ancestors of these three domesticated plants (sister crops) grew together naturally in the wild.
Corn, beans, and squash
What role does marriage play in chiefly societies?
Marriage partners can be exchanged to create alliances and gain/legitimize power
Why do temples in state level societies have two rooms, like the ones of the Zapotec state?
There was a class of specialized, full-time, resident priests
What were two crafts that were produced at Teotihuacán?
Fine masks, turquoise, obsidian blades and eccentrics, (orange) pottery, shell, figurines
The Toltec state at Tula used this architectural element to separate the city's religious zone from secular areas. This same practice was used later by the Aztec. What was it?
The serpent wall (coatepantli)
Cave burials in Cocaxtlan Cave show that what ritual practices, which continued into Aztec times, actually began in the Archaic?
Human sacrifice and cannibalism
Why does chiefly territory tend to be about 1 day’s travel?
Must be able to return in a day; since chiefdoms are inherently unstable, they must be able to keep control of the territory without extra levels of governing (they only have 2-3 tiers of hierarchy)
The early Monte Albán state carved many depictions of individuals in stone as part of their state propaganda. What did these individuals look like?
Slain captives with entrails spilling out
What evidence is there for Teotihuacán’s distinctly multi-ethnic make up?
The Oaxaca barrio, zapotec tombs, urns, and pottery. Teotihuacán and Monte Albán sent groups of citizens to live in the other's city.
The legendary conflict between factions aligned with two deities at Tula. Who were these two deities?
Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca
In what way was teosinte, the ancestor of maize, probably eaten?
Heated and popped like popcorn
Name two things that happen inside Formative Period Men’s houses.
Men are initiated, chew tobacco and lime, plan raids, other rituals.
Monument 3 at SJM is one of the first instances of writing that we know about. What purpose does that first instance of writing serve?
Giving details of specific conquests and raids
What were the sacrificed warriors buried in Teotihuacán’s Ciudadela complex wearing around their necks?
Human upper jaws and fake teeth made of ceramic
From what earlier state did Tula inherit the worship of Quetzalcoatl?
Teotihuacán
What were Archaic cities like?
Cities didn't exist in the Archaic - people were highly mobile and dispersed in their landscape!
How can archaeologists tell that chiefdoms were unstable political institutions?
Signs of competition and raiding (burned buildings, defensive palisades, destroyed monuments (Olmec colossal heads), skeletal trauma
What does the Lápida de Bazán tell us about Monte Alban’s relationship with other powerful states?
Monte Albán and Teotihuacán had diplomatic relations, sent peaceful ambassadors to each other's cities for political and religious meetings
Why don’t we know much about Teotihuacan’s origins?
Its main chiefly rival, Cuicuilco, was buried by a volcanic explosion
Why did Aztecs want a Colhuacan princess, and what did they do to her when they got her?
They wanted to marry their highest-ranking man to a royal woman, to improve the nobility of their blood line. They honored the Colhuacan princess by sacrificing her, flaying her, and dancing in her skin (in front of her father... awkward).