Taino/Maya
What is the name of the mound-based farming system used by the Taíno to improve soil fertility?
Conuco
After the fall of Rome, which group raided european villages?
Who called for the First Crusade in 1095?
Pope Urban II
What bacterium causes the Black Death (plague)? (single-term answer)
Yersinia pestis
What does vernacular mean?
common language
Name two staple crops the Taíno cultivated on their islands.
Cassava and maize (also acceptable: yams, sweet potatoes)
In feudal hierarchy, who lived directly below the king/emperor and often controlled large estates? In medieval japan?
Nobles / lords
Shogun
Name one major trade center or city that benefited from Crusader-era trade
Venice (also acceptable: Genoa)
Name one way the Black Death spread across regions in the 14th century.
By fleas on rats aboard merchant ships / via Silk Road trade caravans
: Name one invention or technology that helped spread Renaissance ideas across Europe.
Printing press (moveable type) / improved navigation or gunpowder (any one)
What were "zemis" in Taíno religious life?
Sacred objects representing spirits/ancestors
What economic system described manors that were mostly self-sufficient and used barter?
Manorial (manor) system / barter economy
What was the House of Wisdom and in which city was it located?
A major center of learning and translation in Baghdad
Give two short-term effects of the Black Death on European society (two items).
Massive population loss / labor shortages and wage increases (other short-term effects acceptable)
Who painted the Mona Lisa and also studied anatomy, blending art and science?
Leonardo da Vinci
Give one major scientific achievement of the Maya related to mathematics or astronomy.
Development of zero or complex calendars/accurate astronomy
Who was at the bottom of European feudalism? Japanese?
Serfs
Merchants
Give 4 causes that motivated Europeans to join the Crusades.
Religious: desire to reclaim Jerusalem/holy sites; Political/Economic: nobles sought land/wealth and control of trade routes
Pilgramage
Byzantine call for aid
Who enjoyed a higher social status in the Yuan Dynasty
Turks and Muslims
What is "humanism" — give a brief definition (one or two short sentences).
Humanism is the study and celebration of human potential, classical learning, and secular subjects rather than only religious ones.
Explain one way the Maya city-state political system differed from an empire (one clear sentence).
Maya were organized as independent city-states ruled by local kings rather than a single centralized empire.
Explain how the vassal-lord relationship worked (include oath and exchange).
A vassal swore an oath of fealty to a lord and in return received land (a fief) and protection while providing military service and loyalty.
Explain one major effect of the Fourth Crusade on Byzantine-Christian relations (one clear sentence) and name one thing they stole.
The Fourth Crusade greatly worsened relations by causing crusaders to sack Constantinople, deepening the East–West Christian split.
Horses from Hippodrome!
Explain how Mongol control of the Silk Road affected trade and cultural exchange (one clear sentence).
Mongol control made Silk Road routes safer, increasing long-distance trade and spreading technologies and ideas across Eurasia.
Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy?
Well positioned for trade