Questions
Why do we study these early American societies?
To learn about early human advancement
settlements
small communities
Olmecs
Farming, cities, Stone heads, 1500 BC - 400 BC, written records
glacier
thick ice sheet
Why were the road systems so important to the Incas?
It allowed transportation of goods and information
civilization
a society
Mayans
Mathematics, Astronomy, calendar, social classes, 1500 BC - 900 AD
mountains
greatly raised land caused by colliding tectonic plates
How did humans get to the americas?
Land bridge or by boat
city-state
a political unit that controls a city and the surrounding area
Aztec
Tenochtitlan, causeways on Lake Texcoco, warrior society, floating farms, 1300 - 1521 AD
swamp
low lying land where water collects and over saturates the ground
How did farming affect communities?
It allowed them to no longer need to follow their food. They could settle down in one area and grow their population and settlements.
causeway
a raised road made of packed earth
Inca
Largest empire, large road system, terraces, engineering, 1438 - 1533 AD
What features indicate these early societies were "civilizations"?
social classes, written records, cities, organized government
quipu
a device made of cord or strings to record numbers and information