Chapter 10 Flashcards
1
Q
new world
A
the americas
2
Q
olmec
A
- southwestern curve of the gulf of mexico, near veracruz
- founding culture of mesoamerica
- emerged in a series of river valleys
- called the rubber people
- known for their imperishable art, large stone heads/ sculptures
- the true reason for their decline is unknown but some believe they may have deliberately destroyed their capital
- no written evidence left behind
3
Q
mesoamerica
A
- name for middle america in ancient times
- trade urbanized them
4
Q
old world
A
africa, europe, asia
5
Q
chinampa
A
floating islands of soil held together by willow used to grow food and crops
6
Q
rubber
A
used in a rubber ball game with prisoners
- if you lost you were used as sacrifice, your head was cut off and place on the fences
- olmec were called the rubber people because they knew how to harvest the rubber
7
Q
millenium
A
1000 years
8
Q
arid
A
- a very dry climate where the dry season lasted for months
- Teotihuacan, mayans, and oasians was apart of this climate
9
Q
tenochtitlan
A
- city that carried mesoamerican civilization to its height
- called “place of the cactus fruit”
- spoke nahuatl and the people were called the mexica
- it was an island
- given the name ATZECS by german explorer alexander
- allied themselves with 2 other neighboring cities
- conquered a lot of mesoamerica
- everyone was payed in food and goods
- they greatly valued their warriors (military leaders chose the ruler )
- they also had special advantages like clothing
- adopted a lot of olmec traditions as well (ball game and calendar and religious beliefs )
- along with military, they were also devoted to poetry
- destroyed by a group of spanish conquistadors
- they had a writing system a little less sophisticated than the mayans and that is how we know all of their customs and traditions
10
Q
conquistador
A
the spanish conquerers of the americas
11
Q
mayans
A
- east of olmecs, curve of gulf of mexico on yucatan peninsula into present day guatemala
- rose as the olmecs declined
- infertile soil, no large rivers
- built terraces into hills to farm (corn, beans, squash, peppers, cassava, and cacao (chocolate))
- luxury goods: feathers, jade, gold, and shells.
- organized themselves into small city states instead of one big empire (largest was Tikal)
- the city states fought among eachother to try and capture one another for sacrifice to the mayan gods
- most known for making the most sophisticated and elaborate writing system out of all the other mesoamerican systems
- it used pictographs and symbols
- also known for developments in mathematics, cosmology, and development of three calendars
(365 day, 260 day, and the long count calendar to record the longterm passage of time ) - also developed the concept of zero
- beleived that the suns energy came from human blood so they practiced a lot of sacrificing and blood letting
- inherited a lot of this from the olmecs
- they suddenly experienced a drastic change where all the cities became populations moving back into the country side.
- this may have been because of invasions earthquakes or many other things
- it was most probably the complexity of their society
- when a bunch of droughts came their whole social pyramid collapsed
- but they didnt disapear because there are many descendants still today, they just faded
12
Q
teotihuacan
A
- at about the same time of the mayans teotihuacan was developing
- in highlands of mexico (near Mexico city)
- agricultural village with large lakes
- a very big city (large population)
- not much is understood about its government
- unknown invaders may have burned the city
- the aztec found their ruins and named them “the city of the god “
- most important center of trade in mesoamerica
- is was so dominant because of obsidian
13
Q
maize
A
- another name for corn
- a staple in the american diet
14
Q
aztec
A
name given to tenochitlan people (the mexica) by the german explorer alexander von humboldt
- conquered most of mesoamerica
15
Q
obsidian
A
-glassy volcanic black rock formed from magma
- used in blades and artwork
16
Q
peru
A
where the chavin were based
17
Q
andes
A
-mountains south of the olmec
-where the chavin were located
18
Q
llama
A
- chavin society domesticated llamas
- used them for transporting goods long distance
19
Q
inca
A
- mountain civilization
- no written language but used knots called quipu
- disease spread here before the spanish could come conquer them
- most influential empire in south america
- built an extensive road system to feed, spread news etc. amongst their very long and mountanous territory.
- they used little boys as runners,
20
Q
jade
A
-a green stone that the olmec used for art and sculptures
- imported from areas south of the olmec
- aztecs traded this
21
Q
american domesticated animals
A
The only animals that could be domesticated were dogs and turkeys and llamas
horses and camels were brought from the old world
22
Q
american trade networks
A
- largely based on the river
- mainly regional and local
- brought small markets together to create cities and urbanized mesoamerica
23
Q
spanish colonization
A
came and conquered all mesoamerica
-they were also mesmorized by their buildings and civilizations
- more advanced than the people who already lived here
24
Q
aztec trade
A
- payed with food and goods instead of money
- brought a lot of people to their trades
25
Q
columbian exchange
A
swap of old and new world germs animals, germs, peoples, plants, and cultures
26
Q
american ball game
A
- rubber ball was used in a game to throw the ball through the hoop with out using your hands
- used to determine human sacrifices if you lost
- heads displayed if you were sacrificed
- inherited from the olmecs to the mayans
27
Q
sacrifice
A
- sacrifice was a very important part of mesoamerica and their faith
- did this to appease the gods
- also thought that the suns energy came from human blood so they would blood let and sacrifice
28
Q
pictographs
A
what was used in the mayan writing system along with symbols
29
Q
social structure
A
- military was very important and at the top along with priests
- most people were commoners who farmed
- there were also a lot of slaves and servants
- social structure affected them in a number of ways
- rich boys were taught literature and scholarly things while commoner boys were taught boys
- wealthier people lived closer to the urban areas while the poorer people lived in the outskirts
- if you were richer you ate meat and more extravagant things while if you were poor you mainly ate grain and fish
30
Q
american diet
A
- corn (some- times called maize), beans, peppers, tomatoes, and squash as their staple foods
- also cultivated peanuts and cotton
- if you were richer you ate meat and more extravagant things while if you were poor you mainly ate grain
31
Q
aztec education
A
- taught girls and boys from the age of 15-20
- probably the only people in the world to do this at the time
- taught rich boys in administration, ideology, and literacy but commoners mostly how to be a warrior
- taught girls songs, dances, and household skills.
32
Q
DISCUSSION: european exploration
A
- European exploration brought a lot of change, advancements, and eventually the end of the Mesoamerican civilizations.
- they introduced animals and technology into the new world and also brought back some things back to the new world like food.
- they introduced camels and horses which brought new advancements to travelling and trading because there were new things to carry with.
- also advanced their trading systems because it connected mesoamerica with afro eurasia trading systems.
- they adopted foods like tomatoes.
- They brought in diseases like small pox that the people in the new world had not been introduced to which brought a lot of death.
- this also made it easier for spanish conquistadors to ultimately take over all of these civilizations.
- these spanish people also brought in the technology of guns and swords that mesoamerica did not have yet which again gave the europeans a huge advantage over people like the aztecs and the incas.
33
Q
DISCUSSION: at least one american civilization weve studied
Mayans
A
- east of olmecs, curve of gulf of mexico on yucatan peninsula into present day guatemala
- infertile soil, no large rivers
- built terraces into hills to farm (corn, beans, squash, peppers, cassava, and cacao (chocolate))
- luxury goods: feathers, jade, gold, and shells.
- organized themselves into small city states instead of one big empire (largest was Tikal)
- the city states fought among eachother to try and capture one another for sacrifice to the mayan gods
- most known for making the most sophisticated and elaborate writing system out of all the other mesoamerican systems
- it used pictographs and symbols
- also known for developments in mathematics, cosmology, and development of three calendars
(365 day, 260 day, and the long count calendar to record the longterm passage of time ) - also developed the concept of zero
- beleived that the suns energy came from human blood so they practiced a lot of sacrificing and blood letting
- inherited a lot of this from the olmecs
- they suddenly experienced a drastic change where all the cities became populations moving back into the country side.
- this may have been because of invasions earthquakes or many other things
- but they didnt disapear because there are many descendants still today, they just faded
