Chpt. 12, Peoples of the Americas and Oceania Flashcards
Maya
the people who lived on the Yucatan Peninsula from roughly 200 to 900 AD; they preceded the Toltecs and Aztecs; they were fairly technologically advanced, developing complex mathematical and astronomical calculations
Toltecs
just west of the prior Mayan civilization, they were the center of power in Mesoamerica from roughly 950 to 1,200 AD
Aztecs
following the Maya and Toltecs, they were the center of power in Mesoamerica from around 1,300 AD, to 1519 AD
Tikal
the capital city of the Maya
Chichen Itza
the ceremonial center of Mayan civilization, it featured massive truncated pyramids and temples dedicated to their gods
glyphs
symbols representing either words or syllables
Popol Vuh
a book of the Mayans; in this is the Mayan creation story
Lake Texcoco
a lake in central Mexico where the Aztecs settled and built their capital, believing that a sign from the gods had indicated it to them as the right spot
Triple Alliance
by the middle of the 15th century, the Aztecs had solidified power, and created this with the neighboring states of Tlacopan and Texcoco
the Aztec fall
the violent habits of the Aztec led to the weakening of their rule under Montezuma 2; several provinces rose up in protest, and internal issues had already debilitated the empire by the time the Spaniards arrived in 1519
Quechua
what the Incas were called; “Inca” was actually the term that the people used to refer to their rulers
Lake Titicaca
around 1,200, the Chucuito (a predecessor of the Inca) occupied the Andes highlands around here
Pachacuti
the ruler of the Incas from 1438 to 1471 that grew them into an empire
Cuzco
the capital of the Inca empire
parallel descent
the Inca system of inheritance, in which daughters inherited from their mothers, and sons from their fathers
