Studyguide SS Flashcards
What were some natural resources that were available to the Plain’s peoples?
Bison, the three sisters, sunflowers, tobacco
Explain the Bering Land Bridge Theory.
Historians believe that at one time the water was so low between Alaska and Asia/Russia
that hunter-gatherers could walk from there to the Americas.
Northeastern Woodlands House
wigwam or longhouse
Southeastern Woodlands House
houses on stilts or sticks covered with clay or mud
Great Plains House
tepees
Southwest House
adobe or red clay
Northwest House
large wooden houses with extended families
Arctic and Subarctic House
Igloos and maybe underground caves
Compare and contrast the natural resources in the Southeastern Woodlands and the Northeastern
Woodlands.
Southeastern winters were milder so they grew corn, beans, squash, tobacco, and
sunflowers; Northeastern grew the tree sisters, hunted, bison, and turkey, as well as fish.
Explain the lifestyle of North American hunter-gatherers.
generally nomadic, following animal migrations and spending most of their days looking
for food
Explain how the Arctic and Subarctic peoples adapted to the cold climate.
Hunted and gathered as much food as possible during the summer to be stored for winter,
they wore fur clothing, used seal and whale fat to make oil to heat their homes
What is unique about the Northwestern American Indians’ customs/traditions?
Families had totem poles that recorded important events and/or people; wealthy families
hosted a potlatch ceremony-a great feast in which gifts were given to guests
Why was slash-and-burn agriculture used in Mesoamerica?
Because the forest had poor soil and this allowed for the ash to fertilize the land.
How were the religious practices of the Mesoamericans similar?
All were polytheistic and participated in human sacrifice.
Who were the Olmecs and what is their connection to other Mesoamericans?
They lived on the Yucatan Penisula before any other civilizations, they used slash-and-burn
agriculture which allowed them to produce more food and the population grew, they built
cities that later civilizations used as a model.
What is unique about the Mayan cities?
they included hundreds of buildings and had paved causeways
Name at least 4 things that could be found in Maya cities.
temples, palaces, pyramids, plazas (open-air market), po-ta-pok court
What climate/geographic region is Maya found in?
dense rainforest on the Yucatan Penisula and modern-day Honduras, Guatemala, and
Belize
Name at least 4 Mayan advances or breakthroughs in learning.
concept of zero, over 800 individual hieroglyphs, astronomy–calendars and observatories
What have scholars learned by studying the glyphs on Maya stelae?
Mayan history, including rulers and their deeds
Who was Montezuma II and why was he important?
The last Aztec emperor who fell to Spanish Conquistadors
Describe Tenochtitlan’s location.
It was built in the middle of Lake Texcoco
How did the Aztecs adapt the land for farming due to their geography?
they built chinampas
What allowed the Aztecs to move trade goods like obsidian, gold, and feathers across Lake Texcoco?
canals and causeways
How did the Aztecs use obsidian?
it was used to make arrowheads and spears
Where did the Aztec Empire get most of its wealth?
trade and tribute
List at least three characteristics of Aztec society.
human sacrifice; 2 social classes: nobles and commoners, nobles were descendants of the
first king; chinampas & pyramids
How did the Maya and Aztecs support their enormous population?
irrigation and agricultural technology
Describe the geography of the Andes.
huge mountains with rocky and steep slopes; cold, harsh conditions
Name some of the Incan architects’ and engineers’ achievements.
Palaces, temples, 15,000 miles of roads, suspension bridges
List the factors in the growth of the Inca Empire.
strong government, road system (messengers carried quipu), offered peace before
conquering
How did the Incas control the people they conquered?
made them follow the social hierarchy (non-Incans at the bottom) and had to be loyal to the
Sapa Inca
In what ways did the Incan government take responsibility for its people?
officials distributed clothing and food during disasters, goods were collected and stored
throughout the empire
How are the Mita system and the ayllu related to the Incan economy?
The ayllu was a group of related families that pooled together their resources; members of
the ayllu farmed government land to pay taxes
Who owned all the land in the Inca Empire?
the government, which organized villages into family groups (ayllu)
What do some scholars believe Machu Picchu was?
a royal estate for Incan rules, used as a vacation or retreat spot
What is the explanation for the success of the Incan empire?
their government
Name at least 5 achievements of the Inca people.
quipu, terrace farming, Royal Road, Machu Picchu, organized government, Mita system
What is significant about the Inca road system?
armies and messengers were able to move quickly through the empire
Who is Huitzilopochtli and why is he important to the AZTECS?
He was their sun god and they believed he needed a human sacrifice to make the sun rise
every day.
Who is the Sapa Inca and how does someone become the Sapa Inca?
religious leader and emperor-decedent of the sun god Inti
How are the Aztec and Inca religions similar?
both involved ceremonies with human sacrifice
Describe the Incan economy.
relied on collective labor, terraced farming
Describe the Aztec economy.
life centered around farming, based on trade and tribute, influenced by religion
What did the two economies have in common?
both depended on agriculture to feed large populations
How were the Aztec, Maya, and Inca agricultural systems similar?
they all had to adapt to their environment for farming
Who built the largest empire in South America?
Inca
