Unit 7: Americas to 1500 Flashcards

1
Q

Aztec Definition

A

a Mesoamerican civilization that existed between 1300 and 1521 CE and became one of the largest and most powerful empires in Mesoamerica

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2
Q

Chavín (Chavin) Definition

A

a culture in the Andes Mountains that existed between 900 and 200 BCE

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3
Q

Inca Definition

A

a South American civilization that existed between 1400 and 1533 CE in the fertile Valley of Cuzco

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4
Q

Maya Definition

A

an advanced Mesoamerican civilization that existed as early as 2000 BCE and peaked from 250 to 900 CE in the northwestern isthmus of Central America

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5
Q

Mesoamerica Definition

A

a historic and cultural region that extends from central Mexico into Central America

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6
Q

Olmec Definition

A

the earliest Mesoamerican civilization that existed between 1200 and 400 BCE and influenced many cultures that came after it

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7
Q

Zapotec Definition

A

an early Mesoamerican civilization that existed between 500 BCE and 900 CE in the Valley of Oaxaca

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8
Q

Aquifer Definition

A

a layer of rock that holds water underground

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9
Q

Climate Definition

A

long-term weather conditions

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10
Q

Geography Definition

A

the study of the features of the earth and the interactions of humans with the earth

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11
Q

Terraced Farming Definition

A

a method of farming that involves building flat platforms into the side of a mountain for cultivation

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12
Q

Topography Definition

A

the different features that make up the surface of the earth

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13
Q

Artifact Definition

A

a human-made object of cultural significance

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14
Q

Avion Definition

A

a birdlike object; something that flies

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15
Q

Basalt Definition

A

a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock

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16
Q

Cosmo-magical Definition

A

a belief system that incorporates mythical creatures with the study of the movements of the sun, stars, and planets

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17
Q

Jade Definition

A

a hard green stone used for ornaments or jewelry

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18
Q

Obsidian Definition

A

a dark natural glass formed by the cooling of molten lava

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19
Q

Chinampa Definition

A

a field reclaimed from shallow, freshwater lake areas using an agricultural technique

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20
Q

Floodplain Definition

A

a gentle, flat area along a waterway, frequently covered with overflow water

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21
Q

Naturalistic Definition

A

of the natural world or real life

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22
Q

Seismic Definition

A

relating to a vibration in the earth caused by earthquakes

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23
Q

Silt Definition

A

the sediment and nutrients that fertilize crops

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24
Q

Slash-and-burn agriculture Definition

A

an agricultural practice of burning and clearing land

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25
Q

Zoomorphic Definition

A

relating to a deity figure having animal-like features

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26
Q

City-State Definition

A

a political system in which the leaders of the city can make all decisions for the people within their territory and are not overruled by a larger centralized government

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27
Q

Dresden Codex Definition

A

a Mayan document from the eleventh century that describes local history and astronomy through hieroglyphs and images

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28
Q

Yucatán Definition

A

a peninsular region of southern Mexico where Mayan civilization originated

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29
Q

Long-distance trade Definition

A

the exchange of goods across extended trade networks

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30
Q

Step Terrace Definition

A

a form of agriculture popular in Mesoamerica in which steps are cut into the earth to farm in mountainous regions

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31
Q

Mayan Calendar Definition

A

the ancient Mayan calendar system that included both a 260- and 365-day year

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32
Q

Climate Change Definition

A

the slow shifts in overall temperature and weather patterns over long periods of time

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33
Q

Environmental Degradation Definition

A

the deterioration of elements of the environment, such as soil or wildlife, leading to negative consequences

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34
Q

Mayan Classical Period Definition

A

the height of Mayan civilization from 250 CE to 900 CE

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35
Q

Overpopulation Definition

A

when the population of an area becomes greater than the resources in that environment can support

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36
Q

Aztlan Definition

A

according to Aztec tradition, the original homeland of the Mexica peoples

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37
Q

Huitzilopochtli Definition

A

initially a Mexica god, who guided the Mexica in their travels toward a promised land; usually associated with war and sun

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38
Q

Migrants Definition

A

the individuals who move from their home country to another country of residence permanently or for a long period of time

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39
Q

Tribute Definition

A

a payment to a leader in the form of labor, goods, or money

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40
Q

Valley of Mexico Definition

A

an area in modern central Mexico, located around Lake Texcoco and surrounded by mountains

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41
Q

Aqueduct Definition

A

a man made system for moving water

42
Q

Causeways Definition

A

the raised roads that allow a dry path above a body of water

43
Q

Flower Wars Definition

A

the small, somewhat prearranged conflicts between the Aztecs and their allies, designed to show the Aztec Empire’s strength

44
Q

Reclaimed Land Definition

A

the land that is created by filling in areas that had previously been covered with water or wetlands

45
Q

Horticulturalist Definition

A

a person who is an expert at knowing how and why different plants and seeds grow

46
Q

Irrigation Definition

A

a human-made system of channeling water from a natural source like a river to crops

47
Q

Conquistador Definition

A

a Spanish soldier who came to the western hemisphere with the Spanish Empire to conquer territory and gain profit

48
Q

Inca Empire Definition

A

a fifteenth-century civilization located in the Andes Mountains

49
Q

Mit’a Definition

A

the mandatory public labor for able-bodied men in the Inca Empire

50
Q

Mitma Definition

A

the Inca policy of forced resettlement of ethnic groups

51
Q

Quipu Definition

A

an Inca accounting system using colored threads and knots

52
Q

Sapa Inca Definition

A

the unique name given to the king of the Inca Empire

53
Q

Tiwanaku Definition

A

a Pre-Columbian civilization in the Andes Mountains known for its megalithic structures

54
Q

Chasquis Definition

A

the messengers of the Inca Empire

55
Q

Quechua Definition

A

the official language used in the Inca Empire

56
Q

Vertical Archipelago Definition

A

an agricultural and economic system used by the Inca Empire

57
Q

Bureaucracy Definition

A

a government administration managed by departments staffed with non-elected officials

58
Q

Huaca Definition

A

the astronomical and religious shrines in the Inca Empire

59
Q

Ayllu Definition

A

a small community in the Inca Empire that was a common administrative unit; a family clan that also served as a government administrative unit in the Inca

60
Q

Suyu Definition

A

the four administrative districts created by the Inca as a way to govern the vast empire

61
Q

Bloodletting Definition

A

a practice of withdrawing blood from a person’s veins

62
Q

Continuities Definition

A

a connection over time of similar aspects of society that stay the same

63
Q

Hieroglyphs Definition

A

a system of writing using images to represent sounds

64
Q

Tlachtli Definition

A

an ancient ball game played in Mesoamerica prior to European arrival

65
Q

Inti Definition

A

an Incan sun god

66
Q

Mamakuna Definition

A

a young woman who provided religious work and service to the Incan state

67
Q

Pochteca Definition

A

a state-sponsored merchant who spied and traded goods for Aztec royalty

68
Q

Triple Alliance Definition

A

a political unit that led the Aztec Empire

69
Q

Yamacuna Definition

A

a young man who provided religious work and service to the Incan state

70
Q

Ashlar Definition

A

a finely cut stone

71
Q

Calpullis Definition

A

a district within an Aztec city zone

72
Q

Campan Definition

A

a zone within an Aztec city

73
Q

Copacochas Definition

A

a child offered for tribute and sacrifice

74
Q

Dike Definition

A

a barrier to hold back water

75
Q

Nahuatl Definition

A

a name for Aztec language

76
Q

Viracocha Definition

A

a god that created the world in Incan origin story

77
Q

Chicha Definition

A

a fermented maize beer drunk in pre-Columbian Peru

78
Q

Pikillaqta Definition

A

an archeological site for the Wari and their capital

79
Q

Pre-Columbian Definition

A

a time period prior to the arrival of Columbus in the Americas

80
Q

Tampus Definition

A

a building constructed for travelers on Inca roads

81
Q

Encomienda System Definition

A

a system in which a Spanish soldier was given the rights to the labor of a certain number of Indigenous people who lived in the area

82
Q

Great Dying Definition

A

the period of the seventeenth century in which Indigenous populations were reduced by as much as 90 percent by Eurasian diseases

83
Q

Kiowa Definition

A

a tribe of Indigenous Americans in the Great Plains in the modern-day United States

84
Q

Seasoning Definition

A

a period of time in which newcomers to an unfamiliar land acclimated to the new surroundings

85
Q

Smallpox Definition

A

a contagious virus, eradicated by 1980, that led to flu-like symptoms, a rash, and often death

86
Q

Wampum Definition

A

beads used as currency among Indigenous peoples of the Americas

87
Q

Hacienda System Definition

A

a Spanish colonial land-grant system in which colonists were given land, and the people on it, to make productive, often in an agricultural manner

88
Q

Atahuallpa Definition

A

the ruler of the Inca Empire at the time of Spanish conquest

89
Q

Codices Definition

A

traditional native books, or manuscripts, that recorded the history of and information about the Aztec Empire

90
Q

Encomendero Definition

A

the holder, or owner, of an encomienda

91
Q

Encomienda Definition

A

land granted by the Spanish crown; included the right to extract labor from Indigenous populations residing on the land

92
Q

Francisco Pizarro Definition

A

a Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire

93
Q

Hernán Cortés Definition

A

a Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztec Empire

94
Q

Hispaniola Definition

A

an island in the West Indies

95
Q

Empire Definition

A

a system of government where there is one authority (individual or group) who rules over a large territory

96
Q

Panapa Definition

A

elite nobility of the Inca Empire, connected by blood to the king

97
Q

Iron Age Definition

A

a period of history characterized by the use of iron tools

98
Q

Macuahuitl Definition

A

a weapon used by the Aztec that resembled a paddle with several obsidian blades

99
Q

New World Definition

A

The Americas

100
Q

Smallpox Definition

A

a disease similar to the flu that can result in death; vaccines today prevent it from occurring