Vocab Words Chapter 7

Question 1

What does plateau mean?

Answer 1

a large raised area of mostly level land

Question 2

pre-Columbian?

Answer 2

referring to the time in the Americas before Columbus arrived saline: salty; consisting of salt

Question 3

ecological zone:

Answer 3

a physical area with specific traits of climate, soil, altitude, and so on that determine its particular plants and animals

Question 4

semi-nomadic:

Answer 4

partially settled and partially moving around

Question 5

incentive:

Answer 5

a motivation

Question 6

codex:

Answer 6

an ancient manuscript in book form

Question 7

destiny:

Answer 7

all that is supposedly predetermined to happen to someone or something in spite of all efforts to change or prevent it

Question 8

incarnation:

Answer 8

a deity or spirit taking a physical form

Question 9

conquistador:

Answer 9

one who conquers; specifically, a leader in the Spanish conquest of America and especially of Mexico and Peru in the 16th century

Question 10

epoch:

Answer 10

a period of history marked by notable events

Question 11

altepetl:

Answer 11

a Meso-American city-state

Question 12

militarism:

Answer 12

the tendency, belief, or policy that a country should maintain a strong military force and be prepared to use it to advance national interests

Question 13

tribute:

Answer 13

money and goods demanded on an ongoing basis

Question 14

garrison:

Answer 14

the troops assigned to a military post

Question 15

obsidian:

Answer 15

a dark natural glass formed by the cooling of molten lava, used to create razor-sharp knives

Question 16

oral tradition:

Answer 16

the passing of cultural knowledge, beliefs, and stories to the next generation through speaking rather than writing; notably used by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit societies of the
Americas. The oral tradition was also the key method of passing on cultural knowledge in early Asian, European, African, and Australian societies.