Week 7: Article (Charles C. Mann's "1491 - The Americas Before European Contact.") 1 Flashcards
What misconception about the Americas before European contact does Charles C. Mann challenge in “1491”?
The misconception that the Americas were a “pristine wilderness” and largely uninhabited before European contact.
Which regions in the Americas had large, complex populations and urban centers before European contact?
The Mississippi Valley, Mesoamerica, and the Andes.
How did Indigenous peoples in the Americas manage their landscapes?
Through techniques like controlled burns, crop rotation, and complex irrigation systems.
What is “terra preta,” and where is it found?
Terra preta is fertile, dark earth created by Indigenous people in the Amazon using composting techniques.
Why is the concept of the “noble savage” stereotype problematic?
It simplifies Indigenous peoples as passive, disregarding their complex societies and active role in environmental management.
Name two staple crops domesticated by Indigenous peoples in the Americas.
Maize (corn) and potatoes.
What were “chinampas,” and which civilization used them?
Chinampas were floating gardens used by the Aztecs in Mesoamerica for agriculture.
How did Indigenous contributions to agriculture impact global diets?
Crops like maize, potatoes, and tomatoes transformed diets worldwide after European contact.
Which civilization built extensive terraced farming systems in the Andes?
The Incas.
What advanced urban center was the capital of the Aztec civilization?
Tenochtitlán.
