Postclassical Period: the Americas

mesoamerica; andes

the centers of civilization in the americas were located in ___ and the ___

ethnic/linguistic diversity

the enormous range of climates contributed to ___/___ ___

aztecs

the ___ inherited an ancient set of cultural, religious, and pol. traditions from civilizations in mexico to northern central america

aspects of aztec society and culture

aztec agricultural technology was devoted to raising maize, beans, peppers, & squash; the economy was based on market exchange; common ritual calendar; heiroglyphic writing

aztec religion

a pantheon of male & fem deities, human sacrifice, ceremonial centers, time seen as a cosmic cycle of creation/destruction

maya artistic & intellectual achievements

urban centers of temples, pyramids, palaces, public plazas, painted murals, stone carvings, elaborate writing system of pictographs & phonetic symbols; math system including zero & place notation for complex calculations

fragmented; central gov

the mayan political system was ___; city-states, kingoms, etc. at frequent war w/ no ___ ___; thrived until collapse by 900

aztec empire

last & largest mesoamerican state to emerge before spanish conquest in 1500s

mexica

the aztec empire started w the ___ people, semi-nomads from north mexico who migrated south; est. on island in lake texcoco by 1325

military; mercenaries; marriage alliances

over the next century after settling, the mexica people developed their ___ capacity, served as ___, negotiated ___ ___, and built their capital tenochtitlan

triple alliance

1428 alliance between mexica & 2 nearby city-states, launching a military conquest that unified more of mesoamerica than ever before

descent; continuity

aztec authorities claimed ___ from earlier mesoamerican peoples, emphasizing the ___ of mesoamerican civilization

effects of the aztec empire’s structure

5-6M people; loosely structured & unstable, making it subject to frequent rebellions by people it conquered

imperial tribute collectors

aztec subjects were required to give their rulers massive quantites of goods, and the process was overseen by local ___ ___ ___

commercialization

tenochtitlan had impressive architectural features, and its marketplaces reflected the ___ of the aztec economy

human sacrifices

slaves played a big role as ___ ___, an important part of aztec culture

sun

the ___ was central to all life; it lost energy in its constant battle against the encroaching darkness and needed to refuel with the life-giving force in human blood

blood; capture

the high calling of the aztec empire was to supply ___ for deities through its wars of expansion; this ideology shaped war tactics, emphasizing ___ instead of killing

priests; rulers

as the aztec empire grew, ___ & ___ became mutually dependent—human sacrifices in the service of politics

conquest; colonization; trade

coastline deserts, pacific ocean, & mountains had numerous ecological values that were sought by andean societies through ___, ___, or ___

quechua

in the 1400s, ___-speaking people built their empire along hte andes; like the aztecs, they drew on earlier trads & cultures, but their state was much larger

modestly; conquest

both the incas and the aztecs started ___ & grew quickly through ___, but otherwise they were very different

alone; tribute

aztec rulers left conquered peoples ___ if they gave the required ___

fluid; emperor; governors

inca rulers were more ___, with the divine ___ at the top and ___ leading the 80 provicnces in a fluid system

resources; land; templres; elites; traditional

the inca state theoretically owned all ___ & ___, but in practice state lands (“lands of the sun”) existed alongside properties owned by ___, ___, & ___ communities

incorporated

in central regions, local officials were ___ into the inca administration, supervised by an inca governor or the emperor

check; provincial officials

a separate set of inca “inspectors” provided the imperial center w/ independent ___ on the ___ ___

quipus

knotted cords that served as incan accounting devices; they recorded births, deaths, marriages, population data, etc

resettlement program

an incan procedure that relocated at least ¼ of the population to disperse the conquered & resentful, as well as to reward loyal followers w/ new opportunities

quechua; cuzco

the leaders of conquered ppls were required to learn ___; their sons were removed to the capital ___ to learn inca culture & language

inca deities

subjects of the incas were required to acknowledge the major ___ ___ but were otherwise free to continue their local religious traditions

labor service

inca demanded not tribute but ___ ___(mita), required periodically of all households

sun farms; skilled

inca laborers worked on “___ ___” or state farms, herded, mined, served in military, or worked on construction; ___ workers worked in their respective niches

chosen women

most skilled workers were the “___ ___”, removed from homes in youth, trained in inca ideology, & produced corn beer & cloth; later given as wives to distinct men or served as priestesses (“wives of the sun”)

feasts; disasters

in return for labor, inca ideology required the state to arrange large ___ & provide necessities during ___

gender parallelism

both the aztec & inca practiced “___ ___”, a system that existed in societies before both empires—men & women operated in separate but equal spheres, each gender enjoying autonomy in its own sphere

inca male roles

men claim descent from fathers; worshipped sun; hierarchies of male political officials

inca female roles

women claim descent from mothers; worshipped moon; hierarchies of female political officials

aztec gender roles

children belong to both parents; M&F priests conducting rituals for deities of both sexes; fem officials had local authority

domestic

aztec & incan social rules were clearly defined & different, but the ___ roles of women were not seen as inferior

broke ground; sowed; harvested

in the andes, men ___ ___, women ___, and both ___

sweeping

the aztecs saw ___ as a sacred act of purification against evil

ideas/technology; savages

isolation from afroeurasia meant there was no exchange of ___/___ with the Americas; settlers thought the lack of features common in their cultures indicated that those in the Americas were “___”

wheels; draft animals

the americas did not use ___ or ___ ___ because of the mountainous terrain

written; unifying; disease

the americas had few ___ languages, no ___ religion, and little exposure to ___, again because of the mountainous terrain that isolated societies

integrated; expansion

the aztec economy ran on corn, chinampas, tribute, and trade; its government never ___ the empire and ___ was key, fueling power, feeding economy, and providing sacrifices

militaristic; benefit

the incas functioned almost exactly the opposite of the ___ aztecs; they were a ___-based, not threat-based, society

incan socialism

gov allowed separated peoples to get the goods/food they needed from each other