Module 13 flashcards

What is the Beringia theory

Early humans migrated from Asia to North America through a land bridge called Beringia, which existed during the last Ice Age between Siberia and Alaska.

How did settlers cross Beringia

Hunters and settlers followed migrating animals across Beringia into North America.

What is the second theory for settling in the Americas

Early settlers arrived in America by boat, island-hopping from Asia, and navigating the coastlines

what were some of the major changes that farming brought to the lives of early Americans?

• agriculture provides stable food source = growth in population, settled communities, specialized workers

What is considered the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica and where did they settle?

• The Olmec are considered the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica. They settled in the jungles of southern Mexico along the Gulf Coast.

How did the earliest Americans primarily survive before the development of agriculture?

• They survived by hunting and gathering

• relying on large animals like mammoths and bison, and then deer and rabbits

• Fished along the coast

What were some of the geographical advantages of the Gulf Coast region that helped the Olmec in the creation of their civilization?

• abundance of resources like of salt, tar, fine clay for pottery, wood, rubber

• hard stone from northern hills for tools and monuments

• rivers for transport

• fertile land for farming provided by the flood plains

Why did the Olmec civilisation decline

• unknown but 2 theories

• possibly invaded by outsiders like Zapotec

• Internal problems

What is the Olmec civilization known for?

• Known for their colossal carved head sculptures representing their rulers.

• Developed a complex writing system and calendar

What are notable contributions of the Zapotec

• Hieroglyphic writing system

• Calendar system based on suns movements

• Built first urban centers ex. Monte Alban

• Pottery + stone monuments

What were some Olmec influences

• Influenced Maya w/ art like pottery and stone sculptures

• Urban designs

• Cultural: ritual ball game, ceremonial center

• Social structure

What are the Chavin known for

• known for their artsyle + religion depicted through pottery, textiles, stone scultpures

• Plazas, mounds, pyramids

Why are the Chavin thought to be primarily religious

• No evidence of politics or economy

Who is the “mother culture” of South America Andes region

The Chavin

What are achievements of the Nazca

• Extensive irrigation system w/ underground canals

• Textiles, pottery

What are the Nazca lines

Large images of wildlife, humans, geometric shapes carved onto plains of peru

What are achievements of the Moche

• Impressive irrigation system utilized from Andes mountain rivers

• Moche tombs: depicted wealth + art

  Art: ceramics + pottery depict everyday life of Moche w/ doctors, women working, musicians

• Well-developed civilization w/ rich culture and specialized workers

Why are the Anasazi known for being skilled builders

• Created pueblos: villages of apartment style complex made of stone inside canyons or mesa

What are Mississippians known for

• Mound building: large tombs + ceremonial burials

• Thriving society built on agriculture + trade

• used ohio + mississippi river for transportation

Who were the Maya

• Mesoamerican culture located south mexico and north central america

• Empire divided into city states ruled by god-like kings

How were Mayan city-states connected

• Made alliances and trading network

• exchanged salt, flint, feathers, honey

How did Mayans grow their social structure and economy

• Successful farming = wealth = growth of social structure

• Economy = wealth from farming + trading w/ city-states

What was Maya religion like

• Kings = holy figure

• Believed in nature gods

• worshipped through food sacrifice, offerings, human sacrifice

What are scientific achievements of Maya

• Advances in astronomy + math

• Developed calendar system through religion: 260-day religious calendar + 365-day solar calendar

• Calendar calculations are very precise and accurate

• Base 20 system + concept of zero

What is the Mayan writing system

• Well-structured + advanced writing system

• Writing system made up of 800 glyphs, which could mean a word or a syllable

• Codex = paper from bark

• Writing system used to record important historical events

Why did the Maya civilization decline?

• warfare among city-states -> disrupted trade -> economic hardship

• Population growth +  overfarming damaged environment =  food shortages, famine, and disease.

How did the Aztec empire begin

• Began as a group of poor, nomadic people

• Migrated to valley of Mexico and formed the triple alliance w/ Texcoco + Tlacopan

• Became leading power of valley of mexico, reaching central mexico to Oaxaca

What did the Aztecs base their power on and how did they exercise it

• Based on military strength

• Conquests + tribute from conquered people

• Exercised loose control over conquered territories, allowed local kings to ruler regions but demanded tribute

What was the Aztec social class

• Mlitiary leaders = power = made up noble class w/ gov leaders and preists

• Very top is emperor

Tenochititlan city

• Capital of the Aztec Empire

• known for its advanced architecture, large population, and complex society

• Major trade and economic center

• located on an island in Lake Texcoco.

What special technology did the Aztecs develop

• Chinampas: floating gardens / farm plots built on small fringes

• provided food for large population

Religion in Aztec life

• hundreds of religious structures and temples for various gods

• Religious ceremonial calendar to track religious festivals

• Practiced public religious ceremonies in forms of entertainment like drama, songs, dances to win favor of gods

What was the main way the Aztecs worshipped their gods?

• Human sacrifice was practiced on a massive scale

• Aztecs wanted prisoners of war as human sacrifices, so its military waged war not for land but for prisioners their

Decline of Aztec empire

• Aztecs began to weaken

• internal problems

• arrival of spanish conquistador hernan cortez

Who was Pachacuti

• Incan ruler who conquered peru

• expanded Incan empire along west coast of south america

What was Incan government structure

• To control huge empire, rulers divide territory

• formed bureaucracy

What aspect of Incan society did it’s government exercise full control over

• Exercised control over Incan economic and social life

• Regulated production + distribution of goods

How was Incan social system structured

• Social structure based on Ayllu

• Ayllu = concept of family clan, where they handled tasks too big for a single family

How was the Allyu incorporated into the gov system

• Ayllu based on decimal system

• families were divided into groups of 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000

• Chiefs to be head of clans

How did Incan gov demand tribute

• In a form of labour called mita

• Mita: required all able-bodied citizens to work for the state for a certain number of days a year

• Mita worked on public projects, farmland, etc.

How did the Incan government care for its people

• In return for mita labour, Incan gov gave back by care

• Ex. disabled, old people cared by the state

• Dried potatoes stored in warehouses in case of food shortages

Inca infastructure

• Advanced + extensive road system

• Network of roads + bridges expanded over entire empire

• Facilitated transportation + trade

• boosted military control

What are Incan achievements

• No writing system, information passed down orally

• Accounting device for numerical info called quipu

• Quipu: knotted colored strings represent numbers to record data

• + Caculator like device

Religion in Inca empire

• Incas worshipped nature gods

• sacrificed animal + goods

• young men + women worked for state

Decline in Inca empire

• After death of Huayna capae, rule divided between sons

• Civil war tore empire apart

• Spanish soon conquered