HIS 141 Chapter 12 Mesoamerica

Beringia

Land bridge that connected Asia to North America during the last Ice Age.

horses

These and other large mammals were extinct in the Americas by 8000 B.C.E. due to over-hunting and a failure to adapt to warmer temperatures

Maize

This wonder grain of the Americas was cultivated as early as 4000 B.C.E.

Olmec

This word comes from the Mexica term for "People of the Rubber Country." They lived along the Gulf coast of Mexico between 1200-400 B.C.E. and are considered the mother culture for all succeeding Mesoamerican civilizations.

Obsidian

This hard glassy, green or black volcanic rock found in the Valley of Mexico was used to make razor sharp weapons.

Jaguarr

The Olmec envisioned their rain-god in the form of this animal, the most powerful predator of the Americas.

Teotihuacan

This trading city and religious center lay 31 miles northeast of Mexico City, at its heart stood the 200 foot tall Pyramid of the Sun.

Quetzalcoatl

The feathered-serpent, this god of culture and peace was important to the Teotihuacan, the Toltec and the Mexica.

blood letting

Maya rulers and their families frequently engaged in rituals of this sort. They believed the gods were honored by this imitation, and that it aided in providing water to nourish their crops.

elite

In Olmec and Maya societies these lived on elevated platforms, engaged in warfare and monopolized the use of jade objects and finely woven textiles

solar

The Maya had a number of calendars, a ritual calendar as well as one of these. Theirs was calculated within seventeen seconds of ours.

Zero

In addition to place value notation and a base twenty system, Maya mathematicians developed this important concept.

Popul Vuh

This Maya codex records the Maya Highland creation story

cacao beans

Though the Maya had no uniform coinage, they often used these as currency.

Toltecs

This people built their capital at Tula. Their decoration was more warlike and violent than any earlier Mesoamerican group. Nearly all public buildings were decorated with representations of warriors or scenes suggesting human sacrifice.

Topilitzin

According to legend, this peaceful Toltec king merged with Quetzalcoatl and though forced into exile, promised to one day return.

Tenochtitlan

The center of Mexica civilization and their main city, it was founded in 1325 on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco.

Huitzilopochtli

Mexica sun and war god usually identified with the southern hummingbird or the eagle.

Iyac

A Mexica title meaning "warrior," a young man earned this after capturing one prisoner.

weaving

Among the Mexica this was viewed as a sacred and exclusively female art.

Tequiua

A Mexica warrior who captured four or more prisoners for ritual sacrifice earned this title, shared in the spoils of war, and became a member of the nobility.

macana

A paddle-shaped wooden club, edged with bits of obsidian; this was the weapon of choice for Mexica warriors.

An eagle perched on a cactus,held snake is on the flag of Mexico. The reason is because Huitzilpochtli instructed the ancient Mexicas to look for a place that has these characteristics of an eagle perched on a cactus, holding a snake.

What is on the flag of Mexico? Why? Explain.