Chapter 20: Worlds Apart - The Americas and Oceania

Practice flashcards covering the key historical concepts, empires, and societies of Chapter 20 (The Americas and Oceania).

Which European group had a brief presence in Newfoundland, Canada prior to widespread European contact with the Americas?

Scandinavians

Where did the Toltecs settle after migrating from northwest Mexico, and what was the population during their high point?

They settled at Tula (near modern Mexico City), reaching an urban population of $60,000$ with another $60,000$ living in the surrounding area during their high point from $950\text{--}1150\text{ C.E.}$

What factors caused the destruction of the Toltec civilization around $1175\text{ C.E.}$?

Internal strife and nomadic incursions

Where did the Mexica settle around $1345\text{ C.E.}$?

Tenochtitlan (which later became Mexico City)

What were chinampas in Mexica agriculture?

Fertile plots of land created by dredging soil from the lake bottom, which produced up to $7$ crops per year

Which three regional entities joined together in the fifteenth century to form the Aztec empire?

The Mexica, Texcoco, and Tlacopan

What empires and key sites are depicted in this map of Mesoamerica from $950\text{--}1520\text{ C.E.}$?

The Aztec empire, Toltec empire, and Maya empire, including key sites such as Tenochtitlan, Tula, Teotihuacan, Cholula, and Chichén Itzá

What background and privileges were associated with soldiers in Mexica society?

They were mainly drawn from the aristocratic class and enjoyed high stature, land grants, food privileges, and sumptuary privileges regarding personal adornment

What primary role was emphasized for women in patriarchal Mexica society?

Child-bearing, particularly bearing future soldiers, with mothers of warriors being especially lauded

What were calpulli in Mexica society?

Communal groups (originally kin-based) responsible for managing communal lands and providing work obligations on aristocratic lands

What roles were performed by priests in Mexica society?

They were masters of complex agricultural and ritual calendars, performed ritual functions, read omens, advised rulers, and occasionally became rulers themselves

What were the functions of the Mexica gods Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcóatl, and Huitzilopochtli?

Tezcatlipoca ("the Smoking Mirror") was a powerful god of life and death and patron of warriors; Quetzalcóatl ("the Feathered Serpent") presided over arts, crafts, and agriculture; Huitzilopochtli was the patron god of the Mexica who received heavy emphasis on blood sacrifices

What proportion of the diet in Pueblo and Navajo societies came from maize farming?

$80\text{\%}$ of their diet

What was Cahokia in North American mound-building culture?

A large mound site located near East St. Louis that flourished between $900$ and $1250$

How did South American societies differ from Mesoamerican societies regarding written records prior to the sixteenth century C.E.?

South American societies had no written records before the arrival of the Spaniards in the sixteenth century C.E., whereas Mesoamerican cultures had writing starting from the fifth century C.E.

Which autonomous regional kingdoms developed in Andean South America prior to the rise of the Inca Empire?

The Kingdom of Chucuito (near Lake Titicaca) and the Kingdom of Chimu or Chimor (along the Peruvian coast with its capital at Chanchan)

What territory and total population did the Inca Empire reach under the ruler Pachacuti (r. $1438\text{--}1471$)?

Territory spanning modern Peru and parts of Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, with a total population of $11.5\text{ million}$

What region and empire are depicted in this map of South America from $1471\text{--}1532\text{ C.E.}$?

The Inca empire along the Andes Mountains, including cities such as Cuzco, Quito, Machu Picchu, and Tiahuanaco

What was a quipu and how did the Incas use it?

A system of cords and knots used as a mnemonic aid for record-keeping and administration in the absence of a written language

What were the characteristics of the Inca road system?

A massive system featuring two paved, shaded north-south routes (one mountain, one coastal) totaling approximately $10,000\text{ miles}$, used for courier and messenger services

What were ayllu in Inca society?

Community groups of peasants who held land and tools communally, carried out mandatory work details on aristocratic lands, and contributed labor to public works

Who were Inti and Viracocha in Inca religion?

Inti was the sun god, and Viracocha was the creator god

Which geographic regions of Oceania are displayed on this map?

Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia

What crop was introduced to Pacific islands from South America around $300\text{ C.E.}$ through long-distance voyaging?

Sweet potatoes

What was a marae (known as heiau in Hawaiian)?

A ceremonial precinct or temple in Polynesian religion