Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations Vocabulary

Flashcards covering vocabulary from the Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations lecture notes.

Sapa Inca

The sole ruler of the Inca Empire, believed to be the son of the sun god Inti.

Aztec Warrior

Fierce soldiers who expanded the Aztec Empire through conquest and provided victims for religious sacrifices.

Moctezuma II

The Aztec emperor in the early 1500s who ruled at the height of the empire's power and faced the arrival of the Spanish.

Maya Pyramids

Grand monuments in Maya cities that served as temples and religious centers, demonstrating the importance of religion in Maya civilization.

Mesoamerica

A historical region that includes what are today the central and southern parts of Mexico and the northern parts of Central America.

Maya

A group of peoples who inhabited a region including parts of present-day Mexico and Central America, known for their advanced civilization between 200 to 900 CE.

Civilization

A society, or group of people, with similar religious beliefs, customs, language, and form of government.

Architecture

The style and construction of a building.

Archaeologist

An expert in the study of ancient people and the objects from their time period, including stones, bones, and pottery.

City-State

A city that is an independent political state with its own ruling government.

Temple

A building with a religious use or meaning.

Hieroglyph

A picture or symbol representing an idea, an object, a syllable, or a sound.

Sacrifice

To give or to kill something for a religious purpose.

Astronomy

The study of the stars, planets, and other features of outer space.

Leap Year

A year that has 366 days and occurs every four years.

Equinox

A day in which daytime and nighttime are about the same length, happening twice every year.

Initiation Ceremony

A special event to mark a person's entry into a certain group or status.

Priest

A person who has the training or authority to carry out certain religious ceremonies or rituals.

Aztec

A civilization that thrived in present-day central Mexico from 1325 to 1521 CE.

Nomadic

Moving around often in search of food; not settled in one place.

Empire

A group of countries or territories under the control of one government or one ruler.

Emperor

The ruler of an empire.

Causeway

A raised road built over water to connect islands to a mainland.

Canal

A channel dug by people, used by boats or for irrigation.

Scribe

A person whose job is copying written information.

Codex

An ancient book with handwritten pages or parts.

Pictogram

A picture or drawing that stands for a word or phrase.

Litter

A chair attached to two beams and carried on the shoulders of several people.

Reign

A period of time in which a king or queen rules.

Inca

A civilization that thrived from 1438 to 1532 on the western coast of South America.

Conquistador

The Spanish word for conqueror.

Geographical Diversity

The presence of many different kinds of landforms, waterways, or other geographic features in a region.

Plateau

A large area of high, flat ground.

Clan

A group of families.

Alpaca

A South American mammal valued for its long wooly coat.

Llama

A South American mammal valued for its endurance and for its wooly coat and meat.

Census

A count of the number of people living in a certain area.

Official

A person who carries out a government duty.

Engineer

A person who uses science and math to build useful objects or buildings.

Mortar

A material used in building that is soft at first but that then gets hard and rocklike.

Suspension Bridge

A type of bridge in which the road or pathway hangs from ropes or cables that are attached to anchors or towers.

Terrace

A flat piece of land carved out of the side of a mountain or hill.

Expedition

A special journey taken by a group that has a clear purpose or goal.

Religious Ceremony

A special gathering or event that has a religious purpose or theme.

Smallpox

A serious disease that spreads from person to person and causes a fever and a rash.

Immunity

A body's ability to remain free of illness even after being exposed to the cause of the illness.

Epidemic

A situation in which a disease spreads to many people in an area or region.