Aztecs & Incas - KSU

Aztlan

the legendary ancestral home of the Aztec peoples.

Huitzilopochtli

Aztec tribal patron god; central figure of cult of human sacrifice and warfare; identified with old sun god

Tenochtitlan

Capital of the Aztec Empire

Lake Texcoco

Lake where the capital city of the ancient Aztecs Tenochtitlan was built

Chinampas

floating gardens

Quetzalcoatl

feathered serpent/ Half Snake half bird

Tonatiuh

sun god

Tlaloc

rain god

Shaman

an ancient doctor, healer, or priest, they were called upon for religious ceremonies

Nahuatl

Aztec language

Hernan Cortes

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico (1485-1547)

Moctezuma

Aztec emperor defeated and killed by the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes.

Tlaxcala

enemies of the Aztecs who allied with the Spanish

Reasons why Spanish was able to defeat the Aztecs

- Believed to be gods at first

- Superior weapons and animals

- Aided by Aztec enemies

- Better farming/ Harvest Seasons

- Diseases

Mitma

forced migration

Tahuantin-Suyu

Land of the Four Quarters

Cuzco

The capital city of the Incan Empire, Located in present-day Peru

Chasqui

a runner in the Incan empire who carried messages up and down the length of the empire

Quechua

Incan language

Quipu

An arrangement of knotted strings on a cord, used by the Inca to record numerical information.

Machu Picchu

Abandoned city high in the Andes mountains that showcases the architectural genius of the Inca

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish explorer who conquered the Incas in what is now Peru and founded the city of Lima (1475-1541).

Atahualpa

Last ruling Inca emperor of Peru. He was executed by the Spanish.

Battle of Cajamarca

Battle between the spaniards and the Incas; Atahualpa, the Inca's ruler, was captured and killed by Pizarro and the Spaniards