Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica, the Andes, and the Pacific Region

Vocabulary flashcards detailing key terms, figures, sites, and concepts from the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Inca, and Polynesian civilizations.

Shaman-Kings

Rulers of the Olmec monarchy who served as both political leaders and the highest religious authorities.

Mother Culture

A title given to the Olmec Civilization due to its foundational influence on all later Mesoamerican civilizations.

San Lorenzo

A major Olmec site famous for giant stone Colossal Heads depicting kings, weighing up to 40 tons.

La Venta

A massive ceremonial center of the Olmec Civilization.

Olmec Script

The first glyphic script developed in the Americas, created by the Olmecs and currently undeciphered.

Ajaw

Divine kings who ruled individual city-states in the Maya Civilization.

Kukulkan

The Feathered Serpent, who served as the central religious figure in Maya religion.

Tikal

A major Maya city located in Guatemala known for its massive temples.

Palenque

A major Maya city located in Mexico known for its architectural and artistic marvels.

Vigesimal system

A base-20 number system used by the Maya for complex astronomical calculations, which included the independent invention of zero.

Tzolk'in

A 260-day calendar system developed by the Maya.

Haab'

A 365-day calendar system developed by the Maya.

Long Count calendar

A Maya calendar system used specifically for tracking historical dates over long periods.

Mayan codices

Bark paper books used by the Maya to record complex hieroglyphic writing.

Tenochtitlan

The capital city of the Aztec Empire, built on Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico.

Chinampas

Artificial floating gardens created by the Aztecs for intensive agriculture.

Pochteca

A class of merchants in Aztec society who developed extensive trade networks.

Tlatoani

The emperor at the top of the complex Aztec social hierarchy.

Huitzilopochtli

The central god of the Aztec religion, representing the Sun and War.

Aztec Sun Stone

A massive carved stone calendar used by the Aztecs for religious ceremonies and tracking time.

Hernán Cortés

The Spanish conquistador who arrived in 1519 and captured Tenochtitlan by 1521, ending the Aztec Empire.

Cusco

The capital city of the Inca Empire, located in modern-day Peru.

Mita system

An Inca economic labor tax requiring citizens to work on state projects such as farms, roads, and mines.

Quechua

The language used by the Incas to unite diverse ethnic groups across their empire.

Sapa Inca

The emperor of the Inca Empire, considered to be the son of the sun god Inti.

Quipu

A system of knotted strings used by the Incas for record-keeping in place of a written language.

Curacas

Local chiefs in the Inca Empire who managed communities under a centralized bureaucracy.

Royal Mummies

Preserved bodies of deceased Inca emperors that were retained and treated as living advisors.

Machu Picchu

A famous example of Inca stonemasonry in the Andes Mountains built without mortar.

Francisco Pizarro

The Spanish conquistador who arrived in 1532, captured Emperor Atahualpa, and conquered the Inca Empire.

Polynesian Triangle

A vast region in the Pacific Ocean bounded by Hawaii, New Zealand (Aotearoa), and Easter Island (Rapa Nui).

Lapita culture

The ancestral culture of the Polynesian people, originating from Austronesians from Taiwan/Southeast Asia.

Wakas

Advanced outrigger canoes and double-hulled voyaging canoes used by Polynesian navigators.

Mana

The Polynesian spiritual belief in a universal power and energy.

Kapu

A system of sacred laws developed by the Hawaiian people.

Haka

A traditional war dance practiced by the Maori of New Zealand (Aotearoa).

Moai

Massive stone statues created by the inhabitants of Rapa Nui (Easter Island).

Tatau

Elaborate body tattooing practiced in Polynesian culture, from which the word tattoo originates.

Lapita pottery

Early Polynesian pottery decorated with distinctive geometric designs that trace migration across the Pacific.