ap world 1.4 & 1.5

Aztecs

A powerful Mesoamerican civilization that ruled much of central Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish.

Mayans

A Mesoamerican civilization known for advanced writing, mathematics, astronomy, and large city-states in present-day Mexico and Central America.

Incas

A powerful civilization in the Andes that created a large empire centered in present-day Peru.

Cahokia

A major Mississippian city near present-day St. Louis, known for its large earthen mounds and extensive trade network.

Mississippian

A Native American culture in eastern North America known for agriculture, large settlements, and earthen mounds.

Matrilineal society

A society in which family descent and inheritance are traced through the mother's side of the family.

City-state

An independent political unit made up of a city and the surrounding territory it controls.

Human sacrifices

The practice of killing people as part of religious ceremonies, practiced by some ancient societies, including the Aztecs.

Mexicas

The people who founded and ruled the Aztec Empire, centered at the city of Tenochtitlan.

Aqueducts

Structures built to transport water from one location to another, often over long distances.

Chinampas

Artificial agricultural islands built in shallow lakes by the Aztecs to grow crops.

Theocracy

A government in which religious leaders or religious beliefs control the government.

Pachacuti

An Incan ruler who greatly expanded the Incan Empire and reorganized its government.

Incan Empire

The large empire created by the Incas in the Andes, stretching along much of western South America.

Mit'a system

A labor system in which people were required to provide labor to the Incan government for public projects.

Animism

The belief that spirits or spiritual forces exist in animals, plants, objects, and natural features.

Quipu

A system of knotted cords used by the Incas to record information, such as numbers, taxes, and supplies.

Francisco Pizarro

A Spanish conquistador who led the conquest of the Incan Empire in the 1530s.

Machu Picchu

An Incan site in the Andes Mountains of Peru, believed to have been an important royal or religious center.

Kin-based networks

Social and political relationships organized around extended family and relatives.

Shariah law

A system of Islamic laws and principles based on the Quran, the teachings of Muhammad, and other Islamic sources.

Trans-Saharan trade

Trade across the Sahara Desert, especially involving gold, salt, enslaved people, and other goods between West Africa and North Africa.

Indian Ocean trade

A large trade network connecting East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia through the Indian Ocean.

Swahili

A language and culture that developed along the East African coast through interactions among African, Arab, and Persian peoples.

Ethiopia

An ancient Christian kingdom in East Africa that maintained Christianity despite being surrounded by predominantly Muslim regions.

Indian Ocean slave trade

The trade of enslaved people across the Indian Ocean, connecting East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and other regions.

Griots/Griottes

West African storytellers, historians, and musicians who preserved and passed down history and traditions orally.

Mansa Musa

The wealthy ruler of the Mali Empire who became famous for his pilgrimage to Mecca and helped make Mali known throughout the Islamic world.

Ibn Battuta

A Moroccan Muslim traveler who journeyed across Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe and recorded information about the societies he visited.