AMSCO APWHM Chapter 14 Vocabulary

All key terms and their definitions are listed. This is the list from the 2018 version.

Mississippian

(700-1500 CE) A Native American civilization known for building large earthen mounds and having complex societies centered around chiefdoms.

Great Sun

In the Mississippian culture, the chief who ruled each large town and stood at the top of the class structure.

Toltec

Civilization in Mesoamerica that lasted from roughly 950-1100 CE. They established a capital at Tula following migration into the central Mesoamerican plateau, and are known for their strong militaristic ethic.

Aztec

A powerful Mesoamerican empire centered in Tenochtitlan, known for military conquest and tribute systems.

Tribute System

A system in which conquered people paid goods and labor to the Aztec Empire

Great Speaker

The Aztec emperor, who served as the political ruler and chief representative of the gods.

Inca

A large Andean empire known for its extensive road network, centralized government, and terrace farming

Pachacuti

The son of a local tribal ruler that conquered the Chanca people and assumed control from his father in 1438 CE, giving himself this name, meaning "shaker of the earth." His military victories transformed the Inca into a full-fledged empire.

Yupanqui

Pachacuti's son who took control in 1471 CE and ruled until 1493 CE. He extended the Inca Empire north, conquering the state of Chimu.

Huayna Capac

Yupanqui's successor, taking control in 1493 CE. He focused on consolidating and managing the extensive territory the Inca had acquired.

Cahokia

The largest city of the Mississippian culture, located near present-day St. Louis, known for its massive mound structures.

Tula

The capital city of the Toltecs, built around 950 CE in northern Mesoamerica. At its peak, 60,000 people lived there.

Tenochtitlán:The capital city of the Aztec Empire, built on an island in Lake Texcoco

Lake Texcoco

A lake located in the Valley of Mexico, now underneath modern-day Mexico City. It was the location of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan.

Chinampas

Man-made floating gardens used by the Aztecs to grow crops on Lake Texcoco

Cuzco

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

Carpa Nan

The Incan road system that stretched over 25,000 miles and connected the empire

Matrilineal society

A society in which one's social standing was determined by the woman's side of the family.

Mita System

An INca labor system where citizens provided labor to the state for public projects in exchange for goods and services.

Quetzalcoati

The Mayan and Aztec god of wind and knowledge, often depicted as a feathered serpent; one of the primary gods of the Mayan/Aztec pantheon.

Chichen Itza

an ancient Mayan city located on the Yucatan Peninsula; similar to toltec capital, Tula.

Great Pyramid

A 150-foot tall stone pyramid that rose from the center of Tenochtitlan.

Human Sacrifice

The act of killing one or more humans practiced especially by the Aztecs to honor the gods and ensure cosmic balance.

Quechua

The native language of the Inca, and a language still spoken by the native peoples of Peru.

Royal Ancestor Veneration

A practice in the Incan belief system in which dead rulers were mummified and kept "ruling" as they had in life. They were thought to possess everything they had in their past life; therefore, Incan rulers couldn't inherit land, fueling the continued expansion of the empire.

Royal ancestor cult

The royal ancestor veneration is the same thing as… _

Inti

The primary sun god of the Inca religion and central to state-sponsored religious practices

Huaca

A sacred object or place in Inca belief, often associated with spirits or ancestors.

Quipu

A system of knotted strings used by the Inca for record keeping and communication

Waru Waru

Raised agriculture beds used by the Inca with channels that captured and redirected rain to avoid erosion during floods and store water during dry periods.

Pochteca

A special merchant class in the Aztec Empire that traded in luxury goods. They stood below the land-owning nobles, scribes, craftspeople/traders, and above peasants and soldiers.