02.01 Indigenous America Lecture

Vocabulary flashcards based on key concepts from the Indigenous America lecture notes.

Mixture Metaphor

The concept that some mixtures are visible (like soil) while others are invisible (like sugar in water), illustrating European influence on Indigenous art.

Indigenous

Refers to cultures existing in the Americas before European contact in 1492 C.E.

Chavín

An ancient culture located in Peru known for its shamanistic beliefs and important site, Chavín de Huántar.

Lanzón Stela

A feline-human deity sculpture found inside the labyrinth-like tunnels of Chavín de Huántar.

The Olmec

An early Mesoamerican civilization located near the Gulf of Mexico known for being the 'Mother Culture' of Mesoamerica.

Teotihuacán

An ancient city in Central Mexico known for its complex urban planning and pyramids featuring feathered serpent imagery.

Maya

An ancient civilization known for advanced architecture like nine-level pyramids and ball courts, located in the Yucatán Peninsula.

Mexica/Aztec

A large empire in South-Central Mexico known for its blood sacrifice rituals and dramatic stone carvings.

Tenochtitlan

Capital of the Aztec Empire, known for the Templo Mayor, which served as a religious center.

Coyolxauhqui

A goddess in Aztec mythology who was dismembered by her brother Huitzilopochtli, symbolizing sacrificial rituals.

Calendar Stone

A Mexica sculpture that represents the 5th sun and serves as a sacrificial platform.

Sacred Spaces

Locations like Templo Mayor and Chavín de Huántar that held significant religious and cultural importance.

Shamanism

A belief system focused on spiritual interactions with the spirit world, common in cultures like the Chavín.

Ritual & Time

Concept indicating that specific rituals occur in relation to sacred calendars to maintain cosmic balance.

Cultural Oversimplification

The error of grouping all Indigenous cultures together, ignoring their unique diversity.

New Fire Ceremony

A ritual held every 52 years to realign sacred calendars, vital to maintaining universal balance.