World History Topic 9 Flashcards

Aztec

A Mesoamerican civilization (c. 1300-1521 CE) centered in central Mexico; known for empire-building through conquest, human sacrifices, and the capital city of Tenochtitlán. Ruled by an emperor with divine authority.

Chavin

An early Andean civilization (c. 900-200 BCE) in Peru; influenced later cultures with religious art, architecture (like Chavín de Huántar temple), and trade networks.

Inca

A South American empire (c. 1438-1533 CE) in the Andes; largest pre-Columbian empire, known for road systems, terrace farming, and centralized rule from Cuzco. Conquered by Spanish in 1532.

Maya

A Mesoamerican civilization (c. 2000 BCE-1500 CE) in Yucatán Peninsula and Central America; famous for city-states, advanced math/astronomy, hieroglyphic writing, and pyramids.

Moche

An Andean civilization (c. 100-700 CE) in northern Peru; skilled in irrigation, pottery with realistic portraits, and metallurgy. Known for huaca pyramids and warrior-priest rulers.

Nazca

A South American culture (c. 100 BCE-800 CE) in southern Peru; created massive geoglyphs (Nazca Lines) visible from the air, advanced textiles, and underground aqueducts for desert farming.

Olmec

The earliest major Mesoamerican civilization (c. 1500-400 BCE) in Gulf Coast Mexico; "mother culture" with colossal stone heads, rubber production, and influence on later societies like Maya and Aztec.

Zapotec

A Mesoamerican civilization (c. 500 BCE-750 CE) in Oaxaca, Mexico; built Monte Albán as a major city, developed early writing, and had a hierarchical society with cloud symbolism in art.

Chinampas

Floating gardens used by Aztecs in Lake Texcoco; artificial islands made from mud and reeds for intensive farming, allowing multiple harvests per year.

Cuzco

The capital of the Inca Empire in Peru; considered the "navel of the world," site of temples, palaces, and starting point of the Inca road network.

Geoglyphs

Large designs etched into the ground, like the Nazca Lines in Peru; created by removing surface pebbles to reveal lighter soil, possibly for rituals or astronomy.

Machu Picchu

An Inca citadel in the Andes (built c. 1450 CE); a royal estate with terraces, temples, and stone buildings; abandoned before Spanish arrival, rediscovered in 1911.

Maize

Corn; a staple crop domesticated in Mesoamerica around 7000 BCE; central to diets and economies of Maya, Aztec, and other civilizations.

Nahuatl

The language of the Aztecs; still spoken today, source of words like "chocolate" and "avocado"; used in poetry, codices, and administration.

Palenque

A Maya city-state in Chiapas, Mexico (c. 226-799 CE); known for King Pakal's tomb, intricate carvings, and pyramids like the Temple of Inscriptions.

Poc-a-toc

A Maya ball game (also called pok-a-tok); played with a rubber ball on a court, symbolic of cosmic battles; losers sometimes sacrificed.

Quipu

Inca knotted string records; used for accounting, census, and historical data instead of writing; colors and knot types represented numbers and categories.

Tenochtitlán

Aztec capital (founded 1325 CE) on an island in Lake Texcoco; a planned city with canals, markets, and temples; population up to 200,000; destroyed by Spanish in 1521.

Teotihuacán

A massive Mesoamerican city (c. 100 BCE-550 CE) near modern Mexico City; not Aztec but influenced them; featured Pyramid of the Sun, Avenue of the Dead, and multi-ethnic population.

Uxmal

A Maya city in Yucatán (c. 700-1000 CE); part of Puuc style architecture with ornate mosaics, palaces, and the Pyramid of the Magician.

Mayan Advancements

Innovations included: hierarchical writing system (glyphs), base-20 math with zero, accurate calendar (Long Count), astronomy (predicting eclipses), and architecture (step pyramids).

Methods of Farming in Meso and South America

Meso: Chinampas (Aztec floating gardens), slash-and-burn (Maya). South: Terrace farming (Inca andes steps), raised fields (chinampas-like in Bolivia), irrigation canals (Moche/Nazca aqueducts). All adapted to diverse environments like mountains, jungles, and deserts.

Describe three ways earlier societies influenced later civilizations in Mesoamerica.

1. Olmec "mother culture" influenced art (jaguar motifs), writing, and ball games in Maya/Zapotec. 2. Teotihuacán's urban planning and trade networks shaped Aztec cities and economy. 3. Zapotec calendar and hieroglyphs inspired Maya advancements in math and record-keeping.

List at least four innovations made by the Maya.

Hieroglyphic writing for history and astronomy. 2. Advanced calendar system (including zero). 3. Rubber ball for poc-a-toc game. 4. Architectural feats like observatories and pyramids.

Explain how religious belief influenced political power in the Aztec Empire.

Aztecs believed rulers were divine intermediaries; human sacrifices to gods (like Huitzilopochtli) justified conquests for captives. Temples symbolized power, and emperor's role in rituals maintained social order and loyalty.

Describe innovations made by the Inca that supported their empire.

1. Extensive road system (14,000 miles) for communication/military. 2. Quipu for record-keeping. 3. Terrace farming and freeze-drying food for sustenance. 4. Stone masonry without mortar for durable buildings.

What were the similarities in the political systems of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca?

All three civilizations had hierarchical societies ruled by leaders believed to have divine authority. Their governments were closely tied to religion, agriculture, and warfare. Political power helped organize farming, religious rituals, and military expansion.

How did the political systems of the Maya differ from those of the Aztec and Inca?

he Maya were decentralized, made up of independent city-states ruled by separate kings. The Aztec had a centralized empire led by an emperor in Tenochtitlán who collected tribute from conquered peoples. The Inca ran a highly centralized bureaucracy with a god-king emperor, provincial governors, and the mita labor system.