central & south america

Montezuma II

last Aztec ruler before the Spanish invaders

reign: 1502-1520 (died in tenochtitlan, captive by Spanish, used to control people - rock to head)

he helped the empire expand and is known for the first contact w the Europeans

characteristics of Aztec city-states

mit’a system (taxes)

specialized labor (workers chosen based on abilities)

education (smart civilization)

writing system w/ symbols

trade network

religion (god worship, sacrifices, offerings, community)

Quetzacoatl

Aztec God of rain

Huitzilopochtli

Aztec God of sun and war

Human Sacrifice

Aztecs believed that if they didn’t sacrifice people, the sun wouldn’t rise and darkness would consume the world

• human sacrifice was sometimes taken as tax or an offering to gods

obsidian

trading material, popular, rare

• used in tools/weapons

• helped teotihuacan become popular trading center

Chinampas

floating artificial islands in lake/water

• helped increase quality & quantity of crops, more space to farm (nutrient-rich lake soil)

Causeways

bridges connecting island to mainland

Tenochtitlan

capital of Aztec empire

Triple Alliance

texcoco, tenochtitlan, tlacopan

• formation: Azcapotzalco (city state) in civil war, power vacuum

• 3 above city states formed alliance to conquer azcapotzalco, forming the Aztec empire

Mita system

manual labor = taxes for govt

• portion of product goes to govt

ideology of conquest

to get more people for human sacrifice (religiously diverse - people didn’t want to be sacrificed, so joined empire)

pochteca

merchants

• typically worked in Tlatelolco (marketplace)

Calpulli

specific groups of families

• neighborhoods

government

monetary system (regulated use of currency)

aztec aspects

• hieroglyphic writing (symbols)

• fluvial (river) trade

• riding class system

• decentralized govt

• chinampas, causeways, pyramids

incan aspects

• centralized state, powerful empire

• extensive road system, terraced farming, stonework

• quipus

• llamas as transport for trade, kept trade within empire mostly

• ayllu system

government

no monetary system, govt evenly distributed goods such as food (products of work from mita system)

ideology of conquest

to get temples for Sapa Inca (more territory conquered to support temples, more people joining)

Quechua

official Incan language

agriculture

terraced farming for more crops on different levels, environments - if one died, there were others

• inca empire had many microclimates, meaning lots of crops diversification

Road systems

built to make travelling over valleys more efficient and safer, also helped with trade

• chasquis sent messages over these roads (runners)

• ^ used rest houses stocked w food along way

Quipu

incan tool used as a visual display of information, typically numberical

• (colored) strings on a stick w/knots

• chasquis carried these across the road systems to spread info

• had specialized quipu readers

Temple of Sun

incan temple in machu picchu

• used for sacrifices, offerings, and religious ceremonies or events

Viracocha

eighth ruler of cuzco (ruler before pachacuti)

• supreme Incan God, supreme creator

pachacuti

ninth ruler of cuzco

• established incan empire

• called “inca”

• founded Machu Picchu

• expanded and advanced empire

sapa inca

“great” or “only” inca

• highest title for incan emperor

Inti

incan sun god

Atahualpa

last incan ruler b4 Spanish conquests

• died 1533 at hands of Spanish

cuzco

capital of incan empire

• lots of intricate architecture

State-controlled economy

ruler oversees everything, owns all land

incan unity

• incans took in people the conquered to make a more loyal and diverse empire

• religiously tolerant

• incan road systems to connect empire

ayllu

self-sustaining social units

• educated children

• grew crops

bureaucratic govt

hierarchical administrative structure where decisions are made by unelected officials following established rules and procedures

textile production

the process of converting raw fibers, either natural or synthetic, into usable products like cloth and other textiles

• Aztec used taxes

shared aspects

• agriculture (maize, beans, squash)

• social structures (hierarchical societies)

• polytheistic religion

• strong military powers

• conquest by Europeans (Spanish)