Diverse Societies in Early Americas

Where did the first peoples in America likely migrate from?

Northeast Asia

What was the estimated population range in the Americas before European contact?

37-100 million

What types of societies existed in America by the 1400s?

Fishing villages, nomadic hunter-gatherers, and large city empires.

What agricultural advancements contributed to the development of complex societies in America?

Crop systems, domesticated animals, and developed tools.

What is horticulture?

The practice of working small plots of land with simple tools.

What crop was significantly improved and cultivated by ancient Mexicans?

Maize.

What economic developments arose from high yields of crops in ancient Mexico?

Surplus food storage and trade.

By what year did complex societies emerge due to intensive agriculture in ancient Mexico?

By 500 CE.

Which three major civilizations emerged in the Americas by the early 16th century?

Aztecs, Maya, and Incas.

Where were the Aztecs and Mayans located?

In the equatorial region.

What civilization thrived along the Pacific coast of present-day Peru?

The Incas.

What technological advancements did the Aztecs and Mayans possess?

Knowledge of mathematics and astronomy.

What was the capital of the Aztec civilization?

Tenochtitlan.

What agricultural technique did the Maya use to increase crop yields?

Chinampas, or artificial islands in lakes/swamps.

What types of goods did the Maya trade?

Pottery, cloth, leather goods, tiles, and obsidian.

What was a significant factor in the decline of the Maya civilization around 800 CE?

Abandonment of many cities and religious centers.

What was the peak population and area controlled by the Incas in the 15th century?

16 million people across 350,000 square miles.

What agricultural method did the Incas use in the Andes Mountains?

Terrace farming.

What materials did the Incas mine for their economy?

Gold and silver.

What type of dwellings did the Pueblo peoples construct?

Adobe brick and masonry cliff dwellings.

What caused the dispersal of Pueblo peoples into smaller groups?

Persistent drought.

What tools were used by nomadic bison-hunting societies in the Great Plains?

Atlatl, nets, hooks, snares, and bow & arrow.

What characterized the social structure of the Ute people in the Great Basin?

Small, egalitarian kinship bands.

What type of society did the Chumash people of California have?

Hunter-gatherers in permanent villages.

What was a key feature of the Pacific Northwest tribes' economy?

Rich natural resources like salmon and forests.

What was the social structure of the Iroquois villages?

Semi-sedentary, matriarchal society with communal living in longhouses.