Cradles of Early Science: Mesoamerica

Vocabulary practice flashcards detailing the scientific, mathematical, architectural, and calendrical advancements of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations in Mesoamerica.

Mesoamerica

A historical region encompassing Central America from Southern Mexico to the border of South America, designated by Paul Kirchkoff from the Greek word for 'intermediate' or 'middle.'

Mayan Hieroglyphics

The written communication system developed by the Maya civilization consisting of more than $800$ characters.

Haab

The Maya solar calendar consisting of $365$ days, arranged into $18$ months of $20$ days each plus an additional $5$ days at the end.

Tzolk'in

The sacred 260-day cycle calendar of the Maya, composed of $20$-day glyphs paired with numbers $1$ to $13$, used to track solar zeniths, corn cultivation, personality traits, and destiny.

Long Count

An astronomical calendar system utilized by the Maya to track extended chronological eras, record historical and mythical events, and measure the universal cycle.

Kin

The foundational unit of time in the Mayan Long Count calendar, corresponding to $1$ single day.

Winal

A unit of time in the Mayan Long Count calendar comprising $20$ kins, representing a period of $20$ days.

Tun

A period within the Mayan Long Count calendar consisting of $18$ winals, totaling $360$ days.

Katun

A unit of chronological measurement in the Mayan Long Count calendar comprising $20$ tuns, totaling $7{,}200$ days.

Baktun

The large cycle in the Mayan Long Count calendar consisting of $20$ katuns, equivalent to $144{,}000$ days.

Pyramid of Kukulcan

A stone pyramid built between 800 and 900 A.D. at Chich'en Itza that serves as a physical architectural representation of the Haab calendar.

Teotihuacan

An ancient Mesoamerican city that flourished between the Maya and Inca civilizations, noted for large pyramids, warrior sacrifices, and depictions of gender-fluid deities such as the Great Goddess.

Cuzco

The capital city of the Inca Empire located in ancient Peru, whose name translates directly to 'dried-up lakebed.'

Quipu

An information storage apparatus made of colored, spun, and plied cords of cotton or camelid fiber, encoding numeric data using knots in a base-$10$ positional system.

Tawantinsuyu

The historical realm of the Inca Empire that relied heavily on quipus for regional and state-wide administrative governance.

Machu Picchu

An Inca mountain settlement constructed in the 1440s to 1450 CE during the expansion era of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui.

Inti Watana

Inca astronomical stone structures used for solar observations, including marking the exact occurrences of solstices and equinoxes.

Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui

The Inca leader who declared himself Papa Inca (emperor) in 1438 CE, driving extensive architectural and territorial expansion.

Battle of Cajamarca

A 1532 CE confrontation during which Spanish forces commanded by Francisco Pizarro captured the Inca ruler Atahualpa.

Aztlan

The ancestral homeland meaning 'White Land,' which forms the etymological origin of the name Aztec.

Tenochtitlan

The capital and primary urban center of the Aztec Empire, founded in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco.

Mexica

The self-designation used by the Aztec people, identifying themselves as farmers of corn, temple builders, and warriors.

Chinampa

An Aztec agricultural innovation involving rectangular artificial plots of arable land bordered and irrigated by canals.

Antispasmodics

Medicinal preparations introduced by the Aztecs to relieve intense cramping, smooth muscle spasms, gastrointestinal discomfort, and bladder conditions.

Tonalpohualli

The Aztec sacred 260-day ritual calendar, which combined an ordered sequence of $20$ named day signs with numbers $1$ through $13$.

Xiuhpohualli

The Aztec 365-day solar calendar dedicated to agricultural cycles, partitioned into $18$ months of $20$ days each plus $5$ extra days.

Piedra del Sol (Aztec Sun Stone)

A monumental carved circular stone discovered in December 1790 containing concentric rings illustrating the sun, the $20$ days of the month, solar rays, and dedications.