Unit 1 Pre-Columbian North America

Confederacy

A group of nations or tribes joined together for a common purpose

Archaeologist

A scientist who studies human history through the excavation of sites and artifacts

Irrigation

The supply of water to land or crops to help grown, typically by artificial means

Nomadic

Moving from place to place rather than settling in one location

Abundance

A very large quantity of something

Ingenious

very clever and original

Colonization

The act of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area.

Interconnected

Having all parts or elements related

Indigenous

Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place, Native

Civilization

An advanced state of human society with developed systems of government, culture, and way of life.

Horticulturalists

People who cultivate gardens and grow crops

Mound-building

The practice of constructing large earthen structures for ceremonial, political or burial purposes.

Wattle and Daub

traditional building technique using mud or clay as a plaster

Three Sisters

A Native American farming method of growing corn, beans and squash together in a symbiotic relationship

Cahokia

A major Mississippian cultural center near modern day St. Louis, features the largest earthen mound in North America

Earthen Mounds

Large, raised earth structures built by Native American Cultures