AP World: Ch. 7 The Americas (Maya, Aztecs, Inca)
How were Maya ruled?
Ruled by kings and priests and had city-states.
What are the similarities between the Inca & Aztecs?
Similarities: worshipped the sun god, both practiced human sacrifices, had large temples
What powers did the priests have?
They had powers to access the underworld (9 levels of hell).
Moche
came after Chavin, had a stratified society: wrath/power was in hands if priests/military leaders
How many people do the Aztecs sacrifice a year?
1000 people a year.
What 2 calendars did Maya priest create?
A solar 365 days based on agriculture & a ritual year of 260 days (combined to create specific dates when to have rituals).
Tribute System (Aztecs)
A system in which defeated peoples were forced to pay a tax in the form of goods and labor
What are the similarities between Maya, Inca, & Aztecs?
All worshipped many gods, made sacrifices, all farmed.
Tenochtitlan
Aztec capital city, located on small islands of Lake Texcoco
Chinampas
Aztecs constructed raised fields along lake shores in Mesoamerica which boosted agricultural
Who sacrificed humans and ate hearts & how did they get the people?
Aztecs sacrificed & nobles ate the heart, they captured enemies in battle to later sacrifice.
What was In a state encouraged by?
Belief that each new Inca needed to secure his own land/wealth so that dead Inca's mummy could be supported by cult forever.
Toltecs
Central American society that was centered around the city of Tula & unified central Mexico after Maya
What was the difference between classical and Post classical?
Classical=art, peace Post Classical= military, aggressive gov't
What are the differences between Aztec & Inca?
Differences: Inca were in the Andes (mtns), Aztecs lived on Islands
Who ruled Aztecs?
Elite families chose leaders, less elaborate bureaucracy, with a powerful military.
Maya Empire
Heirs of Olmec who centered society E/S of Olmec settlements (Mesoamerica) , had a ceremonial center (kaminaljuyu) that dominated communities
mit'a system
Inca system in which each person owed compulsory labor services to the state (men did heavy labor & women made textiles, pottery, jewelry)
ayllus (Inca)
Incan bureaucrats kept track of labor service & tribute owed by local communities
What was the order of Empires?
Maya, Teotihuacán, Toltecs, Aztec, Inca.
What are the differences between the Maya, Aztec, & Inca?
Maya: lasted longest & were the greatest Mesoamerican civilization Inca: lived in mtns., had army, laws, roads, bridges, tunnels, & complex irrigation systems, didn't have writing system, but had khipas Aztec: founded biggest city (Tenochtitlán), lived on Lake Texcoco, had calendars
Cahokia
Mississippian mound-building settlement near present-day East St. Louis, home to as many as 25,000 Native Americans
Incan Empire
Most powerful well-organized civilization that formed a vast imperial state in present day Peru, the capital was Cuzco, had aggressive expansion
What did the Inca emphasize?
Self-sufficiency & state regulation of production/surplus.
What did Inca build on hillsides for framing?
Terraces, had surplus of food so they stored it for later.
Who were the Toltecs replaced by?
The Aztecs.
Which group had 2 rulers?
The Toltecs.
How did the Aztecs rise to power?
Through military leadership.
What 2 groups of people occupied the Andes after the Moche?
Tiwanaku & Wari.
Did Maya have their own writing system?
Yes, it was hieroglyphic.
Were women important to Aztecs?
Yes, they birthed warriors & a women who dived while giving labor was said to help the sun god make his journey through the sky.
Did the Aztecs & Inca trade?
Yes, they relied on trade & had a large/wealthy merchant class.
Where there religious monument all over Central America?
Yes, they were in pyramidal form, the sun/moon monument were largest structures built.
Were priests educated in Incan Empire?
Yes.
slash and burn agriculture
a farming technique in which trees are cut down and burned to clear and fertilize the land
Inca
chief ruler (god-king) of Incan Empire who was considered deity descended from the sun, he owned everything, governed as an all-knowing ruler, & dressed elaborately
Teotihuacan
had large lakes, mtns., & channeled water to crops, grew rapidly & was the center of religious rituals/gov't administration
Quecha
language of the Inca
Stelae in Maya culture
memorial pillars depicting Maya rulers and gods that were inscribed with hieroglyphics
Topiltzin
most influential Toltec leader; dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl, but was forced into exile which led to decline of Toltecs
Anasazi
people who used River o water crops, created pueblos
Aztec Empire
powerful Indian empire founded on Lake Texcoco (Mexico), main city was Tenochtitlán, adapted to aquatic environments (lived on islands)
khipus
recording device system of cords/beads to keep track of labor service/tribute owed by communities, used in the incan empire and its predecessor societies in the Andean region
