AP World Chapter 6
Itzamna
meaning "Lizard House". it was the supreme god of the Mayans
Tenochtitlan
the capital of the Aztecs, on an island in the middle of lake Texococo
Pacal
the king of Palenque who became so through the royal line of his mother/grandmother, therefore breaking patrilineal descent twice
Lake Texococo
the lake that held the island on which was the capital of the Aztecs, Tenochtitlan
Yucatan peninsula
the peninsula to the east of the Valley of Mexico where the Mayan civilization developed
four worlds
Aztecs believed that there were _____ that existed. The struggle between forces of good and evil lead to the creation/destruction of these worlds.
hunted, fished, gathered, irrigation farming. Complex societies emerged in coastal regions.
early Andes civilizations: what did they do to survive?
olmec's
first true writing in new world developed by ??
North is dominated by amazon, flowing through dense tropical jungles. South had praries stretching west to Andes Mountains, which extend the entire length of the continent. Pacific coast has mountains/deserts
geography of SA
Pacal
he ordered the Temple of Inscriptions
they came in once Olmec-like people were already thre cultivating crops like corn, yams, and manioc. Population increased, and civilizations emerged, growing into Tucatan peninsula
how did Mayans get their start?
not very- less sophisticated than neighbors, had to ally with stronger city states. but they were exellent warriors, and ruled the city-state in the lake region.
how strong were Aztecs?
central government limited outside capital. Rulers of territories subject to Aztecs were allowed autonomy for paying tribute in goods or captives to central government.
how was Aztec rule limited?
order of importance. They had human characteristics and sophisticated knowledge of astronomy
how were dieties ranked in mayan
upon death of ruler, successor chosen from within royal family by a small group of senior officials, also part of royal family
how were rulers replaced in Aztec?
Mexicans
in Aztec society, representatives from the capital
Mexico City to El Salvador
in its time, from where to where did the olmec culture extend?
Aztec panthenon
included a multitude of deities (more than 100)
15,000
it is generally accepted that humans were living in America at least _____ years ago
Aztecs
left their homeland of Aztlan during 12th century to migrate to valley of mexico. They were less sophisticated than their neighbors.
marriage partners selected from within lineage group, not immediate family. Parents selected spouse
marriage in aztec?
Kukulcan
meaning feathered serpent, he migrated to the northern part of Yucatan peninsula from Tula (associated with legend of departure of Quetxalcoatl)
Male children were sent to schools for military training then they would select a career in the military service
men in Aztec?
his mother ruled for 3 years, he turned his mother into a divine representation of the first mother goddess. Proved that noblewomen play an important role in political/religious life.
mother of Pacal? What did she prove?
Toltecs
name of people who took over area of Chicen Itza, led by a man named Kukulcan. They controlled upper Yucatan peninsula from their capital at Chicen Itza, but the area was less fertile and more prone to drought. Spaniards divided it into smaller areas and cities were abandoned
Mesoamerica
one of the first civilizations in the New World.
Mexica
one of the first groups of people to move into the Valley of mexico after the fall of Teotihuacan. They came from an island called Aztlan
palenque
one of the most powerful mayan city states. It was an archeaological site deep in the jungles of the Mexican peninsula. It contained the Temple of Inscriptions
houses built of adobe and resembled houses of the area today. Men were fighters/hunters, women were homemakers and prepared cornmeal.
other aspects of Mayan culture?
10,000 and 50,000
others, who believe that it was _____ to ______ years ago that the homo sapiens sapiens came to America by foot
swamp agriculture from slash and burn farming, leading to many small city states competing for land and resources (such as Tikal and Copan)
overcrowded farmers in lowland areas (in Maya empire) were forced to switch to
lost tribes of Israel, Phoenician seafarers from Carthage, or refugees from legendary lost continent of Atlantis.
people who crossed the Atlantic ocean were thought to be (3 things)
recieved large estates from the government as a reward for their services. They could hire communal labor
senior officials in Aztec had what power?
cacao tree
source of chocolate, which was used as a beverage by the upper class in Maya. Cocoa beans were also gorwn and used as currency in markets
Bernal Diaz
spaniard who came with Hernando Cortes on his expedition to Tenochtitlan. He said towns complained a lot about tax collectors, robbing them of all they possessed, making them slaves, and taking away land
Teotihuacan
stucco apartment compounds, housing more than 100 people. Each divided into several rooms covered by flat roofs. Separated by wide streets on a rectangular grid
Chinampas
swampy islands that were crisscrossed by canals. They provided water for farmer's crops and transportation to local markets for farmer's excess produce
Yucatan Peninsula
the area in which mesoamerica first appeared, near modern city of Veracruz.
cosmology; humans could achieve it, but they had to do religious training and rituals
the belief in the existance of two worlds, a material and a divine. By the Aztecs. What did Aztecs believe about heavenly salvation?
Olmec culture
the culture that was acknowledged as the first signs of civilization in Mesoamerica. They were intensive agircultural society along muddy riverbanks.
Chavin
the emergence of this site brought about the height of the culture of the early Andes civilization.
Quetzalcoatl
the feathered serpent who promised to someday return to his homeland
olmec culture in the hot lowlands along the coast of Gulf of Mexico, south of Veracruz
the first signs of civilization in mesoamerica developed with the development of Teotihuacan
Stone of the Sun
the most famous bas-relif depicting religious ceremony. it is a massive disk and was carved for use at the central pyramid at Tenochtitlan
Tikal and Copan
the most important city states competing for land and resources during Mayan civilization when the overcrowding famers were forced to use swamp agriculture instead of slash and burn
Huitzilopochtli
the patron diety/sun god of the Aztecs. They promoted him as the guiding diety of the entire population to provide a unifying focus for the kingdom.
Tenochtitlan
the sacred precinct of Aztecs was located at the center of _____. the top was surmounted by a platform containing shrines to the gods and an altar for performing human sacrifices.
Diego de Landa
the spanish bishop, usually a sympathetic observer of Mayan culture. He said the Mayan writing code was nothing of importance, causing it to remain undeciphered.
small nomadic communities. They were hunters/gatherers who cultivated beans, corn, squash
the very first Americans lived in? off of?
Monte Alban
this society had temples, pyramids like the Olmec sites, but were located in better, more awesome surroundings
Zapotec peoples
those who lived in Monte Alban. They created a civilization that flourished for hundreds of years.
practiced human sacrifice. Hearts ripped out, captives chosen because they represented valor
to postpone the day where the fifth world would end, Aztecs
yes! The monarch had a divine and secular character
was Aztec government authoritarian?
religious significance, humans were sacrificed when done
what significance did ball court have in mayan society?
Aztecs, Mayans, and Teotihuacan's.
what three cultures traced their origins to the Olmec civilizations of the Gulf of Mexico?
much like in Teotihuacan, it was practiced to win the favor or heavenly forces. Since mayans were peaceful and rarely involved in violence, they focused more on human sacrifice
what was human sacrifice like in Maya?
IMPRESSIVE YO. One dude ordered construction of a grand palace, and they did it
what was the power of the Mayan rulers like?
a few classes including a class of skilled artisans (who made massive stone heads), cultivated corn and beans but fished and hunted
what was the society of the olmec's like?
drained lakes when farming got competitive in Teotihuacan.
what were chinampas made from?
agriculture, seems how they were by the mountains. valley floor filled with swampy lakes with fertile soil and water
where did the bulk of the wealth of Teotihuacan come from?
on coast, then more in river valleys near andes mountains.
where were first settlements of early Andes civilizations?
small council of lords. A prime minister was cheif executive and a bureaucracy.
who advised the Aztec ruler?
tax collectors, using the threat of military action
who collected tribute in Aztec society?
a class of aristocrats whose wealth was based on owning land farmed by poorer relatives. many of the aristocrats were priests or scribes
who surrounded the Mayan ruler? Many of them were?
worked in home, raised children, weaved textiles. Obedience was important, but they did have right to inherit property and own it. Marriage was monogamous
women in Aztec?
descended from the gods, an intermediary between material and metaphysical worlds.
Aztec ruler claimed to be
Monte Alban
20,000 people, seems how they were surrounded with beautiful mountains, dwelled into terraces cut into the mountains
1. divine world 2. material world
1. according to Aztecs, it was the home of the gods. 2. earth: a flat disc with water on all sides
cacao trees and obsidian that was avaliable there.
what developed Mayan relationships with other civilizatons?
bring the entire region under their control
what did Aztecs want to do?
Spaniards divded up the cities prone to drought and area was abandoned
what happened to Toltecs?
it remained undeciphered bc there was no use in decoding it. Once scholars saw dates and symbols, they deciphered it.
what happened to mayan heiroglyphics when spanish conquered mayans?
it began in central Yucatan peninsula. At Copan, work on various stone sculptures halted, and end of Palenque followed. Overcultivations due to growing population reduced crop yields, drought, internecine warfare and rise of powerful nobles
what led to decline.fall of Mayans?
wealth and power went down, ruling classes left, principalities fought over limited farmland, a conflict that furthered when people from surrounding areas were also attracted to the farmland and came in, competing for land. This led to more intensive agriculture
what led to the decline/fall of Teotihuacan?
Aztecs consolidated their control over modern Mexico, from Atlantic to Pacific. it was not centralized, but a collection of SEMIAUTONOMOUS TERRITORIES
Aztec government?
cities had suburbs for poor and middle classes. Strip malls stretched transportation routes
Mayan class system?
aristocrats (priests/scribes), artisans/traders, farmers living on chinampas
Mayan classes?
a writing system more sophisticated that primitive system used by Aztecs.
Mayan heiroglyphics
Teotihuacan
a capital city of an early kingdom 30 miles NE of Mexico City. It was the first major metropolis in Mesoamerica, flourishing for nearly a millenium until it mysteriously collapsed.
Teotihuacan
a city located near an obsidian mine, which made sense because it was normally used in tools, mirrors, and blades.
Mayan
a civilization that was older and just as sophisticated as Teotihuacan.
Bering Strait
a land mass that the first human beings, called Amerindians, crossed to get to the Americas.
pulque
a liquor used in religious ceremonies in Teotihuacan.
Teotihuacan
a metropolis known for temples and palaces, dominated by the Pyramid of the Sun. It also had large markets where goods from distant regions and agricultural produce from local farmers was exchanged.
bering Strait
a new theory that suggested peopling of America had taken place much earlier due to migration across _______. Physical similarities of NE Asians and early Americans support this theory
Chichen Itza
a part of the Maan empire that, unlike Tikal and Palenque, survived and prospered
Louis Leaky; 100,000
a pioneer in search for the origins of humankind in Africa believe that _______ years ago, the first hominids arrived in America.
Pyramid of the Sun
a pyramid that dominated all the temples and palaces in Teotihuacan, under which there have been discovered remains of sacrifical victims put to death during dedication of the structure
Monte Alban
a society on a hillside overlooking the modern cit of Oaxaca in central Mexico
Hernan Cortes
a spanish expedition to tenochtitlan. he recived a friendly welcome from Moctezuma, who thought he was a rep of Quetzalcoatl (serpent)
Tlaxcallan
a state that helped Hernan Cortes while he was fighting Aztecs
Long Count
a system of calculating time devised by the Mayans, based on the lunar calender. It called for the end of the current cycle of 5200 years in 2012
ball court
along with temples and palaces, this surrounded a central pyramid that was the ceremonial core of Mayan cities. it was a rectangular space surrounded by walls/rings through which players threw a rubber ball.
Glyphs
an Aztec form of writing based on heiroglyphics. It represented an objects or concept. Symbols had no phoenitic significance, and wasn't a writing system.
Moctezuma
an Aztec monarch who thought hernando cortes was the serpent. Spaniards took him hostage to destroy Aztec relgious shrines, and the location population revolted, driving invaders from the city
Temple of Inscriptions
an area under the city of Palenque under which a royal tomb and limestone slab were discovered with heroglyphics, leading to the discover of Pacal.
olmec culture
carved stone ornaments, tools, monuments. Organized a wide-spread trading network, carried religious rituals, and made a system of hieroglyphics similar to Mayan writing
only hereditary nobility could hold positions in government bureaucracy. Commoners/industrial workers/slaves made up rest of pop. Indentured workers were landless who worked for nobles.
class system in Aztec? (Slaves not inherited, children of slaves were free, commoners used slavery to pay off debt)
couldn't enter nobility, but could rise to senior positons by doing exemplary service. Sometimes noblewomen would marry them so children could inherit higher status
commoners in aztec?
He demanded that Aztecs ive up native beliefs to accept Christianity. Aztecs reolved, he got assisstance from Tlaxcallan, and fought his way back into the city. Aztecs suffered from disease, and were defeated, sybolizing end o the 5th world
conlict arose between Cortes and Moctezuma when?
