1
Q
new world
A
the americas
2
Q
olmec
A
- southwestern curve of the gulf of mexico, near veracruz
- founding culture of mesoamerica
- emerged in a series of river valleys
- called the rubber people
- known for their imperishable art, large stone heads/ sculptures
- the true reason for their decline is unknown but some believe they may have deliberately destroyed their capital
- no written evidence left behind
3
Q
mesoamerica
A
- name for middle america in ancient times
- trade urbanized them
4
Q
old world
A
africa, europe, asia
5
Q
chinampa
A
floating islands of soil held together by willow used to grow food and crops
6
Q
rubber
A
used in a rubber ball game with prisoners
- if you lost you were used as sacrifice, your head was cut off and place on the fences
- olmec were called the rubber people because they knew how to harvest the rubber
7
Q
millenium
A
1000 years
8
Q
arid
A
- a very dry climate where the dry season lasted for months
- Teotihuacan, mayans, and oasians was apart of this climate
9
Q
tenochtitlan
A
- city that carried mesoamerican civilization to its height
- called “place of the cactus fruit”
- spoke nahuatl and the people were called the mexica
- it was an island
- given the name ATZECS by german explorer alexander
- allied themselves with 2 other neighboring cities
- conquered a lot of mesoamerica
- everyone was payed in food and goods
- they greatly valued their warriors (military leaders chose the ruler )
- they also had special advantages like clothing
- adopted a lot of olmec traditions as well (ball game and calendar and religious beliefs )
- along with military, they were also devoted to poetry
- destroyed by a group of spanish conquistadors
- they had a writing system a little less sophisticated than the mayans and that is how we know all of their customs and traditions
10
Q
conquistador
A
the spanish conquerers of the americas
11
Q
mayans
A
- east of olmecs, curve of gulf of mexico on yucatan peninsula into present day guatemala
- rose as the olmecs declined
- infertile soil, no large rivers
- built terraces into hills to farm (corn, beans, squash, peppers, cassava, and cacao (chocolate))
- luxury goods: feathers, jade, gold, and shells.
- organized themselves into small city states instead of one big empire (largest was Tikal)
- the city states fought among eachother to try and capture one another for sacrifice to the mayan gods
- most known for making the most sophisticated and elaborate writing system out of all the other mesoamerican systems
- it used pictographs and symbols
- also known for developments in mathematics, cosmology, and development of three calendars
(365 day, 260 day, and the long count calendar to record the longterm passage of time ) - also developed the concept of zero
- beleived that the suns energy came from human blood so they practiced a lot of sacrificing and blood letting
- inherited a lot of this from the olmecs
- they suddenly experienced a drastic change where all the cities became populations moving back into the country side.
- this may have been because of invasions earthquakes or many other things
- it was most probably the complexity of their society
- when a bunch of droughts came their whole social pyramid collapsed
- but they didnt disapear because there are many descendants still today, they just faded
12
Q
teotihuacan
A
- at about the same time of the mayans teotihuacan was developing
- in highlands of mexico (near Mexico city)
- agricultural village with large lakes
- a very big city (large population)
- not much is understood about its government
- unknown invaders may have burned the city
- the aztec found their ruins and named them “the city of the god “
- most important center of trade in mesoamerica
- is was so dominant because of obsidian
13
Q
maize
A
- another name for corn
- a staple in the american diet
14
Q
aztec
A
name given to tenochitlan people (the mexica) by the german explorer alexander von humboldt
- conquered most of mesoamerica
15
Q
obsidian
A
-glassy volcanic black rock formed from magma
- used in blades and artwork
16
Q
peru
A
where the chavin were based
17
Q
andes
A
-mountains south of the olmec
-where the chavin were located
18
Q
llama
A
- chavin society domesticated llamas
- used them for transporting goods long distance
19
Q
inca
A
- mountain civilization
- no written language but used knots called quipu
- disease spread here before the spanish could come conquer them
- most influential empire in south america
- built an extensive road system to feed, spread news etc. amongst their very long and mountanous territory.
- they used little boys as runners,
20
Q
jade
A
-a green stone that the olmec used for art and sculptures
- imported from areas south of the olmec
- aztecs traded this
21
Q
american domesticated animals
A
The only animals that could be domesticated were dogs and turkeys and llamas
horses and camels were brought from the old world
22
Q
american trade networks
A
- largely based on the river
- mainly regional and local
- brought small markets together to create cities and urbanized mesoamerica
23
Q
spanish colonization
A
came and conquered all mesoamerica
-they were also mesmorized by their buildings and civilizations
- more advanced than the people who already lived here
24
Q
aztec trade
A
- payed with food and goods instead of money
- brought a lot of people to their trades
25
columbian exchange
swap of old and new world germs animals, germs, peoples, plants, and cultures
26
american ball game
- rubber ball was used in a game to throw the ball through the hoop with out using your hands
- used to determine human sacrifices if you lost
- heads displayed if you were sacrificed
- inherited from the olmecs to the mayans
27
sacrifice
- sacrifice was a very important part of mesoamerica and their faith
- did this to appease the gods
- also thought that the suns energy came from human blood so they would blood let and sacrifice
28
pictographs
what was used in the mayan writing system along with symbols
29
social structure
- military was very important and at the top along with priests
- most people were commoners who farmed
- there were also a lot of slaves and servants
- social structure affected them in a number of ways
- rich boys were taught literature and scholarly things while commoner boys were taught boys
- wealthier people lived closer to the urban areas while the poorer people lived in the outskirts
- if you were richer you ate meat and more extravagant things while if you were poor you mainly ate grain and fish
30
american diet
- corn (some- times called maize), beans, peppers, tomatoes, and squash as their staple foods
- also cultivated peanuts and cotton
- if you were richer you ate meat and more extravagant things while if you were poor you mainly ate grain
31
aztec education
- taught girls and boys from the age of 15-20
- probably the only people in the world to do this at the time
- taught rich boys in administration, ideology, and literacy but commoners mostly how to be a warrior
- taught girls songs, dances, and household skills.
32
DISCUSSION: european exploration
- European exploration brought a lot of change, advancements, and eventually the end of the Mesoamerican civilizations.
- they introduced animals and technology into the new world and also brought back some things back to the new world like food.
- they introduced camels and horses which brought new advancements to travelling and trading because there were new things to carry with.
- also advanced their trading systems because it connected mesoamerica with afro eurasia trading systems.
- they adopted foods like tomatoes.
- They brought in diseases like small pox that the people in the new world had not been introduced to which brought a lot of death.
- this also made it easier for spanish conquistadors to ultimately take over all of these civilizations.
- these spanish people also brought in the technology of guns and swords that mesoamerica did not have yet which again gave the europeans a huge advantage over people like the aztecs and the incas.
33
DISCUSSION: at least one american civilization weve studied
Mayans
- east of olmecs, curve of gulf of mexico on yucatan peninsula into present day guatemala
- infertile soil, no large rivers
- built terraces into hills to farm (corn, beans, squash, peppers, cassava, and cacao (chocolate))
- luxury goods: feathers, jade, gold, and shells.
- organized themselves into small city states instead of one big empire (largest was Tikal)
- the city states fought among eachother to try and capture one another for sacrifice to the mayan gods
- most known for making the most sophisticated and elaborate writing system out of all the other mesoamerican systems
- it used pictographs and symbols
- also known for developments in mathematics, cosmology, and development of three calendars
(365 day, 260 day, and the long count calendar to record the longterm passage of time )
- also developed the concept of zero
- beleived that the suns energy came from human blood so they practiced a lot of sacrificing and blood letting
- inherited a lot of this from the olmecs
- they suddenly experienced a drastic change where all the cities became populations moving back into the country side.
- this may have been because of invasions earthquakes or many other things
- but they didnt disapear because there are many descendants still today, they just faded
History-c
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