Early Americas Vocabulary

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Berginia

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An ancient bridge where the earliest americans migrated from asia to americas

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Pre-Columbian

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Era of Americas before the arrival of Europeans in the late 1400s

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Olmec

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Early American culture in southern Mexico from 1000 BCE-300 BCE; had stone pyramids and head carvings; primitive writing and number system

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Chavin

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Early American culture in Peruvian Andes from 800 BCE-400 BCE; clay and jade sculpture and successful agriculture in harsh environment

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Toltec

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Early American culture near modern Mexico City from 300 CE-700 CE; major city was Teotihuacan; became the basis for Aztec culture later on; stone temple pyramids

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Maya

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Early American culture on Yucatan peninsula from 250 CE-800 CE; entire culture and achievements revolved around religion

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Chicken Itza

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Major city for Maya on the Yucatan peninsula; site of temples and observatory

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Pok-a-tok

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Sporting game played by Maya on grass court; losers were often sacrificed to gods

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Chac

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Mayan rain god; appears in the form of a serpent

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Popul Vuh

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Mayan manuscripts showing pictures and stories of Mayan kings and history

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Aztecs

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: Early American culture in the valley of Mexico centered near modern Mexico city from 1325-1519; major city was Tenochtitlan; known for calendar and human sacrifices

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Tenochtitlan

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Capital city of the Aztecs located beneath modern Mexico City; laid out in a grid pattern with canals throughout

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Quetzalcoatl

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Plumed serpent god of the Aztecs that originated with the Toltecs; legend tells of his return as a pale-skinned human

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Chinampas

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islands used for farming by Aztecs in Lake Texcoco

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Huitzilopochtli

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Aztec god of war; human sacrifices were made to him

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Montezuma II

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Aztec emperor who was conquered by Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes, whom he believed was the god Quetzalcoatl returning

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Hernan Cortes

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Spanish conquistador who took control of the Aztec wealth, land, and people in 1519

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Inca

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Early American culture in the S. American Andes Mountains from 1300s-1532; known for terrace farming, common language, and imperial road system

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Cuzco and Machu Picchu

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major cities of the Inca in modern-day Peru

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Quechua

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Common unifying language of the Inca

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Mita

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Required labor by Incans performed for the benefit of the government

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Quipu

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Knotted strings that represented a numerical record keeping system for the Inca

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Pachacuti

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Incan emperor whose death led to civil war and ultimate conquering by the Spanish

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Chasquis

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Governmental runners who carried messages along the imperial road

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Francisco Pizarro

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Spanish conquistador who took control of the Incan wealth, land, and people in 1532