| A | B |
|---|
| What is Beringia? | land bridge between Asia and Alaska |
| When were the America's first inhabited by people? | Near the end of the Ice Age |
| What did the development of agriculture allow nomadic hunter-gatherers to do? | settle in one place; establish communities |
| What was the most challenging and most rewarding prey of the early Americans? | the mastodon |
| Why did travel across Beringia end? | Glaciers melted, sea levels rose, and the land bridge was covered |
| What kinds of plants did early Americans learn to grow? | beans, gourds, squash, corn, avocados, chilies |
| What is another name for corn? | Maize |
| What was the most important crop for the early Americans? Why? | Maize; it was highly nourishing and was easy to grow int he tropical climate of Mexico |
| What are chinampas? | floating gardens made of stacked layers of vegetation, dirt, and mud |
| What does Mesoamerica encompass? | ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America; central Mexico to northern Honduras |
| Who developed the first true civilization in America? | the Olmec |
| What is the oldest Olmec site? | San Lorenzo |
| What was a main feature of Olmec religion? | Jaguar worship |
| Why did Olmec collapse? | unknown; possible invaders; self-destruction |
| What people group came after Olmec? | Zapotec |
| Where did the Zapotec emerge? | Oaxaca Valley of Mexico |
| What developments come from the Zapotec people? | writing system, calendar, impressive cities |
| What was the first real urban center in the Americas? | Monte Alban |
| What influences did the Olmec have on Mesoamerican cultures? | urban design, rituals, social organization |
| What influences did the Zapotec have on Mesoamerican cultures? | writing and calendar; creation of Monte Alban |
| What makes the Andes region of Peru hard to settle? | high mountains and deserts |
| How do coastal river valleys allow Peruvians to do? | begin farming and create permanent settlements |
| Why is Chavin called a "mother culture"? | they established certain patterns that helped unify Andean culture and lay the foundation for later civilizations |
| What advancements did the Nazca people create? | create art works and irrigation systems |
| What advancements did the Moche people create? | thriving culture |
| Where were the Nazca people loacted? | southern Peru |
| Where were the Moche people located? | northern Peru |
| How do archaeologists know that the first Americans lived as hunters? | they found spearheads and charred bones at ancient sites |
| What were the main differences between hunter-gatherer societies and those based primarily on agriculture? | Hunting--lived in small groups, nomadic agricultural-- grew their own food, lived in large, settled communities |
| Where did the Olmec arise? | along the Gulf Coast of Mexico |
| How did the Olmec's location contribute to the development of their civilization? | The region had abundant resources for making pottery, tools, and monuments; its rivers provided a means of transportation and fertile land for farming |
| How do archaeologists know that Monte Alban was more than just a ceremoinal center? | The city had temples, palaces, and an observatory; housed thousands of residents |
| How did the Olmec influence the Zapotec civilization? | Zapotec stone carvings, plazas, temples, and pyramids show Olmec influence |
| In what ways did the Chavin influence other peoples of the Andes region? | through art styles and religious ideas |
| What do scholars believe the Nazca Lines represented? | the purpose is unknown, but scholars believe they were created for the gods |
| How were the Nazca and Moche able to develop productive farmland? | They created extensive irrigation systems |
| When you compare the human settlement of Europe, Africa, and Asia to the Americans, how is human settlement different in America? | it is relative/recent |
| The evidence found in Monte Verde, Chile is believed to date back to when? | 10,500 BC |
| How did the first Americans survive? | they hunted and gathered |
| Where did people eventually make permanent settlements and begin growing crops? | Tenuscan Valley |
| The original remnants of the Olmec Civilization were found in the modern day Mexican States of? | Veracruz & Tabasco |
| Who did the Olmec worship? | jaguar |
| How long did the Zapotec dominate Mesoamerica? | 1000 years |
| Who were the first city builders in the Americas? | Zapotec |
