| A | B |
|---|
| Bering Strait | Narrow body of water between Asia and Alaska in North America |
| Importance of Bering Strait | During the Ice Age when the strait was frozen Neolithic tribes came across this "bridge" and settled in many different climates of the Americas: from woodlands to fertile plain to rainforests. |
| Neolithic Revolution | the change from nomadic hunting, gathering & herding to settled farming & domestication of animals |
| Why is Neolithic Revolution an Agricultural Revolution? | Cultivation of crops & domestication of animals produced more food which also increased populations |
| What did most Mayan men do? | cultivated crops like maize (corn), beans and squash |
| What did most Mayan women do? | Turn the crops into food |
| Why were Mayan priests respected? | they were the only ones who could perform elaborate rituals which would bring victory in battle and bountiful harvests. |
| Mayan government | developed city-states with individual ruling chiefs; under the chiefs nobles ran the military and government. |
| Mayan women | could also become powerful leaders |
| Mayan achievements | 1) built giant pyramids and palaces, decorating them with paintings and carvings; 2) Farmers learned how to clear fields and build raised fields to grow more food; 3) developed their own hieroglyphics; 4) created a 350 day calendar; 5) understood the concept of zero way before Europeans |
| Tenochitlan | located in the Valley of Mexico in the middle of a lake which was connected to the mainland by man-made causeways; contained a magnificent palace full of temples, gardens and zoos. |
| Aztec Emperor | Unlike the Mayans, the Aztecs were ruled by a single emperor, chosen by a counsel of priests and nobles |
| Aztec slaves | were on the bottom of society, but could own land and eventually buy their freedom |
| chinampas | artificial islands where soil was piled on reed mats which floated on a lake [floating gardens]. This created a surplus of food |
| Aztec human sacrifice | · Aztecs believed that the human heart fed the sun. Therefore, they had to kill people [sacrifice] to keep the sun alive. They used prisoners and even children. |
| Warriors captured by Aztecs | were used for human sacrifice |
| Location of the Inca Empire | Andes Mountains down the west coast of South America |
| Incan Emperor | ruled over all the Incas, owning all the peoples’ lands, herds & mines |
| Incan achievements | 1) Incas built a remarkable system of roads which helped the Emperor use runners to keep a close eye on his empire; 2) Incans improved agriculture by using stone walls to build terraces (strips into the hill); 3) kept records on knotted colored strings [quips]; 4) made advances in medicine and surgery |
| Why was agriculture important to Mesoamericans? What advancements did they make? | They needed to grow enough fopd for their population. Mayas clearted the forests and built raised beds. Aztecs made artificial islands on read beds in the lake called chinampas (floating gardens). Incas used stone walls & cut terraces into the hills |
| What significance did religions have in Mesoamerican empires? | Priests were well respected because they were the only ones able to perform the rituals to please the gods in order to win victories in battle and get good harvests. They built elaborate pyramid shaped temples for the gods. |
| What types of governments allowed Mesoamerican societies to rule large areas | complex governments - had an emperor with absolute power, assisted by nobles who ran the military and priests who performed the rituals to please the gods |
