| A | B |
|---|
| Tikal | A Mayan city which was built as a ceremonial site |
| Slash and Burn Agriculture | An agricultural method used to clear the rainforest in an effort to plant and grow crops |
| halach uinic | In Maya it literally means "true man", in reality he ruled for life and was considered a god-king |
| codices | Native manuscripts |
| quetzal | An irridescent green bird |
| copal | The sap from a tree used as incense during religious ceremonies |
| sacrifice | A religious ceremony where animal or humans were ritualistically killed to please the gods/goddesses |
| Popul Vuh | The Sacred Book of the Quiche Mayan of present -day Guatemala, it was written before the Spanish arrived and contains popular Mayan legends |
| heiroglyphics | A complex writing system of symbols |
| Machu Picchu | The Inca city which is one of the only remaining sites. It was found by Hiram Bingham in 1911 |
| Cuzco | The capital of the Inca Empire. |
| Quechua | The language spoken by the Inca |
| Andenes | The terraced fields built on the sides on mountians by the Inca |
| guano | bird droppings used as fertilizer by the Inca |
| quinoa | A nourishing grain grown by the Inca |
| Sapa Inca | the Inca tile given to the descendents of the Sun God(their leaders) |
| Topa Inca Yupanqui | The Sapa Inca who expanded the empire by use of administrative and diplomatic skills, and made Quito the capital of his empire |
| Pachacuti | Expanded the empire by sending emissaries to his foe, preaching the benefits of surrender. Once under the Inca's control he prevented unrest by allowing peole to keep their own religion, forcing everyone to learn Quechua, and rebels were resettled in other areas of the empire |
| Tribute | The taxes/gifts given to a conquering empire |
| Huayna Capac | He ruled the Inca at their height but also sowed the seeds of its downfall |
| Atahulpa | The son of Huayna Capac who was heir to the throne. He was supported by army in the civil war that ensued after his fathers death. He finally won after capturing his brother |
| Huascar | The son of Huayna Capac who was the legitimate heir to the throne he was supported by the high preists but eventually was captured by his brother |
| quipu | The knotted rope-like tool used to record supplies stored in the empires warehouses |
| acllacuna | A group of Chosen Women who were selected on basis of beauty, skill, and social rank to serve as priestesses or attendents to the Sapa Inca |
| Coya | The Inca empress from whose offspring the heir was chosen. She had her own court and a reputation for taking an unofficail role in the affairs of the empire |
| apus | The governors who ruled each of the empires four quarters |
| curacas | The leaders of groups in surrounding regions that helped the Inca bureaucracy maintain control, collect taxes, and distribute resources |
| quipucamayo | Keeper of the quipu, or the official record keeper |
| Tenochtitlan | The Aztec capital city that was located on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco |
| spirulina | A gooey nutritious algae found in the lake it was considered a delicacy |
| axolotl | a salamander common to the lake it was considered a delicacy |
| chinampas | were floating gardens created by the Aztecs.Each was filled with soil dredged from the bootom of the lake |
| Quetzalcoatl | the Aztec plumed serpent God of the planet Venus, the wind, and high-civilization |
| flower wars | the practice of engaging in short battles to capture prisoners of war to be used as sacrifice victims |
| pochteca | Wealthy Aztec traders who traveled by caravans around Central America importing and exporting Aztec goods |
| calpullis | Land (nieghborhoods)given to the heads of family to be cultivated, but they did not own it |
| bola | A weapons made of leather cords with stones at the end of each cord. It would tangle around and animals legs and the hunter would use a club to kill it |
| koricamayoc | Incan artists who were government employees who were in charge of gold (figurine, jewelry, home decorations) |
| trephination | The surgical technique where a hole is drilled in the scull to relieve pressure in the headcuased by an injury |
| panpipes | A group of flutes of different lengths attached together so a variety of pitches can be played |
| tinya | A small Incan drum |
| tapestries | Wall hangings |
| huacas | Caves or shrines used for burials |
| mummification | The process of preserving dead bodies usually of royalty |
| chuno | Dehydrated potatoes which were stored in warehouses |
| maxtlatl | A loincloth used by Aztec men |
| cueitl | A long skirt worn by Aztec women |
| huipilli | A simple white blouse worn by Aztec women |
| tamales | Corn husks |
| comal | Large flat stone used for cooking |
| tortillas | Flat bread |
| tzictli | Aztec chewing gum |
| calmecac schools | Schools run by priests for the sons of nobles |
| telpochcalli schools | Schools where sons of peasants and merchants were trained to be good warriors and citizens |
| ollamaliztli | A game played throughout the Aztec empire that was similar to soccer and basketball |
| corbelled arch | An arch that was constructed with increasing lenths of stone up to the apex of the arch |
| famine | Starvation |
| midwife | A female who gave medical care to pregnant women and newborns |
| Mayeques | Aztec serfs |
| Montazuma II | The Ruler of the Aztec when the Spanish conquered |
| theocracy | A government ruled by religious officials |
| maize | Corn |
