Aztecs/Incas/Mayas Flashcards
(53 cards)
Many people migrated across the-
Alaska-Siberia land bridge
They migrated back and forth, following animal herds as nomadic people
In the summer, this region was much warmer & habitable
What happened to the land bridge as the temperatures rose?
As the temperature rose, the ice melted in the north and thus the bridge was covered
People moved south to find-
food
Over many generations people migrated south, eventually reaching south America
There are few different climates in South America
True or False
False
There are many different climates in South America
Rivers contributed to this weather and geography by-
lake-effect cools and erosion
Did South America possess many draft animals (strong animals for farming labor)?
No
There were llamas and alpaca—which weren’t helpful
What were llamas and alpaca good for?
They don’t work with yokes, but they’re good for fur, transport and holding storage
When were South American civilizations introduced to draft animals?
Much later, Europeans came with horses, oxen and bison
Where were the Olmecs found?
Found in modern day Mexico
Religious Olmec temples suggest that there was-
a high class of priests
What was the Olmecs top priority? What does this mean for them? What did this mean for other civilizations that followed?
The Olmecs passed many of their beliefs onto others, placing religion as their top priorities.
Meaning priests and artisans were held at the top of society
The subsequent Mesoamerican civilizations were heavily influenced and followed suit
Greatest Olmec accomplishments
They built giant heads out of stone😤
Where were the Mayans located?
Southern Mexico and Central America, on the Yucatan
Mayan top farming technique-
They used “slash and burn” farming, which created nutrients (nitrogen) for plants to grow
Explain how slash-and-burn works-
A large forested area was chopped down, leaving stumps and bushes
This area was then burned
The land was now clear and ready for farming
The soil was now covered in nutrient-rich ash
Crops planted in this area would grow extremely well for a few years
After a few years, the nutrients would wear away the the soil would be ruined
Slash-and-burn was a-
short-term farming strategy – the Mayas would constantly have to find new land to slash and burn
Mayan Religion
Made tall pyramids for religious ceremony
Where was the largest Mayan pyramid?
The largest were in Tikal – unsurpassed in height in America until the 1900s
What did large pyramids show about the Mayan civilization?
These show they were organized and advanced
What was the Mayans largest city and trade center?
Tikal was their largest city and trade center
Mayan Government-
Each city had a ruler and each ruler was surrounded by nobles who helped him (DECENTRALIZED)
Mayan Social Class-
Priests had great power (This was the case because the Mayans were extremely religious – because of the Olmec influence on them)
Most men were farmers who paid their taxes in food to support the cities.
Who what the smartest civilization out of the big three?
Mayan
They were called the Greeks of the new world, due to their intelligence
Mayan Learning-
They made large advances in mathematics and science
They had two calendars
They had the first writing system of mesoamerica
