The Mayans
Located in Mexico and guatemala about 3,000 years ago. Built roads, temples, and pyramids. Created 365 day calendar. Developed a number system with a concept of zero. Invented a system of hieroglyphics. Built great cities, including Tikal and Copan. Pries
The Aztecs
Lived in central Mexico from the 1300's to the early 1500's. Built rich, powerful cities. Their capital, Tenochtitlan, had 60,000 people. Built canals, roads, and drawbridges. Developed advanced calendars. Religion was central to aztec life. Most importan
The Incas
The largest pre- columbian empire(3,000 miles) in the americas. The incas were located in Peru from 1400- mid 1500's. Built large cities- ex: Cuzco, their capital. Very advanced engineering skills- built stone temples, forts, palaces, and aqueducts. Had 1
The Algonquins
The first group of Native Americans to settle in New York. (in about 1,000 A.D.) They knew how to use bow and arrows and birchbark canoes. Rivers were a great natural recourse. Used bark from wood in the forest and grass to build wigwams. Developed a form
The Iroquois
Arrived in N.Y. around 1300, in search of new hunting grounds. Pushed the Algonquins into southern N.Y. According to the Iroquois legend, a great indian from the north, Degadawida, appeared and tried to unify the different Iroquois tribes. Hiawatha a wise
The five themes of geography
Movement- the movement of goods, ideas, and people. Region- an area united by similar physical conditions or common cultural traits. Location- where? can be measured either exactly or relatively. Interaction- the way people have adapted to or changed thei
Latitude and Longitude
Latitude- parallel lines which run east and west and measure distance north and south of the equator. Longitude- "meridians" which run north and south and measure distance east and west of the prime meridian.
Prime Meridian/ Equator
Prime Meridian- the imaginary line that is 0 degrees longitude. Equator- the imaginary line that is 0 degrees latitude.
Jobs of social scientists
Geographer/ Archeologist/ Anthropologist
Physical Maps vs. Political Maps
Physical Map- shows natural features such as mountains and rivers. Political Map- shows boundaries that cartographers (map makers) create to divide the world into countries and states.
Secondary source
Primary Source- an original source that informs directly, not through another person's explanation or interpretation. Secondary Source- text and/or artifacts that are not original, but written from something original (biographies, magazine articles, resea
Land bridge theory
The theory that when people came to North America from Asia they crossed a land bridge.
Culture
The total way of life for a group of people.
Civilization
A society in an advanced state of social development.
Longhouse
The basic unit of Iroquois shelter.
The Iroquois confederacy
Consisted of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Cayuga.
Representative Democracy
A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.
Matriarchal
On the mother's side