With Adam and Eve in the Bible.
Artifacts
Items left behind by early people; represents their culture.
Ice Age
Long periods of extreme cold, which lowered the earth's sea level and exposed "Beringia" .
Bering Strait
A narrow body of water that separates Russia from the Americas.
Land bridge
A strip of land that connects two larger landmasses.
Beringia
An exposed land bridge that once ran from Asia to North America, now located under the Bering Strait.
Nomads
Peoples who were constantly on the move to follow or search for food or grazing land and were most likely in search of large game.
Megafauna
Large prehistoric game that was hunted to extinction by nomads and other civilizations.
Migration
The movement of a large number of people into a new homeland.
Irrigation
Supplying land with water through a network of canals.
Maize
An early form of corn which is more tough and leathery than today's corn; most common Native American food source.
Differences farming made for Native Americans:
It was a reliable, steady source of food; No more nomadic lifestyle; More time for activities other than finding food (permanent homes, pottery, jewelry, clothing, etc.)
Civilizations
Highly developed cultures with complex systems of writing, counting, and tracking time; thriving for several centuries.
Archaeology
The study of ancient peoples.
Complex
Highly detailed
Meso-America
Mexico and Central America before Spanish conquest.
What did the Olmec do?
Laid the foundation for future civilizations; thousands of cities; loved sports; mastered their food supply; disappeared mysteriously.
The Olmecs...
The first major civilization in Mexico. The name "Olmec" means "Old Mexico.
What were the Olmecs famous for?
Colossal heads- massive human heads sculpted from boulders, most likely heads of heroes or champions of sports games.
Where were the Maya located?
Rainforests of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize.
How large were the Mayans in number?
There were over 2 million people spread over 40 or more different cities.
What things did the Maya build?
plazas, palaces, temples, pyramids, schools, hospitals, ball courts, and libraries.
Theocracy
A society ruled by religious leaders.
What did the Mayans do?
Developed a 365-day calendar; tracked cycles of sun/moon/stars/planets thousands of years in advance; developed the concept of zero before the Europeans; and they had a great desire to measure time in order to worship.
Hieroglyphics
The use of symbols or pictures to represent things, ideas, and sounds.
What are some theories of the disappearance of the Mayan people?
Decline in quality of soil; disease/sickness; drought; invasion; revolt/civil war.
Where were the Aztecs located?
Central Mexico near Lake Texcoco
Who were the Aztecs?
A nomadic people searching for a permanent home.
Where did the Aztecs settle and why?
They settled on islands on Lake Texcoco. They settled there when they saw a golden eagle with a snake in its beak on a prickly pear cactus, thinking it was a sign from gods to settle there. This was taken so seriously, it is now on the center of the Mexico national flag.
Tenochtitlan
Aztec island city/Amazing engineering feat since it was built on a lake. The exact location is now Mexico City.
How did the Aztecs organize their society?
Religion
Aztec human sacrifice
Sacrificing POWs was believed to be necessary to please the gods and ensure abundant harvest.
Where were the Inca located?
Andes Mountains of South America
What was the capital city of the Inca people?
Cuzco (The city of the Sun). It was shaped like a puma
What was the size of the Inca Empire?
3,000 miles long, with a population of 9 million.
What were some reasons for quick growth of the Inca?
Conquered people were given civil rights; rebellion was dealt with harshly.
Quipus
Incan ropes and strings of different size and color used for numerical information and communication.
Terraces
Inca steplike ledges cut into mountains to make land suitable for farming and to keep mountains from collapsing.
Inca roads and bridges
Over 10,000 miles of roads and bridges stretched across the Incan Empire; kept communication and controlled the Empire; allowed the army to mobilize quickly.
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