Mesoamerican and South American Civilizations Unit 3

Mesoamerican and South American

CivilizationsUnit 3

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Aqueduct Structures used to carry flowing water from a

distance

Theocracy• A system of

government in which the rulers are believed to represent the will of the gods

Chichen Itza

• An ancient Mayan city located on the Yucatan Peninsula

codex• A folding-screen book

containing information about predicting the

future and religious rituals

MercenaryMercenaryA

hired soldier

Causeway•raised bridges made of land

ManMadeIsland

Tenochtitlan

The capital city

of the Aztecs

Lake Texcoco The Lake on which

the Mexica settled

an arm of land

that sticks out into the

Gulf of Mexico

Central Plateau a high,

flat areain the center

of the Plateau of

Mexico

Natural wells

on the Yucatan

Peninsula

Sierra Madre occidental

A mountain range

to the west of the

Plateau of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

A part

of the Atlantic Ocean east of Mexico

Ahigh, flatarea in

central Mexico

PeninsulaLand

that is nearly

surrounded by water

Hernando Cortes

1485-1547Spanish

ConquistadorWho defeated

the Aztecs in 1521

TikalTikal:A city-state of the Maya that is now an important ruin

AllianceAn agreement made between

two or more groups

or nations

An An area area of of MesoamericaMesoamerica

Sierra Madre Sierra Madre OrientalOriental

A mountain range A mountain range to the east to the east of the of the Plateau of MexicoPlateau of Mexico

A A region region that extends that extends from southern from southern North America North America to the to the central part central part of Central Americaof Central America

Moctezuma IMoctezuma I

1390-14691390-1469Aztec ruler Aztec ruler of the Aztec empireof the Aztec empirewho increased who increased its size and wealthits size and wealth

Moctezuma IIMoctezuma IIAztec emperor Aztec emperor who was the who was the last to reign last to reign the Aztec the Aztec empire empire

before it fell before it fell to Spainto Spain

QuetzalcoatlQuetzalcoatlOne of the gods that the Aztec One of the gods that the Aztec

people worshipped. people worshipped. This name means “feathered This name means “feathered

serpent.”serpent.”

SteleStele An upright stone or slabAn upright stone or slabwith an inscribed or with an inscribed or sculptured surface, usedsculptured surface, usedas a monument or as a as a monument or as a commemorative tablet in commemorative tablet in the face of a buildingthe face of a building

Machu PicchuMachu PicchuA city built by A city built by

the Inca the Inca people on a people on a

mountain top mountain top in the Andes in the Andes Mountains in Mountains in present day present day

PeruPeru

cuzcocuzco

The capital The capital of the Inca of the Inca

empireempire

Manco CapacManco Capac

1200 founder of 1200 founder of the Inca the Inca

dynasty who dynasty who led the Inca to led the Inca to settle in Cazcosettle in Cazco

Inca ViracochaInca Viracocha1435 Incan ruler who 1435 Incan ruler who

fled his empire in fled his empire in 1438 because he 1438 because he

thought it would be thought it would be defeated by the defeated by the

ChancasChancas

PachacutiPachacuti1391-14731391-1473

Incan emperor Incan emperor and son of Inca and son of Inca Viracocha who Viracocha who

defeated the defeated the Chancas and Chancas and extended his extended his

empire.empire.

Topa IncaTopa Inca1471 Inca ruler 1471 Inca ruler

and son of and son of Pachacuti who Pachacuti who

doubled the doubled the size of the size of the

empireempire

Francisco PizarroFrancisco Pizarro1478-15411478-1541Spanish Spanish

conquistador conquistador who defeated who defeated

the Incasthe Incas

QuipuQuipuA knotted rope A knotted rope

used by the used by the Incas to keep Incas to keep

recordsrecords

Andes MountainsAndes Mountains the world’s the world’s

longest longest mountain range mountain range

Located in Located in western western

South America South America and it is and it is home home

of the of the IncasIncas