Postclassical Period: the Americas

the centers of civilization in the americas were located in ___ and the ___

the enormous range of climates contributed to ___/___ ___

the ___ inherited an ancient set of cultural, religious, and pol. traditions from civilizations in mexico to northern central america

aztec agricultural technology was devoted to raising maize, beans, peppers, & squash; the economy was based on market exchange; common ritual calendar; heiroglyphic writing

a pantheon of male & fem deities, human sacrifice, ceremonial centers, time seen as a cosmic cycle of creation/destruction

urban centers of temples, pyramids, palaces, public plazas, painted murals, stone carvings, elaborate writing system of pictographs & phonetic symbols; math system including zero & place notation for complex calculations

the mayan political system was ___; city-states, kingoms, etc. at frequent war w/ no ___ ___; thrived until collapse by 900

last & largest mesoamerican state to emerge before spanish conquest in 1500s

the aztec empire started w the ___ people, semi-nomads from north mexico who migrated south; est. on island in lake texcoco by 1325

over the next century after settling, the mexica people developed their ___ capacity, served as ___, negotiated ___ ___, and built their capital tenochtitlan

1428 alliance between mexica & 2 nearby city-states, launching a military conquest that unified more of mesoamerica than ever before

aztec authorities claimed ___ from earlier mesoamerican peoples, emphasizing the ___ of mesoamerican civilization

5-6M people; loosely structured & unstable, making it subject to frequent rebellions by people it conquered

aztec subjects were required to give their rulers massive quantites of goods, and the process was overseen by local ___ ___ ___

tenochtitlan had impressive architectural features, and its marketplaces reflected the ___ of the aztec economy

slaves played a big role as ___ ___, an important part of aztec culture

the ___ was central to all life; it lost energy in its constant battle against the encroaching darkness and needed to refuel with the life-giving force in human blood

the high calling of the aztec empire was to supply ___ for deities through its wars of expansion; this ideology shaped war tactics, emphasizing ___ instead of killing

as the aztec empire grew, ___ & ___ became mutually dependent—human sacrifices in the service of politics

coastline deserts, pacific ocean, & mountains had numerous ecological values that were sought by andean societies through ___, ___, or ___

in the 1400s, ___-speaking people built their empire along hte andes; like the aztecs, they drew on earlier trads & cultures, but their state was much larger

both the incas and the aztecs started ___ & grew quickly through ___, but otherwise they were very different

aztec rulers left conquered peoples ___ if they gave the required ___

inca rulers were more ___, with the divine ___ at the top and ___ leading the 80 provicnces in a fluid system

the inca state theoretically owned all ___ & ___, but in practice state lands (“lands of the sun”) existed alongside properties owned by ___, ___, & ___ communities

in central regions, local officials were ___ into the inca administration, supervised by an inca governor or the emperor

a separate set of inca “inspectors” provided the imperial center w/ independent ___ on the ___ ___

knotted cords that served as incan accounting devices; they recorded births, deaths, marriages, population data, etc

an incan procedure that relocated at least ¼ of the population to disperse the conquered & resentful, as well as to reward loyal followers w/ new opportunities

the leaders of conquered ppls were required to learn ___; their sons were removed to the capital ___ to learn inca culture & language

subjects of the incas were required to acknowledge the major ___ ___ but were otherwise free to continue their local religious traditions

inca demanded not tribute but ___ ___(mita), required periodically of all households

inca laborers worked on “___ ___” or state farms, herded, mined, served in military, or worked on construction; ___ workers worked in their respective niches

most skilled workers were the “___ ___”, removed from homes in youth, trained in inca ideology, & produced corn beer & cloth; later given as wives to distinct men or served as priestesses (“wives of the sun”)

in return for labor, inca ideology required the state to arrange large ___ & provide necessities during ___

both the aztec & inca practiced “___ ___”, a system that existed in societies before both empires—men & women operated in separate but equal spheres, each gender enjoying autonomy in its own sphere

men claim descent from fathers; worshipped sun; hierarchies of male political officials

women claim descent from mothers; worshipped moon; hierarchies of female political officials

children belong to both parents; M&F priests conducting rituals for deities of both sexes; fem officials had local authority

aztec & incan social rules were clearly defined & different, but the ___ roles of women were not seen as inferior

in the andes, men ___ ___, women ___, and both ___

the aztecs saw ___ as a sacred act of purification against evil

isolation from afroeurasia meant there was no exchange of ___/___ with the Americas; settlers thought the lack of features common in their cultures indicated that those in the Americas were “___”

the americas did not use ___ or ___ ___ because of the mountainous terrain

the americas had few ___ languages, no ___ religion, and little exposure to ___, again because of the mountainous terrain that isolated societies

the aztec economy ran on corn, chinampas, tribute, and trade; its government never ___ the empire and ___ was key, fueling power, feeding economy, and providing sacrifices

the incas functioned almost exactly the opposite of the ___ aztecs; they were a ___-based, not threat-based, society

gov allowed separated peoples to get the goods/food they needed from each other