What are an indigenous people

Maya, Aztec and Inca Study Guide

What are an indigenous people?

Indigenous people were the first people to live in a land and were eventually conquered by another people.

What does polytheistic mean?  Which early American empires were polytheistic?

Polytheistic means the belief in many gods.

What is a caracol and who built them?  Why did they build them?  What were they good at?

A caracol was a huge temple with windows positioned to allow Venus and the Sun to shin through.  They were built by the Mayan’s.  The Mayan’s built caracol’s to help them with astronomy, which they were really good at.

Why were noblemen important in the Mayan empire?

Noblemen were important in the Mayan empire because because each noble family ruled a city-state.  Control of the city-state was passed down from father to son.

What are hieroglyphics?

Hieroglyphics are a writing system that uses symbols to represent words or sounds.

What is a city-state?  Which empires used them and how did they work?

A city-state, is a city that has its own government or ruler.  City-states were used by both the Mayan and the Aztecs.  A nobleman would be placed in charge of the city-state by the emperor and would rule that city-state.  City-states followed the same laws as the other city-states.

What is the difference between a subsistence item and a luxury item?

A subsistence item is an item that would be used on a daily basis.  A luxury item is an item that was desired but not required to surivive.

What crops were important in the early American empires?

The most important crops in the early American empires was corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, tomatoes, peppers, avocadoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts.

When did each civilization occur?  Please list the years they started and stopped and any important details, like how long each empire lasted.

The Mayan empire began around 1000 BCE and lasted until 1697 CE.  Aroud 250 CE they became experts at farming, trading, architecture and self-government.
The Aztec empire began in the Valley of Mexico around the 1200’s and lasted through the early 1500’s.
The Inca civilization began in Cuzco around 1200 CE.  They became an empire around 1438 which lasted about 100 years.

What were the different names of the Inca ruler?

The different names of the Inca rulers were Sapa Inca, Capac Apu, Intip Cori and Inca.

Describe some of the differences between the nobles (wealthy) and the commoners (poor) in each of the three empires.  What were their roles?

In the Inca empire commoners…paid taxes with labor instead of currency.  Most commoners were farmers or worked in small units or groups on certain projects.  The wealthy in the Inca empire lived a life of luxury.  They owned land but did not have to farm it.  Commoners were assigned a job as a child and it was their job for life.

In the Aztec empire commoners…were usually farmers but some began trading goods.  The nobles would be in charge of the city-states and the government.

In the Mayan empire commoners…were great farmers.  Some commoners might also engage in trading, but this was likely down by a higher class than they.  The nobles in the Mayan community helped make laws and run the city-states.

Where was each empire located?

The Mayan empire was located…in the area immediately surrounding the Yucatan Peninsula.

The Aztec empire was located…northwest of the Mayan empire in the Valley of Mexico. 

The Inca empire was located…in the Andes mountains around the Atacama desert to the Amazon jungle.

What climate was important to the Aztecs?  What was unique about this climate?

The tropical lowland climate was very important to the Aztecs.  It provided a great environment to produce, cotton, papayas, rubber and cacao seeds.

Why were sacrifices important to the early American empires?

Sacrifices were important to the early American empires because they thought that human blood was precious to the gods.

What did the Mayan’s wear and what was it made out of?

Mayan men wore bracelets, ear plugs, sandals and fancy headdresses.  Working men wore loincloths and no shoes.  Only nobles could wear jewelry.  Women wore leather bracelets, and feathers in their ears like earings. Women wore a piece of cloth made out of cotton or plant fibers wrapped around their body.  And ponchos were also commonly worn.

What did the Aztec’s wear and what was it made out of?

Women wore a loose sleeveless blouse and a wrap-around skirt.  Men wore a loincloth around their hips and a cloak knotted over one shoulder.  Poorer people wore clothing made of animal skins or maquey fibers.  Wealthier people wore clothing made from cotton. 

What did the Inca’s wear and what was it made out of?

The royal of the Inca’s had their heads shaped at an early age.  Men had their ears pierced and wore heavy earrings to change the shape of their earlobes.  The wealthy and poor often wore the same style of dress, with the quality of the fabric varyhMen, wealthy and poor, wore the same thing, a knee length tunic with a poncho for warmth.  Women wore long dresses and wrapped themselves in colorful blankets or capes.  Both men and women wore jewelry.