Mesoamerica

Obsidian

• The aim of this Mesoamerican game was to get a ball through a hoop without using your hands or feet. This game sometimes involved human sacrifice and had religious importance for the Olmec.
• This is the oldest Olmec site and was an important religious and trade center with large stone monuments.
• A volcanic glass which is a resource that can be found in Mesoamerica.
• Considered a "mother culture" of Mesoamerica, this group lived in the southern region of Mexico. Large stone heads are a distinctive feature of this group.

Jade

• A green mineral that is highly esteemed as an ornamental stone for jewelry.
• The process of cutting down trees, setting fire to the foliage, and using the ashes to provide nutrients to the soil so that crops can grow.
• This writing system contained about 800 different symbols. There were symbols for sounds, numbers, phrases, and words.
• A small, stationary, artificial island built on a lake for agricultural purposes.

Cacao

• A small tropical tree cultivated for its seeds which are used to produce cocoa and chocolate.
• This Spanish conquistador led the expedition that destroyed the Incan Empire. The Spanish armor, helmets, and swords gave the Spanish a great advantage over the Inca.
• Type of corn grown by Mesoamerican and Native American civilizations.
• A green mineral that is highly esteemed as an ornamental stone for jewelry.

Slash-And-Burn Agriculture

• This was the capital of the Aztec people. It had marketplaces, paved roads, palaces, and floating gardens.
• This writing system contained about 800 different symbols. There were symbols for sounds, numbers, phrases, and words.
• A small tropical tree cultivated for its seeds which are used to produce cocoa and chocolate.
• The process of cutting down trees, setting fire to the foliage, and using the ashes to provide nutrients to the soil so that crops can grow.

Maize

• These runners carried messages throughout the Incan Empire. They were highly trained and physically fit.
• Type of corn grown by Mesoamerican and Native American civilizations.
• The aim of this Mesoamerican game was to get a ball through a hoop without using your hands or feet. This game sometimes involved human sacrifice and had religious importance for the Olmec.
• This empire, with its capital at Cuzco, reached its high point in the 1400s and 1500s in Peru. This empire consisted of skilled farmers and jewelers.

Mesoamerica

• A region that includes the southern part of Mexico and much of Central America.
• Spanish conquerors of Mexico and Peru in the 16th Century.
• This was the capital of the Aztec people. It had marketplaces, paved roads, palaces, and floating gardens.
• Considered a "mother culture" of Mesoamerica, this group lived in the southern region of Mexico. Large stone heads are a distinctive feature of this group.

Codex

• This Spanish conquistador destroyed the Aztec Empire in 1521.
• A book used by early Mesoamerican civilizations to record important events.
• A region that includes the southern part of Mexico and much of Central America.
• A structure designed to bring fresh water into a city or town.

Tribute

• The capital of the Incan Empire in present day Peru near the Andes mountain range.
• The aim of this Mesoamerican game was to get a ball through a hoop without using your hands or feet. This game sometimes involved human sacrifice and had religious importance for the Olmec.
• A region that includes the southern part of Mexico and much of Central America.
• A payment made by one group or country to another as a sign of respect.

Causeway

• A book used by early Mesoamerican civilizations to record important events.
• A raised road or path across low or wet ground.
• This Spanish conquistador led the expedition that destroyed the Incan Empire. The Spanish armor, helmets, and swords gave the Spanish a great advantage over the Inca.
• A small tropical tree cultivated for its seeds which are used to produce cocoa and chocolate.

Aqueduct

• A structure designed to bring fresh water into a city or town.
• A region that includes the southern part of Mexico and much of Central America.
• This was the capital of the Aztec people. It had marketplaces, paved roads, palaces, and floating gardens.
• Spanish conquerors of Mexico and Peru in the 16th Century.