Chapter 7: Peoples and Civilizations of the Americas, from 1200 BCE In a land with a shared culture, language, and religion, what remained a source of conflict for the Maya? What two specific regions compose Ameridian cultures? Formative Civilizations of the Olmec and Chavin, 1200-200 BCE At approximately what date did urban centers develop and begin conquering their neighbors? How large were the largest early Olmec and Chavin cities? The Mesoamerican Olmec, 1200-400 BCE What is a microenvironment? What microenvironment exist in this region? What and when was the Preclassical era? What people group occupied this space in history? 4. 5. What was the largest and significant Olmec center? Who were the elites in their society, and where did they live? What was the second? Describe the Olmec Deities: How did the Olmec practice their religion? Why is little known about the Olmec political structure? What do we know? What monument did the Olmec leave behind? What benefits did Olmec rulers secure for their citizens? What happened to the Olmec? What different theories exist based on the archeological evidence? Early South American Civilization: Chavin, 900-200 BCE
What does the Early Horizon describe? What modern day country contains most ancient Chavin land? What is a reciprocal labor obligation? What were they used for? Why were Llamas significant? What happened to the Chavin? Classical-Era Culture and Society in Mesoamerica, 200-900 CE What modern day regions did this occur in? What collection of advancements form the Classic Age? Teotihuacan Where is it located? How many people lived there? When was its height of power? How was the city planned/ designed? What 3 gods were worshiped in Teotihuacan? What secondary set of gods do historians believe were worshiped as well? Define Chinampas: Who ruled Teotihuacan? What evidence suggests something unusual? What happened to the civilization at Teotihuacan? The Maya
Includes which modern day countries? 4. Who can the Mayan political structure be compared to? How? What is different about agriculture in this region? How are Mayan beliefs about the cosmos reflected in their architecture? Is Mayan society purely patrilineal? When did the Mayans believe they were created? What happened to the Maya? The Postclassic Period in Mesoamerica, 900-1300 The Toltecs Who does your book compare the Aztec and Toltec to? Why? Where do many historians believe the Toltec came from? Who is our source for information on what happened to the Toltecs? How are the Toltec described? Cholula What cultures was Cholula strategically located to connect? What happened to Cholula? Northern Peoples What crop spread from Mesoamerica to the Ohio River Valley? What does that suggest about how advanced the Mesoamerican people were?
Southwestern Desert Cultures Which Southwestern indigenous group shows the most contact with Mesoamerica? Who were the Anasazi and where were they located? What is a kiva? Your book glosses over this, but why is that unusual? What did the Choco Canyon civilizations trade with the Toltecs? Mound Builders: The Hopewell and Mississippian Cultures In what modern day states did the Hopewell civilization reside? What type of civilization were the Hopewell? Define Chiefdom: What common feature do all Mississippian cultures have in common? Where was the cultural center of the Cahokia civilization? Andean Civilizations, 200-1400 Why were the Andean region civilizations and unlikely center of civilization? How did their geography shape their culture? Cultural Responses to Environmental Challenge Why was irrigation near-impossible in this region? What challenge did the weather present? Who were the Ayllu, and what was the Mita? What is vertical integration? What did that look like here? The Early Intermediate Period Moche Describe the Moche culture: What happened to them?
Tiwanaku and Wari What and where was Tiwanaku? When was Tiwanaku at its peak? What happened in 1000 CE? What two theories have archeologists presented about the origin of the Wari? In what ways are the Wari unlike other Andean civilizations? (There are several). Chimu How large was Chimor? What evidence of a wealth gap can be seen in Chimu? Where was their capital?