Includes vocabulary from pre-classical, classical, and post-classical civilizations of Mesoamerica and South America.
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| 4271565119 | Olmec | "rubber people"; in power from 1200 - 400 B.C.E. Their language is undecipherable, and they are well-noted for their large stone heads. | 0 | |
| 4271565120 | Chavin | South American civilization who uses the llama, have metallurgy skills for gold and silver techniques. | 1 | |
| 4271565121 | pre-classical era | any activity within the Americas before 600 C.E. (i.e., the rise and fall of the Olmecs) | 2 | |
| 4271565122 | classical era | any activity within the Americas between 600 - 900 C.E. (i.e., Maya & Teotihuacan) | 3 | |
| 4271565123 | post-classical era | any activity within the Americas between 900 - 1450 C.E. (i.e., Aztecs & Incas) | 4 | |
| 4271565124 | Maya | Mesoamerican civilization (300 B.C.E. - 750 C.E.) concentrated in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and in Guatemala and Honduras but never unified into a single empire. Major contributions were in mathematics, astronomy, and development of the calendar. Traces of Olmec ideas are found in this civilization's ideas, and had an agricultural-based society. | 5 | |
| 4271565125 | maize | The most important crop of many Mesoamerican civilizations. | 6 | |
| 4271565126 | slash and burn agriculture | a farming technique in which trees are cut down and burned to clear and fertilize the land. | 7 | |
| 4271565127 | cacao | While the Maya did not have a uniform currency, this sometimes served as one. | 8 | |
| 4271565128 | obsidian | A usually black or banded, hard volcanic glass that displays shiny, curved surfaces when fractured and is formed by rapid cooling of lava. Used for tools, knives, etc. | 9 | |
| 4271565129 | stelae | Large memorial pillars to commemorate triumphs and events in the lives of Maya rulers. | 10 | |
| 4271565130 | jade | a precious green stone; favored by the Maya and Aztecs. | 11 | |
| 4271565131 | human sacrifice | A person who is killed as part of a religious ritual. | 12 | |
| 4271565132 | ceremonial ball game | much like soccer & basketball, but with a hoop turned on its side. Used to end legal disputes (the gods would help you win if you were in the right, even if you had no athletic abilities). Also was ceremonial to reenact creation. Often ended in human sacrifice of the losing team. | 13 | |
| 4271565133 | Teotihuacan | (200 B.C.E. - 750 C.E.) Highland Mexico, large city, obsidian, large pyramids, city of the gods, evidence of large fires. | 14 | |
| 4271565134 | Toltecs | Powerful post-classic empire unified in central Mexico (900-1168 C.E.). It influenced much of Mesoamerica. Aztecs claimed ties to this earlier civilization. | 15 | |
| 4271565135 | Topilitzin | religious leader and reformer of the Toltecs, dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, exile in the Yucatan Peninsula. | 16 | |
| 4271565136 | Aztecs | (1200-1521 C.E.) They settled in the valley of Mexico. Grew maize, engaged in frequent warfare to conquer others of the region. Polytheistic. Believed the sun god needed human blood to continue his journeys across the sky. Practiced human sacrifices and those sacrificed were captured warriors from other tribes and those who volunteered for the honor, the leader would sometimes bite the heart of those sacrificed. | 17 | |
| 4271565137 | Quetzalcoatl | Aztec nature god, feathered serpent, his disappearance and promised return coincided with the arrival of Spanish invader Hernan Cortés. | 18 | |
| 4271565138 | codices | pictographic records. | 19 | |
| 4271565139 | Tenochtitlan | capital and main city of the Aztecs. Reaches population of 300,000 at its height. | 20 | |
| 4271565140 | chinampas | "floating gardens", provide Aztecs and Mayas with agriculture. | 21 | |
| 4271565141 | tributary system | Aztecs conquered peoples, provided crops to help Tenochtitlitan. | 22 | |
| 4271565142 | Moche | civilization of north coast of Peru (100-700 C.E.). An important Andean civilization that built extensive irrigation networks as well as impressive urban centers dominated by brick temples. | 23 | |
| 4271565143 | Inca | a Native American people who built a notable civilization in western South America in 1500 C.E. The center of their empire was in present-day Peru. | 24 | |
| 4271565144 | Cuzco | The capital city of the Incan Empire. | 25 | |
| 4271565145 | mit'a system | mandatory labor for the state, associated with the Inca. Everyone had to do jobs for the government. | 26 | |
| 4271565146 | khipus | systems of cords and beads for counting. | 27 | |
| 4271565147 | ayllus | local Incan communities. | 28 | |
| 4271565148 | chief Inca | These Incan rulers were the head rulers who were also believed to be divine. | 29 | |
| 4271565149 | Quechua | Inca language. | 30 | |
| 4271565150 | road system | This Incan achievement allowed for the religious cult of Cuzco to spread, as well as the Quechua language. Official runners used this to carry messages. | 31 | |
| 4271565151 | terrace farming | a farming system that is in the form of steps going up a mountain, used by the Incas. | 32 | |
| 4271565152 | Anasazi | a Native American group who lived in what is now the southwestern United States, used river water to irrigate their crops. | 33 | |
| 4271565153 | Cahokia | a settlement of southern Indians, located in present day U.S.A., it served as a trading center for 40,000 at its peak in 1200 C.E. | 34 |
