Pre-Columbian Societies and Early Colonization
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Pre-Columbian Societies and Early Colonization

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Questions and Answers

What characterized the lifestyle of the people in the Great Plains and Great Basin in North America?

  • Living in cliff dwellings for protection
  • Sedentary, living in one place for a long time
  • Fishing and trading exclusively
  • Nomadic, moving from one place to another (correct)
  • What was Christopher Columbus searching for during his second arrival in the New World?

  • The Fountain of Youth
  • Gold among the natives (correct)
  • New trade routes to Asia
  • Spices and other luxury goods
  • What was the main contribution of Prince Henry the Navigator to European exploration?

  • He led the first expedition to the New World
  • He led the Reconquista in Spain
  • He developed the astronomical table
  • He used sea-based trade routes to reach Asia (correct)
  • What was unique about the Iroquois people compared to other Native American tribes?

    <p>They had an elaborate system for choosing leaders and making decisions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the name of the Norse explorer who led one of the earliest European expeditions to North America?

    <p>Leif Eriksson</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the primary method of agriculture used by the Aztecs to cultivate crops in central Mexico?

    <p>Chinampas</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the name of the ancient Native American culture that thrived in the southwestern United States, mainly in the Four Corners region?

    <p>Ancestral Puebloans</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the name of the structure in Tikal that embodies Mayan myth along with natural astronomical cycles?

    <p>El Castillo</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the name of the written language used by the Aztecs?

    <p>Nahuatl</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the primary crop used to sustain the civilization of the Inca empire?

    <p>Maize</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Native American Societies Before Columbus

    • Native Americans organized themselves into various cultures based on their geographic location.
    • Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Americas were inhabited by a diverse group of people.

    Central and South America

    • Aztecs or Mexica: a Mesoamerican culture that thrived in central Mexico from 1300 to 1521, comprising various ethnic groups.
    • Chinampas: "floating gardens" made by stacking mud, lake sediment, and decomposing plants to create small elevated land plots, separated by canals.
    • Maya: a culture that flourished in present-day Guatemala, renowned for their achievements in agriculture, pottery, writing, calendars, and mathematics.
    • Tikal: a Mayan city with a water purification system and the famous El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcan), which embodies Mayan myth and natural astronomical cycles.
    • Pyramid of the Magician/Dwarf/Soothsayer (Casa el Adivino): a significant structure in Mayan architecture.
    • Aztec Written Language: Nahuatl.
    • Inca: the largest empire in pre-Columbian America, sustained by maize (corn).
    • Centeotl: the Corn God of the Aztecs.
    • Hun-Hunahpu: the Maize God of the Mayan.

    North America

    Southwest

    • Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi): an ancient Native American culture that thrived in the southwestern United States, mainly in the Four Corners region.
    • Sedentary: they lived in one place, with established settlements like Mesa Verde.
    • Mesa Verde: cliff dwellings that served as homes for the Ancestral Puebloans, providing protection from the elements and invaders.

    Great Plains & Great Basin

    • Nomadic: people who moved from one place to another, without permanent settlements.
    • Hunter-gatherer: people who lived by hunting and gathering food.
    • Ute People: an indigenous tribe of the Great Basin, who traveled using known routes like the Ute Trail.

    Pacific Northwest

    • Fishing Villages: Chinook People were famous as traders, with connections stretching as far as the Great Plains.
    • Chumash People: first settled 13,000 years ago, experienced population growth and adaptation to the local environment.
    • Villages along the coastline, islands, and interior traded resources.

    Southeast

    • Hopewell People: centered in Ohio and Illinois, advanced in mound-building and agriculture, characterized by geometric earthworks, large burial mounds, corded pottery, ornamental knives, and extensive trading.
    • Cahokia People: known for their sophisticated and expansive urban center, marked by the Cahokia Mounds.
    • Iroquois People: known for their elaborate systems for choosing leaders and making important decisions.

    European Exploration

    • Europeans explored the Americas due to population increase, political unification, and desire for luxury goods.
    • Portugal: the major player in using sea-based trade routes to Asia, led by Prince Henry the Navigator.
    • Caravels: small 15th and 16th-century ships used for exploration.
    • Astronomical Table: a tool designed to facilitate the calculation of planetary positions, lunar phases, eclipses, and calendrical information.
    • Reconquista: the military campaign to remove Muslims from Spain.
    • Christopher Columbus: an Italian explorer and navigator who led four voyages to the Americas, starting in 1492.
    • Vikings in North America: the Norse explorer Leif Eriksson, who led one of the earliest European expeditions to North America.

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    Explore the diverse Native American societies before Columbus' arrival in 1492, including the Aztecs and their cultural practices in central Mexico.

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