Indigenous Civilizations of the Americas Vocab/Map

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Mesoamerica:

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A region including southern Mexico and parts of northern Central America.

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Chinampas

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Raised gardens in swampy conditions of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan.

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What is a codex?

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The book where Aztecs kept historical records.

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Conquistadors:

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Spanish soldiers who conquered the Aztecs and Incas.

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Quechua?

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The official language of the Inca.

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Machu Picchu?

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A royal retreat for Inca rulers on sacred Andes peaks.

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Masonry as defined by the Inca

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Stonework cut so precisely that they didn't need cement.

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Memorizers in Inca society?

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Official members who learned long poems about Inca legends and history.

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Significance of obsidian to the Aztecs?

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Highly traded, sharp volcanic rock for spearheads and sacrifices.

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Purpose of Inca observatories?

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To study astronomy, or the movement of the stars.