Vocabulary List. ATLATL: A spear-throwing device used by the Anasazi before they started using the bow and arrow.

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1 1 Vocabulary List ANASAZI: Ancient farming people of the southwestern United States, who built great cities of stone and adobe, such as those at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. The word Anasazi means alien ancient ones in the Navajo language. ATLATL: A spear-throwing device used by the Anasazi before they started using the bow and arrow. AZTECS: A powerful and cultured people who dominated Mexico starting around the 11th century. The center of their civilization was Tenochtitlan, the site of modern Mexico City. BASKET MAKER ANASAZI: Early stage of Anasazi civilization when baskets were used instead of pottery objects and spears were used instead of bows and arrows. CHACO CANYON: A great center of the Anasazi culture located in northwestern New Mexico. Six large towns or pueblos were built here starting about 850 A.D. CIBOLA: The mythical seven cities of gold. The search for Cibola was a major inspiration for Coronado s expedition into the American Southwest. CIVILIZATION: A word derived from the Latin word civitatis, meaning city or state. People who create cities are said to be civilized. Today the word has come to mean the total culture of a people. CLAN: A social group composed of families who are the descendants of a common ancestor. COLUMBUS, CHRISTOPHER, : A mariner from the city of Genoa, Italy who led an expedition, financed by the Spanish monarchs, to find a more direct route to the East Indies. CONQUISTADORES: A Spanish word that means conqueror. Cortez s men were conquistadores. CORONADO, FRANCISCO, : Spanish explorer who led a great expedition into the American Southwest and beyond in CORTEZ, HERNANDO, : Spanish conqueror of Mexico. CULTURE: A word derived from the Latin word cultura that means to cultivate crops. A culture is all the concepts, habits, skills, art, institutions, etc. of a particular group of people at a certain time. GREAT PUEBLO PERIOD: The period of Anasazi civilization when the great cliff cities, such as those at Mesa Verde, were built. DARK AGES: Period of Western European history after the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. up to around 1000 A.D.; the first part of the Middle Ages. A time marked by lack of innovation in art and learning. FALL OF ROME, 476 A.D.: The final collapse of the government of the western half of the great empire of Rome that had ruled much of the civilized world for many centuries. GREAT PUEBLO REVOLT: In 1680, a unified revolt of Pueblo tribes from Zuñi to Taos against rule by Spain that caused the Spanish to be driven out of the Southwest for 12 years. Some historians call this The First American Revolution. HIGH MIDDLE AGES: The age of the great castles and cathedrals and of knights and chivalry that followed the Dark Ages. This period of history lasted up until the time of the Renaissance in the mid to late 1400s. (Continued on Blackline Master 2)

2 2 Vocabulary List (Continued) KATCHINA: Mythical beings who taught ceremonies to the ancient people of the Southwest and gave them everything they needed to sustain life. Katchina spirits guided people out of their previous underground world into the world of light. KIVA: A circular underground room found in Anasazi cities that was used for religious ceremonies and was also used by men as a place to gather together and weave cotton into cloth. Each clan had its own kiva. Great kivas were very large kivas used for religious ceremonies that required the presence of all the clans in a community. MANO AND METATE: The stone-grinding tools used to make flour from dried corn. MATRILINEAL: A system in which family descent is traced through the mother. Navajo and Anasazi cultures are matrilineal. MAYANS: Ancient civilization of Central America that dates back to around 2000 B.C. The Mayans reached the peak of their development from around A.D. Although they had no metal tools, wheeled vehicles, or draft animals, they built great cities and had highly-developed mathematics, astronomy and art. They were the only native people in North America to invent a true system of writing. MESA VERDE: A flat-topped mountain in southwest Colorado that was a major center of Anasazi culture during the Great Pueblo Period. In Spanish, mesa means table and verde means green. NAVAJOS: A great tribe of people who migrated from the north into the Anasazi homelands about 1000 years ago. Today they are the largest tribe of Native Americans in the United States and occupy the biggest reservation, whose area is greater than all of the New England states combined. PETROGLYPHS: Markings on stone; pictographic images of humans, animals, the sun, etc. PICTOGRAPH: Pictorial writing; a picture that can sometimes represent an idea. PUEBLO: A Spanish word meaning village or community. PUEBLO TRIBES: A name used to describe the Native-American farming tribes of New Mexico and Arizona who were living in villages of stone or adobe at the time Coronado arrived in the Southwest. (Coronado gave the Pueblo people this name). Today the main Pueblo tribes are the Hopis, the Zuñis, plus 18 other tribes, such as the Taos people who live mainly in the Rio Grande Valley of northern New Mexico. Most of the Pueblo tribes came into existence when the Anasazi abandoned their great cities at Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, and elsewhere. RENAISSANCE: An era of European history following the High Middle Ages that produced a rebirth of interest in science, learning, and art. The usual dates for this period of history are SIPAPU: A small hole in the floor of a kiva that represented the opening through which living things were believed (by the Anasazi) to have originally come out of mother earth. TOLTECS: A great civilization that dominated much of modern Mexico and the northwestern part of Central America from early in the Christian era up until the 12th century. The Toltec culture is thought to have evolved from the Mayan culture. It is believed that the Anasazi learned many of their building techniques from the Toltecs, with whom they traded. WATTLE AND DAUB: A construction technique in which woven sticks are covered with mud. This technique was used in both European and North American buildings. ZUÑIS: A North American Pueblo tribe of western New Mexico.

3 3 Did You Know...? Fact Sheet 1. One of the main animals hunted by the ancestors of the Anasazi of 12,000 years ago was the mastadon elephant, which is now extinct. 2. One thousand years ago, few Anasazi people lived beyond the age of The Basket Maker Anasazi actually cooked food in baskets by adding hot rocks to the stews they made in them. 4. The teeth of most Anasazi people became badly worn down due to the stone grit that got into their flour during the grinding process. 5. Anasazi clans were always headed by women, and women owned all the houses. A man who got married always moved in with his new wife s family, even though the husband always remained a member of his own mother s clan. 6. Cortez used only 600 soldiers to destroy the Aztec empire of Mexico, whose population around 1517 is estimated to have been about 6 million. 7. Montezuma, king of the Aztecs, at first believed that Cortez was a god. 8. Bows and arrows were used in ancient Egypt over 5,000 years ago, but the Anasazi didn t start using them until around 700 A.D. 9. The first Europeans in the American Southwest were a small group of survivors of a shipwrecked expedition led by Cabeza de Vaca. Their ship was destroyed off the coast of Texas in 1528, and they wandered across the empty countryside for many years until they finally reached a Spanish settlement on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Their stories of seven cities of gold inspired explorers to come to the Southwest. 10. Among the Anasazi, the weaving of cloth was always a man s job. 11. The oldest evidence of corn farming in the American Southwest dates back to 3,000 B.C. 12. The Hohokam tribe that lived near present-day Phoenix, Arizona brought 250,000 acres under cultivation and built 250 miles of irrigation ditches. 13. The Pueblo tribe called the Hopis are known as the people of peace. To them, to raise a hand in aggression against someone struck a blow against the perfect order of the natural world. It is believed that the ancient Anasazi shared this peaceful attitude toward life.

4 4 Timeline B.C. Only small hunting tribes live in the Southwest. No agriculture exists B.C. First known corn is grown in the Southwest B.C. Great pyramid of Cheops is built in Egypt B.C. Mayan civilization begins in Central America. 776 B.C. First Olympic games held in honor of Zeus at Olympia in ancient Greece. 700 B.C. Basket Maker stage of the Anasazi civilization begins. They are living in small communities under rock overhangs. Farming of both corn and squash is carried out. They supplement their diets by gathering wild seeds, fruits and berries. They hunt using spears thrown by a device called an atlatl. They have no pottery and make woven baskets of many different types which they use every day. 563 B.C. The Buddha, or Enlightened One, is born in India. 457 B.C. The high point of the civilization of ancient Greece. 229 B.C. The Romans begin their conquest of Greece. 33 A.D. The crucifixion of Christ by the Romans. 325 A.D. The Emperor Constantine proclaims Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. 400 A.D. The Toltecs gain in strength in Mexico. 450 A.D. Beginning of the Modified Basket Maker Stage of Anasazi civilization. Pottery is now being used. The bow and arrow replaces the atlatl and spear. Many pithouses are being built. Turkeys are domesticated. Beans are being grown in addition to corn and squash. 476 A.D. The fall of Rome. The beginning of the era of Western European history called the Dark Ages. 570 A.D. The birth of the prophet Mohammed, founder of Islam. 600 A.D. First Anasazi settle on Mesa Verde. 731 A.D. The Mayan civilization starts to reach a high point in its power and influence. 750 A.D. Developmental Pueblo stage of the Anasazi civilization begins. Pithouses continue to be built but wattle and daub houses are also being constructed in open areas near the fields. The first aboveground rectangular rooms appear. Some pithouses become the first kivas. More reliance on farming; improved reservoirs and irrigation systems. 850 A.D. Many Chaco Canyon pueblos are being constructed. The Chinese invent gunpowder A.D. The Aztec culture gains in strength in Mexico A.D. The Great Pueblo stage of Anasazi culture begins. Large settlements with up to 2500 people living in large multi-storied buildings start to take shape A.D. The Norman French conquer England. This date is often used to signify the end of the Dark Ages A.D. Many Chaco Canyon towns are now deserted A.D. Most of the large cliff dwellings are now being constructed at Mesa Verde A.D. Anasazi towns at Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Canyon de Chelly, Keet Seel and Betatakin are abandoned. People migrate to the south in search of new lands and a more reliable supply of water. They start to establish new pueblo communities along the upper Rio Grande, the Hopi mesas and in the Zuñi region of western New Mexico. Western Europe is in the midst of a historical era called the High Middle Ages and many magnificent castles, cathedrals, churches and monasteries are being built A.D. The first mechanical clock is built for the palace of Charles the Fifth of France. Guns are now in use in Europe A.D. A common date used to indicate the beginning of the era of European history called the Renaissance and the end of the High Middle Ages A.D. Johan Gutenberg prints the Bible using the first moveable-type printing press A.D. Columbus sails west from Europe to find a shorter route to the East Indies A.D. Martin Luther publicly challenges the sale of indulgences by the Catholic Church, starting the Protestant Reformation A.D. Cortez conquers Mexico A.D. King Henry the Eighth of England forces parliament to pass two acts that breaks England from the Catholic Church and declares Henry to be the head of the Church of England A.D. Spain claims the lands of the American Southwest. A Spanish moor named Estabanico and a small band of Native Mexicans reaches the Zuñi pueblo A.D. Coronado s great expedition heads out from Mexico City to search for the golden cities of Cibola in the American Southwest. This is the first major contact between the Pueblo people and the Spaniards A.D. The king of Spain approves a contract with Juan de Onate to establish the colony of New Mexico A.D. The English found the town of Jamestown in their first North American colony called Virginia A.D. Santa Fe is established as the permanent capital of the Spanish colony of New Mexico A.D. The Great Pueblo Revolt: a coordinated revolt of pueblos from Zuñi to Taos that results in the Spanish being driven out of the Southwest for a period of twelve years. Some historians call this the First American Revolution A.D. George Washington is born in the English colony of Virginia A.D. Declaration of Independence of the American colonies from their mother country A.D. Mexican independence from Spain. The southwestern tribes become subjects of the Mexican government instead of the Spanish government A.D. As a result of winning the Mexican War, the Southwest becomes part of the United States.

5 5 Crossword Puzzle Down: 1. A tribe of people who migrated into Anasazi homelands about 1000 years ago. 2. Social group composed of families who are the descendents of a common ancestor. 3. Spanish word meaning village or community. 4. North American Pueblo tribe of western New Mexico. 5. Flat-topped mountain in southwest Colorado that was a major center of Anasazi culture. 6. The Anasazi learned many of their building techniques from this tribe. Across: 1. Means alien ancient ones in the Navajo language. 2. Circular underground room used for religious ceremonies. 3. A small hole in the floor of a kiva that represented the opening through which living things were believed (by the Anasazi) to have orginially come out of mother earth. 4. Spanish explorer of Mexico. 5. A picture that can sometimes represent an idea; pictorial writing. 6. Era in European history that produced a rebirth of interest in science, learning, and art. 7. Spanish explorer who led a great expedition into the American Southwest and beyond in

6 6 Vocabulary Match Directions: Using the words at the bottom of the page, match the word with its correct definition. 1. All the concepts, habits, skills, art, institutions, etc. of a particular group of people at a certain time; a word derived from the Latin word cultura. 2. A powerful and cultured people who dominated Mexico starting around the 11th century. Their capital was Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. 3. The great cliff cities, such as those at Mesa Verde, were built during this period of Anasazi civilization. 4. The time in European history that followed the fall of Rome in 476 A.D.; a time marked by lack of innovation in art and learning. 5. Stone grinding tools used to make flour from dried corn. 6. Mythical beings who taught ceremonies to the Anasazi and gave them everything they needed to sustain life. Their spirits guided people out of their previous underground world into the world of light. 7. The mythical seven cities of gold; inspiration for Coronado s expedition into the American Southwest. 8. Ancient farming people of the southwestern United States who built great cities of stone and adobe; a word that means alien ancient ones in the Navajo language. 9. A circular underground room found in Anasazi cities that was used for religious ceremonies and as a gathering place for men. 10. A system in which family descent is traced through the mother. 11. A construction technique in which woven sticks are covered with mud. 12. A center of great Anasazi culture located in northwestern New Mexico. Six large pueblos were built here starting about 850 A. D. Word List: A. Chaco Canyon G. Anasazi B. Culture H. Great Pueblo Period C. Kiva I. Wattle and daub D. Aztecs J. Dark Ages E. Mano and Metate K. Katchina F. Cibola L. Matrilineal

7 7 Quiz Directions: Fill in the blanks with the correct answer. 1. The first permanent settlements were established by the Anasazi because they had taken up a new way of life based on. 2. The people of central Mexico are believed to have taught the Anasazi some of the construction techniques they used in building their cities at Chaco Canyon. 3. Name five domesticated plants and/or animals used by the Anasazi.,,,, 4. The circular underground rooms found in Anasazi towns that were used for religious ceremonies and as gathering places for men of the community were called. 5. Name four advantages the Spanish had over the native people of the Southwest in the mid-fifteen hundreds The Spanish explorer who led a huge expedition into the Southwest starting in 1540 was named. 7. Most of the cliff cities at Mesa Verde were built during a period of European history called --a time when great castles and cathedrals were being built. 8. Around the time of Christ, the Anasazi possessed neither pottery nor the bow and arrow. At this stage in the development of their civilization, they were known as. 9. The pueblos at Chaco Canyon were built (before or after) the collapse of the Roman Empire. 10. The three main reasons the Anasazi are believed to have abandoned their cities at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon were,, and.