World History: 13. Civilizations of the Americas, Lessons 1–2

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. slash
    cut with sweeping strokes; as with an ax or machete
    They used slash-and-burn agriculture, a farming method in which trees and other plants on a plot of land are cut down and burned.
  2. drought
    a shortage of rainfall
    Drought is a prolonged period of little or no rainfall.
  3. hieroglyphic
    a writing system using picture symbols
    A hieroglyphic—also known as a glyph—is a symbol that stands for a word, idea, or sounds.
  4. observatory
    a building equipped to view astronomical phenomena
    A Mayan city might also contain observatories, or buildings for observing the sky.
  5. dense
    hard to pass through because of heavy growth
    Heavy rainfall in parts of the hot lowlands supports a dense tropical forest.
  6. economy
    the system of production and distribution and consumption
    The production of food on the farms was at the center of the Mayan economy.
  7. basin
    a natural depression in the surface of the land
    A basin is a bowl-shaped area.
  8. dike
    a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water
    The Aztecs built a dike—a wall to hold back water—across the middle of the lake.
  9. absolute
    not limited by law
    The Aztecs had an absolute monarchy, a system in which one person from a ruling family has unlimited powers.
  10. monarchy
    autocracy governed by a ruler who usually inherits authority
    The Aztecs had an absolute monarchy, a system in which one person from a ruling family has unlimited powers.
  11. aqueduct
    a conduit that carries water over a valley
    To carry fresh water, the Aztecs could build an aqueduct—a canal or pipe—across Lake Texcoco from the hills surrounding the lake.
  12. rigid
    incapable of compromise or flexibility
    Aztec society revolved around farming, warfare, and religion. It also had a rigid class structure that shaped people's lives.
  13. purchase
    acquire by means of a financial transaction
    In each town, traders would purchase goods made in that town and sell goods made in other towns.
Created on Thu Jul 01 15:59:59 EDT 2021 (updated Thu Jul 08 16:17:26 EDT 2021)

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