ZAPOTEC

Early Civilizations in the Americas:

Ceremonial centers:

Citylike centers usually run by priests and rulers, in which people from surrounding areas gathered
to practice the ceremonies of their religion,often at large temples and plazas built specifically for
this purpose.

Chiefdom:

A social unit larger and more structured than a tribe but smaller and less structured than a state, which is mainly governed by one powerful ruler. Though there are not distinct classes in a chiefdom, people are ranked by how closely they are related to the chief; the closer one is to the chief, the more prestige, wealth, and power one is likely to have.

City-state:

An independent self-governing community consisting of a single city and the surrounding area.

Elite:

A group of people within a society who are in a socially superior position and have more power and privileges than others.

Glyph:

A figure (often carved into stone orwood) used as a symbol to represent words, ideas, or sounds.

Human sacrifice:

Killing a person as an offering to the gods.

Observatory:

A building created for the purpose of observing the stars and planets.

Pantheon:

All of the gods that a particular group of people worship.

Propagandists:

People who spread information and ideas designed to further their own cause.

Ritual:

A formal act performed the same way each time, usually used as a means of religious worship by a particular group.

Tribute:

A payment to a nation or its ruler, usually made by people from a conquered territory as a sign that they surrender to the imposed rule; payment could be made in goods or labor or both.

Vigesimal:

Based on the number twenty(as a numeric system).Words to KnowAlmanac 2 MB 2/25/05 10:32 AM Page 300
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