Archaeology- the study of material evidence remaining from past human life and culture.
Anthropology- the study of the origin and the physical, social, and cultural development and behaviors of humans.
Ancestor- someone from whom we are descended (e.g. a great-grandparent or great-aunt/uncle)

Basalt- a hard, dense, dark, volcanic rock.
Bosque- is a grove of trees usually growing along a river. These havens for wildlife offered pleasant rest stops for the Spanish settlers who made the long trip along the Rio Grande River to Santa Fe and Taos.

Caliche- a hard soil layer cemented by calcium carbonate and found in deserts and other arid or semiarid regions.
Caballo- this is the Spanish word for horse. This wonderful and useful animal was brought to the America West by the Conquistadores in the 1500’s. The American Indians soon adapted the horse to their own use.
Conquistadores- this is the name given to the early explorers from Spain who opened the Americas to trade and settlement in the name of the Spanish crown.
Cinder cone- a volcanic cone built entirely of loose fragmented materials (pyroclastics)

Deer mouse- color varies from pale gray to reddish brown. Tail is always bi-colored: feeds on seeds, nuts and insects. Will live anywhere there is shelter to make a home.
Desert Varnish- is a thin, dark shiny film composed of iron oxide with traces of manganese oxide, which forms on the surface of pebbles, boulders, and rock outcrops in desert regions after long exposure.

El Camino Real- The kings road or the royal road, the road stretched from Mexico City to Santa Fe, New Mexico. During the early years, this trade route was the only way to bring goods from one region to the other. Among trade items were food, furniture, clothing, seeds for farming, wine, wool, and metal ores were common cargo. From New Mexico, traders going south took corn, pinon, and salt to Mexicon City. Pinon was used by bakers in Mexico City and Puebla.
Empire- when one country controls several countries by means of conquest it may be called an empire. The Spanish Empire, at its greatest influence during the 1600’s, once included vast areas of North and South America, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. .
Escarpment- a steep slope or long cliff resulting from erosion or faulting or separating two relatively level areas of differing elevations. ( volcanic edge)

Flintknapping- American Indians chipped and shaped flint and obsidian into arrowheads adn points to give it sharp edges for scraping and cutting. The process of making stone tools through percussion, one rock hit against another in a specific and controlled way.
Fetish- is an object that is believed to have a spirit within it which can help the owner if treated properly and with respect.

Geology- is the science and study of the earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it.

 
Horno- freestanding adobe bread oven found at most Pueblo villanges and American Indian homes.

Indian- a term used to identify the cultures living in North America upon the arrival of the Europeans.

Juniper- an evergreen tree with long dark needles that produces a brownish-blackish berry.

Kiva- is a round, underground room used for Pueblo religious ceremonies. It is entered by a ladder through a hole in the roof called a sipapu, a symbolic opening between the upper and lower worlds.
Kokopelli- a figure from Native American Indian mythology known as “the hunchback flute player”.

Land grant- The Spanish land tenor or land grant system was a practice brought from Spain to establish economic development and settlement in New Mexico.

Macaw- large, brightly colored parrot native to Central and South American tropics. The birds were brought by Cnetral and South American Indians to trade with Pueblos for pottery, turquoise and silver.
Mesa- (Spanish word for table) is an elevated area with a flat top and surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs.
Mission- Spanish Friars and priests were some of the first people to settle in the territories of the New World. With the aid of the Native American peoples they built many missions. During this time, many Native Americans were converted to Christianity.
Millipede- are arthropods, not insects or bugs. They are typically 3-5 inches long, are dark brouwn and with many body segments and two pair of legs per segment.

Navajo- one of the largest group of indigenous people living in the four corners region. Known for blanket weaving and silversmithing.

Olla- Spanish for big jar. An olla is a large pot traditionally used for storing water and/or grain.

Petroglyph- petro means rock and glyph means carving or engraving
Pueblo- is the Spanish word for town. There were several Native American communities in the Southwest long before the Spanish explorers arrived. Their homes were made of adobes, straw, logs, and stones.
Piedra- is the Spanish word for rock

Quail- A small, chicken-like bird native to the desert. Two types are common in Petroglyph National Monument, Gambrel and Scaled.

Roadrunner- is New Mexico’s state bird. A large, ground-dwelling bird with a long beak and a blue/red patch around eyes. Primarily eats lizards, snakes, insects, rodents, and small birds.

Santos- are small paintings of religious figures on wood. The wood panel is prepared by sanding and then painting a coat of gypsum white wash. Bight colors are used to create a traditional santo. Old santos are treasured relics.
Santa Fe Formation- The accumulation of sandy sediments upon which the lava flow cooled.
Sandsage- A native plant with silvery-green leaves and strong aroma, traditionally used by Pueblos during spiritual ceremonies.
Skywatching- familiarity with the movement of the sun, the moon, planets, and the stars was far more common in the past than today. Some American Indian communities had specialists whose responsibility it was to monitor the sun’s position and make other sky observations.

Trade- The act of exchanging goods between cultures.

Urbanization- the process by which a country’s population changes from primarily rural to urban. It is caused by the migration of people from the countryside to the city in search of better jobs and living conditions.

Vaquero- Spanish for cowboy. Spanish explorers brought livestock to New Mexico in the late 1500's and started the vaquero lifestyle.

Western Diamond Back Rattlesnake- a venomous snake found in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Xeriscape- Landscaping with drought-tolerant plants to conserve water in a desert environment.
Xylotomy- is cutting of sections of wood in preperation for dendrochronology, the study of growth rings int he trees to date past events.

Yucca- New Mexico’s state flower. This plant is found in warm areas in North and Central America it has long, stiff, green leaves at the bottom and white, bell shaped flowers at the top. Native Americans used yucca leaves to weave baskets and sandals and used the heart of the plant to make soap. The heart of the plant was baked to provide a hearty meal rich in carbohydrates.

Zia symbol- New Mexico’s distinctive insignia is the Zia Sun Symbol, which originated with the Indians of Zia Pueblo in ancient times. Its design reflects their tribal philosophy, with its wealth of spiritualism teaching the basic harmony of all things in the universe. Four is the sacred number of Zia, and the figure is composed of a circle from which four points radiate to the four cardinal directions (North, South, East and West).