Mayan Achievements
This numbering system used by the Maya was based on 20 and included the concept of zero.
What is the Mayan numeral system?
This body of water was central to Aztec farming innovations, such as chinampas.
What is Lake Texcoco?
The Inca used this system of knotted strings to record information.
What is quipu?
The Aztecs celebrated a new cycle of 52 years with this type of festival.
What is the New Fire ceremony?
The Aztec's chinampas are also known by this term.
What are floating gardens?
This structure was essential to the Mayan civilization for ceremonial and astronomical purposes.
What are pyramids?
This ceremonial act, involving the removal of a human heart, was performed to honor the sun god.
What is human sacrifice?
These Inca-made pathways spanned over 19,000 miles and helped connect the empire.
What are the Inca roads?
This group in the Maya civilization was responsible for recording history using glyphs.
Who are the scribes?
The Maya traded this precious green gemstone for goods.
What is jade?
Name one of the two main Mayan calendars used to track time and religious ceremonies.
What is the Tzolkin or Haab?
The Aztec capital city, known for its impressive size and architecture.
What is Tenochtitlan?
This labor system required Inca citizens to work for the state periodically
What is the mita system?
Inca rulers used this blend of political and religious power to maintain control.
What is divine rule?
This Inca innovation allowed them to farm on steep Andean mountains.
What are terraces?
This Mayan city, known for its vast size and monumental pyramids, was a central hub of culture and trade.
What is Tikal?
The Aztecs believed this god required human hearts to battle darkness and bring light to the world.
Who is Huitzilopochtli?
This natural material was used by the Inca to construct their famous suspension bridges.
What is grass?
This group in Inca society was responsible for communicating messages across the empire via relay.
Who are the chasquis?
This was a primary export of the Mayan trade network, valued for its use in rituals and consumption.
What is cacao?
The Maya built observatories to study celestial bodies, helping them refine this essential agricultural tool.
What is the Mayan calendar?
These vibrant markets in Tenochtitlan showcased the complex Aztec economy and trade networks.
What are the markets of Tlatelolco?
The Inca's ability to expand their empire relied heavily on this centralized system for redistributing goods.
What is state-controlled redistribution?
Aztec society was organized into these extended family groups, which served as the foundation of their community.
What are calpullis?
In addition to agriculture, the Aztecs extracted tribute from conquered peoples in the form of these goods.
What are food, textiles, and weapons?