Origin
Which empire came first?
Mayans
Who ruled the Aztecs?
Huey Tlatoani
What did the Mayans have for trade?
Cacao
Were the Aztecs monotheistic or polytheistic?
Polytheistic
Which empire lasted for the shortest time?
Incas for 100 years
What was the symbol that the Aztecs saw that made them settle down?
An eagle standing on a cactus with a snake in its mouth.
What government was the Incas?
The Incas was an absolute monarchy ruled by the Sapa Inca
What were the artificial islands made by the Aztecs called and what were they used for?
The floating islands were called chinampas and used for farming.
What God did the Incas believe in?
Sun God
Which empire created the 365 day calendar?
The Mayans
What is a famous geographical feature of the Incas?
Andes Mountains
How was the Aztec ruler chosen?
The great speaker was chosen by a council of nobles and high priests.
What crop was a staple for the Incas?
Potatoes because they could be freeze dried.
Which empire created the concept of 0?
The Mayans
When and who did the Aztecs fall to?
The Aztecs fell in 1521 to Hernan Cortes
What land are the Mayans?
rainforest of Central America
What advantages did the Incas have?
They used large armies to create fear
What was so special about the Incas society?
They also had local leaders who provided labor.
Why did the Aztecs frequently sacrifice humans to the gods?
They believed the sun god needed human sacrifice to sustain the sun.
What architectural achievement did the Incas have?
Their stone buildings consisted of precisely cut stones that fit tightly together
Capital of Incas?
The capital is Cusco, located in Modern day Peru.
What is a tribute system and who used it to another extent?
A tribute system is where conquered people could maintain governance over themselves but had to pay tribute in goods, labor, and sacrificial victims. This system was most famously used by the Aztecs.
What economical advancements did the Mayans create?
They created the most advanced writing system in the ancient Americas; over 800 hieroglyphs.
Instead of a writing system what did the Incas use?
They used a series of knotted strings called quipus to record information
What contributed to the collapse of the Inca empire?
Civil War between Atahualpa and Huascar