Maya
Where was the Maya civilization located?
A) in and around Yucatan Peninsula
B) in present-day Brazil
C) in and around the Andes Mountains
D) in present-dayArgentina
C) in and around the Andes Mountains
Where did the Aztec build the capital of their civilization?
a) in Cuzco in present-day Peru
b) in Tenochtitlán in present-day Mexico
c) on an island in the Caribbean
d) in the rainforests of the Yucatán Peninsula
b) in Tenochtitlán in present-day Mexico
What was unusual about the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán?
a) It was surrounded by dense rainforest.
b) It had a network of expertly built stone roads.
c) It was built on an island.
d) It was built high in the mountains.
c) It was built on an island.
What region did the Inca rule?
a) central Mesoamerica
b) east coast of Central America
c) Gulf coast of South America
d) Pacific coast of South America
d) Pacific coast of South America
For what purpose did the Inca use quipu?
a) to cross a river
b) to cure an illness
c) to kill an enemy
d) to record information
d) to record information
What structures would an archaeologist most likely find among the ruins of a Maya city?
a) canals
b) suspension bridges
c) causeways
d) ball courts
d) ball courts
Which word best describes the Aztec before they built their empire?
a) sailors
b) farmers
c) wanderers
d) scientists
c) wanderers
What was one reason the Aztec waged war so often?
a) They were always under attack from their neighbors.
b) They needed prisoners for human sacrifices.
c) They believed the gods enjoyed seeing humans fight.
d) They needed more land for growing crops.
b) They needed prisoners for human sacrifices.
Which mountain range runs through the middle of the Inca Empire?
a) Atlas
b) Andes
c) Rockies
d) Himalayas
b) Andes
How were the Inca able to farm on mountainsides?
a) They used alpacas to plow for them.
b) They cut terraces into the land.
c) They planted crops with long roots.
d) They built the Royal Road.
b) They cut terraces into the land.
The Maya had advanced scientific knowledge, but they did not develop:
a) telescopes.
b) a system of numbers.
c) an accurate calendar.
d) a system of writing.
a) telescopes.
The Aztec were best known as
a) great road builders.
b) fierce warriors.
c) talented musicians.
d) kindly rulers.
b) fierce warriors.
What do Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and Quito have in common?
a) They were European diseases.
b) They were Inca gods.
c) They were Inca communities.
d) They were Inca rulers.
c) They were Inca communities.
Who was the Sapa Inca?
a) sole ruler of the Inca Empire
b) Inca god of the sun
c) Inca high priest in charge of sacrifices
d) wife of the Inca emperor
a) sole ruler of the Inca Empire
Inca stonework was especially impressive because
a) the Inca had no way to cut stone.
b) there were few flat stones in the Andes.
c) the Inca did not use mortar.
d) earthquakes often knocked down Inca buildings.
c) the Inca did not use mortar.
Which were the tallest and most important buildings in Maya cities?
a) pyramids
b) storehouses for food
c) observatories to study the stars
d) ball courts
a) pyramids
Who was the Aztec ruler in 1519?
a) Hernán Cortés
b) Moctezuma II
c) Atahualpa
d) Francisco Pizarro
b) Moctezuma II
Which pair of adjectives best describes the way the Aztec and Inca first greeted the Spanish?
a) threatening and violent
b) curious and friendly
c) bored and uninterested
d) bold and angry
b) curious and friendly
The He-Who-Sees-Everything was
a) the main Inca god.
b) an Inca tax collector and matchmaker.
c) the Sapa Inca.
d) a priest who lived on top of Machu Picchu.
b) an Inca tax collector and matchmaker.
What did Moctezuma and Atahualpa have in common?
a) They were Spanish conquerors.
b) They were emperors taken hostage by the Spanish invaders.
c) They were cities destroyed by the Spanish.
d) They were languages spoken by the Inca and Aztec.
b) They were emperors taken hostage by the Spanish invaders.
Which of the following was not found in both the Maya and Aztec civilizations?
a) the practice of human sacrifice
b) a number of independent city-states
c) impressive cities with grand buildings
d) life built around religion
b) a number of independent city-states
Which of the following best describes the Aztec government?
a) an empire united under a single ruler
b) a collection of city-states, each with its own ruler
c) tribal groups with no central government
d) a democracy with a president elected by the commoners
a) an empire united under a single ruler
Who led the Spanish invasion of the Aztec Empire?
a) Francisco Pizarro
b) Christopher Columbus
c) Hernán Cortés
d) Huayna Capac
c) Hernán Cortés
What animal played a central role in the life and culture of the Inca?
a) camel
b) llama
c) horse
d) eagle
b) llama
Which of the following is not a reason that the Spaniards were able to quickly conquer the Aztec and Inca empires?
a) Epidemics weakened the native people.
b) Native populations were not fully united behind native rulers.
c) The Spanish had better weapons and military technology.
d) The Spanish forces outnumbered the native forces.
d) The Spanish forces outnumbered the native forces.