The Maya Civilization
In which region of present-day Mexico was the Maya civilization located?
Around the Yucatan Peninsula in southeastern Mexico.
What was the title of the sole ruler of the Inca Empire, who was considered the son of the sun god?
Sapa Inca
What name did the Aztec people use to describe themselves?
Mexica
What large lake did the Aztec build their capital city on?
Lake Texcoco.
This civilization developed a system of terrace farming on the sides of mountains.
Inca.
What method of farming did the Maya use to clear land for planting crops?
Slash-and-burn farming.
What was the capital city of the Inca Empire?
Cuzco, Peru.
What was the capital city of the Aztec Empire?
Tenochtitlan.
According to legend, what three things did the Mexica see that convinced them to establish their capital on an island?
An eagle holding a snake in its beak while perched on a cactus.
This civilization played a ball game called Pok-a-tok and developed a 365-day calendar.
Maya.
What crop was especially important to Maya farmers, and what did they plant it in after burning the vegetation?
Corn; they planted it in the ashes.
In which mountain range did the Inca Empire develop?
The Andes Mountains.
What type of group were the Aztec before establishing their powerful empire?
A nomadic group.
What structures connected Tenochtitlan to the mainland, and how many were there?
Four causeways, or bridges.
This civilization created floating gardens by anchoring islands of mud to the bottom of a lake.
Aztec.
What important mathematical concept did the Maya develop that made advanced calculations possible?
The concept of zero.
What was the purpose of a quipu, and how did it work?
It recorded information using knots tied in strings to represent numbers such as 1, 10, and 100.
What was the name of the special book in which the Aztec recorded important information?
Codex.
What structures brought fresh water into Tenochtitlan, and what transportation did people use to travel through the city?
Aqueducts brought fresh water, and people traveled by canoe through canals.
This civilization built an extensive network of roads that connected distant parts of its empire to its capital.
Inca.
Name two possible explanations for the decline of the early Maya civilization.
Drought, disease/epidemics, or exhausted soil that could no longer support farming.
What were the Inca messengers called, and how could they deliver messages as far as 250 miles in a single day?
Chasquis; they ran in relays along the Inca road system, passing messages to other runners at rest stations.
Why did the Aztec perform frequent human sacrifices, and what did they believe would happen if they stopped?
They believed sacrifices appeased the gods and kept the sun moving.
Put the five levels of Aztec society in order, from highest to lowest.
1. Tlatoani (king); 2. Council of advisors; 3. Nobles and chiefs; 4. Commoners; 5. Slaves.
This civilization was conquered by a Spanish conquistador named Hernán Cortés.
Aztec.