Olmec Origins
What was the first major civilization in Mexico?
Who were the Olmec?
What was the capital city of the Aztec Empire?
What is Tenochtitlan
What achievement are the Maya most famous for?
Their advanced writing system.
What ruler expanded the Inca Empire in the 1440s?
Who was Pachacuti
What year did the Spanish first enter Tenochtitlan?
What is 1519
What giant sculptures are the Olmec famous for creating?
What are colossal stone heads?
According to legend, what bird did the Mexica see sitting on a cactus?
What is an eagle
Were the Maya united into one empire?
No, they lived in separate city-states.
What language were conquered peoples taught?
What is Quechua
What disease helped weaken the Aztec Empire?
What is smallpox
What useful material did the Olmec make from trees?
What is rubber
What alliance helped make the Aztec powerful?
What is the Triple Alliance
Name one factor that may have contributed to the collapse of Maya cities.
Drought, climate change, overpopulation, warfare, or political unrest.
What type of labor did all Inca subjects owe the government?
Labor service (mandatory work).
Who was the last Aztec ruler when the Spanish arrived?
Who was Moctezuma
How did the Olmec influence later civilizations?
Their culture influenced later civilizations such as the Maya and Aztec.
What important requirement did every Aztec male citizen have?
He had to attend school until age 16.
What war lasted more than 100 years and weakened Maya society?
The war between Kaan and Mutal.
How did the Inca increase food production?
They built canals and irrigation systems.
Who was the last Inca ruler captured by the Spanish?
Who was Atahualpa
What evidence supports the idea that the Olmec developed locally?
Archaeologists found no evidence of contact with Africa, Asia, or Europe.
Why was the location of Tenochtitlan both difficult and helpful?
It was swampy and difficult to settle, but it provided protection and access to resources.
Why is the Maya collapse still debated by historians?
Because there were likely many causes rather than one single cause.
How did the Inca maintain control over such a large empire?
Through government officials, the army, labor systems, and the Quechua language.
What advantages helped the Spanish conquer both the Aztec and Inca Empires?
Guns, horses, steel weapons, disease, and surprise attacks