Maya
Olmec
Aztec
Inca
Challenge Questions
100

What are the Maya known for (There are two answers)

Astronomical Calendars, Mathematical Systems

100

What were the Olmec known for

Large Colossal Heads

100

What was the name of the great Aztec capital city, built on an island in the middle of a lake?

Tenochtitlan

100

The Inca lived in the ___ Mountains

Andes

100

The Maya and Aztec civilizations used a system of writing based on pictures and symbols. What is this writing called?

Hieroglyphics

200

What main crop did they grow?

Maize/corn

200

Were the Olmec the earliest civilization? (True or False)

True

200

How did the Aztec Empire grow so wealthy and powerful?

 By making conquered city-states pay heavy taxes and goods called tribute.

200

How did the Inca farm on steep mountain slopes?

By using terrace farming (cutting flat steps into the mountains

200

when were the Aztecs capital Tenochtitlan established

Around 1325

300

What famous ball game did the Maya play using their hips, knees, and elbows instead of hands?

Ulama the Mesoamerican ballgame

300

how tall were the stone colosal heads

More than 8 feet tall

300

What was the name of their developed agriculture system

Chinampas

300

What famous royal retreat or city did the Inca build high in the Andes?

Machu Picchu

300

Which famous and massive artifact is the Olmec civilization best known for carving out of heavy basalt rock?

The Olmecs are most famous for sculpting colossal stone heads weighing tons, often wearing tight-fitting caps or helmets.

400

Where did the Maya develop?

Central Mexico

400

what crops did the Olmec grow?

Maize, Beans, and Squash

400

Who was the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztec Empire in 1519?

Hernan Cortez

400

What colorful, knotted string system did the Inca use to keep records and send messages since they had no written language?

Quipu

400

The Aztec built their giant capital city, Tenochtitlan, on top of what kind of geographical feature?

A Lake (Lake Texcoco) using floating gardens called chinampas

500

was the Maya civilization a single unified empire under one emperor (True or False)

False, it was a group of independent city-states

500

why do historians call the Olmec the "mother culture" of mesoamerica

they influenced later civilizations

500

Did the Aztec sacrifice people or animals

Both

500

What was the Inca's greatest achievement?

road systems

500

The Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca all thrived without utilizing certain "standard" technologies that were common in Europe and Asia at the same time—such as iron tools, draft animals (like horses or oxen for pulling loads), or wheeled vehicles for transport. Question: How did they manage to build massive pyramids, move giant stones, and feed millions of people without wheels or work animals?

 They relied on human labor power, sophisticated engineering (like canals and waterways for moving heavy materials), organized tribute and labor systems, and foot transport across expertly engineered road networks