Toltec to Aztec Power
Who rose to power after the collapse of the Mayan civilization?
The Toltecs
What city was the Aztec capital?
Tenochtitlan
What agricultural method allowed Aztecs to increase crop yields?
Chinampas
What system of labor did the Inca require from their citizens?
The Mita system
About how many people lived across the Americas before European arrival?
Over 67 million.
What militaristic elements did the Toltecs add to Mesoamerican culture?
A cult of war and human sacrifice
What are chinampas, where are they located, and what are they used for?
Aztec floating gardens built on Lake Texcoco used to hold an enormous population.
What class specialized in long-distance luxury trade?
The Pochteca.
What were tambos, and how were they used?
Inns, supply depots, and relay stations for armies and messengers.
What kind of societies were found in the Caribbean and Amazon?
Chiefdoms and hierarchical societies.
Around what year did the Toltecs lose power?
Around 1150 CE
What god was at the center of Aztec sacrifice and warfare?
Huitzilopochtli (god of the sun/tribal patron)
Without wheels or draft animals, what innovation allowed Aztecs to feed their massive population?
Chinampas
What system of knotted strings helped the Inca record numbers?
Quipu
Which region had pueblos with irrigation and terrace farming?
The American Southwest.
Which nomadic group conquered regions around lakes after the Toltecs?
The Aztecs
How many deities did Aztec religion incorporate from the natural world?
128 deities
How was Aztec trade different from traditional trade?
It was controlled by the state rather than privately controlled.
What was the Inca practice of “split inheritance,” and how did it fuel expansion?
A dead ruler’s wealth stayed with his family or cult, while the new ruler only received political power forcing him to conquer new land for wealth.
What technological limitations shaped development in the Americas?
No wheels, no large draft animals, and no iron tools.
What cultural and religious tradition did the Aztecs adopt directly from the Toltecs?
Human sacrifice and militaristic practices
Who was Nezahualcoyotl, and how did he represent a shift in Aztec religion?
He was the fifth ruler of Texcoco and he promoted belief in an invisible source that supports every deity.
What tribute from conquered citizens helped sustain the Aztec Empire’s wealth?
Conquered people had to provide goods and labor as tribute.
Name two major infrastructural achievements of the Inca Empire.
Roads, irrigation, terracing, state architecture, and storage systems.
Name 2 similarities the Aztecs and Incas share despite different geographies?
Reliance on agriculture, tribute systems, strong state structures, and religious traditions centered on gods and rituals.