Vocabulary
Geography
Maya
Aztec
Inca
100
What were Mayan observatories?
They were buildings from which priests would study the sky to help create calendars.
100
Palenque was a major city of which civilization
The Maya
100
How did trade strengthen the Maya civilization?
It brought cities into contact with each other, provided food and supplies that were not available locally and held the civilization together.
100
How were the Aztec's able to transform Tenochtitlan into a flourishing city?
They built causeways, canals, and also created floating gardens to help with growing crops.
100
What factor is the most important in effectively ruling an empire of 12 million people?
The Incas had a strong, central government.
200
What was a tribute?
A payment giving to the government (like taxes).
200
Tenochtitlan was a major city of which civilization
The Aztec
200
How did the roles of men and women differ in Maya society?
Men crafted tools, hunted, farmed; women cared for children, cooked, made yarn, wove cloth.
200
How did Aztec religion affect warfare?
Aztecs fought many battles with neighboring villages in order to gain bodies to sacrifice to the gods.
200
In the Inca economy there were no merchants or markets. Why was this the case?
The mita system supplied them with all the goods they needed.
300
Define Mita.
Mita was the labor tax system of the Inca Civilization.
300
What was the capital city of the Incan civilization?
Cuzco
300
How did the Maya change their environment to improve city life?
terraced land for farming, paved areas for public gatherings, and built canals
300
Why was Hernan Cortes and the conquistadors able to conquer the Aztecs?
Moctezuma believed that Cortes was an Aztec god that was said to return in 1519 so he welcomed them. The Spanish had help from neighboring villages because they were tired of Aztec harsh rule. The Spanish had superior weapons (guns) and horses. The Spanish brought over diseases, like small pox, that the Aztecs were never exposed to so many Aztecs had died.
300
What was the difference between the daily life of the upper and lower-class Incas?
The upper-class lived in stone houses with the best clothes, while the lower-class could own no more than what was needed to survive.
400
These floating gardens were created to provide more farmland for the Aztec civilization.
Chinampas
400
The Maya civilization were located in Mesoamerica. What is Mesoamerica?
Mesoamerica stretches from the central part of Mexico south to include the northern part of Central America.
400
Why was blood significant in Maya religious beliefs and practices?
The Maya believed their gods needed blood to avoid natural disasters or to prevent the end of the world, so they frequently offered blood to the gods.
400
How was the Aztec Civilization and Mayan Civilization similar?
They were the first to develop advanced societies in the area. They were both located in Mesoamerica (present-day Mexico and Central America) They both developed calendars. They both sacrificed humans to the gods.
400
How were the Spanish, who were greatly outnumbered, able to defeat the Inca?
They caught the Inca by surprise, killed important leaders, and used weapons.
500
Which word best describes "a form of record keeping in which knotted cords of various colors represented information about crops, land, and other important topics?
Quipus
500
Where was the Inca Civilization located?
The Andes Mountains of South America. The western coast of South America.
500
There were 4 possible reasons for the decline of the Maya civilization. What were two theories explain why the Maya civilization declined after 900 CE?
The common people rebelled against the king for having to do all the work. Increased warfare between the cities disrupted trade and forced people to flee the city. There was a food shortage due to population increase and weakened soil from overuse. Climate change could have created a drought which would have also created a food shortage.
500
How was the Aztec Empire similar to the Roman Empire?
Both empires demanded tribute and assistance from the people they conquered.
500
What is the main difference between the religion of the Inca and that of the Maya/Aztec?
Inca people rarely sacrificed humans