Geography of the Americas
What modern day country are the Aztecs from?
Mexico
Instead of taking over areas the Aztec demanded what from conquered peoples?
They demanded tribute; a payment to a more powerful empire.
What did the Maya believe the cenote were a connection to?
They believed that the cenote were a direct connection to the underworld
Define Mita
A government labor tax
What was the name of the Incas final leader?
Atahualpa
What capital of the Aztec empire?
Tenochtitlan
What were Aztec history books called?
A codex or codices
Who made up the upper class of Mayan society?
Priests.
What did the Inca use llamas for? (Hint there were 4 different uses)
Transport, food, and clothing, as well as sacrifice
What was the name of the conquistador that attacked the Inca empire?
Francisco Pizzaro
What region did the Inca live in? What was their capital?
Andes Mountains, Cuxco
How did the Aztec adapt their capital for for defense and to connect with the surrounding land?
They built causeways connecting their islands to the main land.
What types of material did the Maya use to make their weapons and tools? (Hint 3 different materials)
Obsidian, wood, and stone
What language did the Inca speak?
Quechua
What was the name of their final leader?
Moctezuma II
What region did the Maya live in? Name two major Maya cities.
Yucatan Peninsula or Mesoamerica;
Tikal, Palenque, Chichen Itza, Calakmul, etc..
Describe Chinampas and why they were so important for the Aztec?
Chinampas are floating gardens used for farming becuase the Aztec had no land to farm on.
What is the major theory as to why the Maya collapsed?
The major theory is climate change or environmental change, most likely a drought.
What was the Inca Leader to the Aztec?
The Son of the Sun
What factors helped the Spanish defeat the Aztec and Inca empires?
Guns, disease/germs and steel
Name 4 of the 5 modern countries the Maya live in today?
Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador
What was the vision that marked Tenochtitlan as home for the Aztec?
an eagle clutching a rattlesnake on a cactus
Name the book that contains all the legends and history and creation account of the Maya?
The Popul Vuh
Name two of the four modern countries that Inca lived in?
Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile
What explains European dominance of the Aztec and Incas?
Geography