Geography
This specific agricultural practice allowed the Inca to grow crops on the steep terrain of the Peruvian Andes.
What is terrace farming?
The Inca maintained a strong government by creating a centralized empire that managed everything from food distribution to labor taxes across thousands of miles.
What is the Inca Empire? (or Tawantinsuyu)
To facilitate trade between cities, the Maya established these bustling hubs where people gathered to exchange crops like maize for luxury items like salt and jade.
What are markets?
As a polytheistic society, the Inca worshipped many gods, but they built the most impressive gold-lined temples to honor this specific god, known as Inti.
Who is the Sun God?
Within the Incan hierarchy, this social class was the largest group; they lived in community groups and were required to provide food for the nobles and the emperor.
Who are the farmers?
Often called "floating farms," these man-made islands allowed farmers in Central Mexico to grow crops directly on the surface of Lake Texcoco.
What are chinampas?
In the Mayan world, there was no single emperor; instead, each independent city-state was ruled by one of these.
Who is a king? (or Halach Uinic)
Using terrace farming to carve into the mountainside, the Inca successfully grew these two primary crops to feed their empire.
What are potatoes and maize (corn)?
The Maya practiced a polytheistic religion where their most important gods were directly connected to nature, specifically representing the sun, the rain, and this vital crop.
What is corn? (or maize)
While the Inca social structure ended with farmers, the Maya hierarchy included this group at the very bottom, often consisting of prisoners of war or debtors.
Who are the slaves?
To adapt to the steep terrain of these South American mountains in Peru, ancient civilizations developed the method of terrace farming.
What are the Andes?
The Aztecs built their empire primarily through this method, using a strong military to demand tribute from neighboring regions.
What is conquest? (or military expansion)
Through expansion by conquest, the Aztecs forced defeated regions to pay this—a regular "tax" of food, gold, and feathers to the emperor.
What is tribute?
Because the Inca believed their emperor was a direct descendant of the sun god Inti, he was worshipped not just as a man, but as this two-word term.
What is a divine leader?
In the Mayan hierarchy, this specific group of people ranked just below the nobles and were responsible for astronomical observations and religious rituals.
Who are the priests?
This powerful civilization established its capital, Tenochtitlán, on a lake in Central Mexico, turning a swampy island into a massive urban center.
Who are the Aztecs?
At the head of this centralized empire sat a single ruler known by this specific title, believed to be a descendant of the sun god.
Who is the Sapa Inca?
While the Inca were known for potatoes, the Aztec civilization relied primarily on these two crops as the foundation of their agriculture.
What are maize and beans?
Located at the heart of their cities, these massive stone structures served as the central location for religious life, ceremonies, and offerings to the gods.
What are temples? (or Great Temples/Templo Mayor)
Unique to the Aztec hierarchy, this group ranked directly below the nobles because of the importance of the military in expanding the empire.
Who are the warriors?
Because the Maya lived in a region with few rivers, they survived by using these deep, natural wells that provided access to groundwater.
What are sinkholes?
Unlike the centralized Inca Empire, the Maya were organized into these independent units, which often competed for trade and resources.
What are city-states?
The Inca economy was unique because it functioned with no money; instead, citizens paid taxes through this labor system.
What is the mita?
Because religion influenced every part of their world, the Maya used their spiritual knowledge to create this tool that governed farming and daily life.
What is the calendar?
Below the nobles and emperor, Incan society was organized into these community groups where families shared land, animals, and resources.
What is the ayllu?