Geography & Agriculture
These two major regions were home to early American civilizations.
What are Mesoamerica and the Andes?
This civilization carved massive stone heads and built the first pyramids.
Who are the Olmecs?
Most early American religions believed in many gods and spirits, known as this.
What are polytheism and animism?
Kings and priests were powerful because they were believed to do this.
What is communicate with the gods?
These civilizations built pyramids, observatories, and aqueducts.
Who are the Maya, Aztec, and Inca?
Early humans reached the Americas using this Ice Age route.
What is the Bering Strait land bridge?
The Inca used this knotted string tool to keep records.
What is a quipu?
This text contains Maya myths and history.
What is the Popol Vuh?
The Maya were ruled this way.
What are independent city-states ruled by kings?
Maya and Aztec scientists studied these two subjects.
What are astronomy and math?
This climate feature made Mesoamerica great for growing food.
What is a warm climate with volcanic soil, rivers, and rainforests?
These people built Machu Picchu and organized their empire into provinces.
Who are the Inca?
This Inca god was the most important in their religion.
Who is Inti?
The Inca organized their people into these family groups.
What are ayllus?
This helped the Aztecs farm in the middle of lakes.
What are chinampas?
Name one advantage and one challenge of living in the Andes Mountains.
What are rich fishing (advantage) and high elevations/rocky terrain (challenge)?
The Aztec capital city that began their empire was called this.
What is Tenochtitlan?
The Aztecs made these items from feathers and passed down stories orally.
What are feathered garments and oral poetry?
The Aztec Empire grew stronger by using this alliance and fighting.
What is the Triple Alliance and warfare?
A major cause of the Inca Empire's fall.
What are civil war and Spanish conquest?
Name two early farming techniques used in ancient America.
What are slash-and-burn, chinampas, and terraces?
This Maya invention showed advanced understanding of numbers.
What is the concept of zero?
Describe how the Maya, Aztec, and Inca practiced sacrifice differently.
What is bloodletting (Maya), prisoner sacrifice (Aztec), and animal sacrifice (Inca)?
Inca leaders used this type of government to control their large empire.
What is a strong central government with provinces and local rulers?
Name one reason why the Maya civilization declined.
What is drought or warfare?