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Aztec/ Inca Review
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where is Mesoamerica? | the southern part of what is now Mexico and parts of the northern countries of Central America |
| What did cities hope to gain from fighting with enemy cities? | power and land |
| How did the Aztecs conquer the other cities located around Lake Texcoco? | They formed a secret alliance with two other cities. |
| A tribute was | a payment to a more powerful ruler or country. |
| Before the arrival of the Europeans (Spaniards), the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán was a | thriving city with about 200,000 residents. |
| What is the name for the type of floating gardens the Aztecs built? | chinampas |
| What were the 3 key factors in the rise of the Aztec Empire? | war, tribute, and trade |
| What did the Spaniards unknowingly bring with them that helped them conquer the Aztecs? | smallpox and other diseases |
| What prompted Moctezuma II to welcome Hernán Cortés? | Moctezuma thought that Cortés was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. |
| Other Native American tribes made alliances with Cortés because | they did not like paying tribute to the Aztecs. |
| How did Tenochtitlán’s location help lead to the fall of the Aztec Empire? | The conquistadors could easily cut off the Aztecs’ access to supplies. |
| What role did horses play in the conquest of the Aztecs? . | Horses were large and powerful and the Aztecs were terrified of them |
| What groups of people were the lowest class in Aztec society? | farmers and slaves |
| What is a codex? | a book of historical records |
| What role did human sacrifices play in Aztec society? | They were believed to be necessary to keep the gods happy. |
| What was the main difference between the Aztecs’ religion and the Catholic religion? | The Aztecs believed in hundreds of gods and the conquistadors believed in only one. |
| In the Aztec Empire, who was responsible for keeping track of the calendars? | priests |
| Where did the first Incas live? | in the Andes Mountains The capital city of the Inca Empire was Cuzco. |
| Establishing Quechua as the official language of the Inca Empire was important because | it helped unify the empire. |
| Which Inca ruler led a great expansion of the empire and established an official religion? | Pachacuti |
| What is a main similarity between the Aztec and Inca religions? | The Aztecs and Incas worshipped many different gods. |
| Who was the leader of the Spanish conquistadors who invaded the Inca Empire? | Francisco Pizarro |
| Why was the Inca road system important? | The roads connected all parts of the empire. |
| Machu Picchu was a | royal retreat for Inca rulers. |
| How were Inca stories passed on to future generations? | Official “memorizers” learned long poems about Inca history and passed them on orally. |
| Why are Inca buildings considered a major architectural achievement? | Inca buildings are so tight that it is nearly impossible to fit a knife blade between stones; the stone cutting was so precise that no cement was needed; many Inca buildings are still being used. |
| When these two calendars (Tzolkin and Haab) are working together, one day in this round such as “3 Kan 8 Pop” did not repeat until 52 years passed, which was called the | Solar Round |
| The 260-day calendar, also known as the ________________________ in Maya, has 20 day associated with the numbers 1-13 | Sacred Calendar or Tzolk’in |
| How many years will pass until the three cycles line up again. | 52 years |
| Each community has their day keeper, generally a_____, who carries out ceremonies on particular days of this calendar. | shaman |
| Which Maya Calendar functions similar to our calendar? | The Haab |
| The first people to arrive in the Americas were | hunter-gatherers. |
| Why were farmers in Mesoamerica successful at domesticating plants in this region? | It had a warm climate and very fertile soil. |
| What is the most accepted theory as to how the first people arrived in the Americas? | People walked across a land bridge that crossed the Bering Strait. |
| When early people learned to plant seeds and farm, what major impact did this have on their lives? | They were able to settle in one place. |
| After the first Aztecs discovered that there was no good farmland, they | hired themselves out as skilled fighters/warriors. |