Aztec, Maya, and Inca (7th Grade)
What did the Aztecs do to appease the gods
Performed human sacrifice
What was the official language of the Inca empire
Quechua
What was the name given to the king of the Inca Empire
Sapa Inca
Describe the lands in which the Maya settled
Think rain forest covered most of the land climate was hot and humid
How many people did the Aztec sacrifice a year
10,000
Define conquistador
A conquer especially one of the Spanish conquerors of Mexico and Peru in the 16th century
What is a tribute
A payment to a more powerful ruler or country
Who was Montezuma the second
Aztec emperor
What advances did the Maya make in astronomy
Built observatories and created calendars
How did the Inca keep records
By keeping track of knots on string called quipus
List and describe Aztec achievements
Chinampas-floating gardens, causeways-bridges that connected Tenochititlán to land around it, Aquaduct-brought fresh water to their cities
What foods did the Aztec eat
Corn, beans and sweet potatoes
What did the Spaniards knowingly bring with them that helped conquer the Aztecs
Deadly diseases like smallpox
What were possible reasons for the decline of the Maya civilization
Farmland getting exhausted, invasion, revolution, calendrical prophecy, combo of factors
Who is the Maya king thought to be related to
Gods
How did horses help the Spanish conquest of the Aztec
Horses were large and powerful and the Aztec were afraid of them
Where is the region of Mesoamerica
It stretches from central Mexico to the northern part of central America
Why do we refer to the Maya civilization and not the Mayan empire
It was never unified under a single ruler
Who was Francisco Pizzaro
Leader of the Spanish invasion of the Inca lands
Who was Hernan Cortes
Leader of the invasion of the Aztec lands
The Maya cleared the forest to grow what
Maize
Where did the Aztecs build their capital city
On an island in central Mexico
In what present day country did the Inca civilizations begin
Peru
What is the name of the Aztecs capital
Tenochtitlan
Why was blood to significant in Maya religious beliefs and practices
The Maya believed their gods needed blood to prevent disasters or the end of the world
Who controlled the Inca economy
The government
Summarize the relationship between the upper class and lower class Maya
The lower classes provided food and labor and the upper-class lead religious ceremonies
Why was the Inca road system important
The roads connected all parts of the Empire
Describe the Inca social structure
There were two main social classes- upper-class made of people in government (emperor, priest and government officials) and commoners
Describe what the Maya city looked like
They included large stone pyramids and temples
Why did Indian tribes help Cortez defeat the Aztecs
They resented the Aztec's harsh rule
How did the Inca adapt to farming on mountains
They used terraced farming that produced more flat land for them to grow crops on
Why did the Spanish explores and soldiers come to the Americas
To explore new lands, to search for gold and to spread the Catholic religion. It was not to gain religious freedom
List the three key factors in the rise of the Aztec empire
War, tribute and trade
Increase ____ between my cities could have led to the civilizations decline
Warfare
Was Aztec society extremely structured
Yes
