learning curve chapter 11-- the americas and tang china
Who were the tecuhtli in Mexica society?
Aristocratic warriors with administrative and military responsibilities
Why was the khipu a development that could lead to the creation of more complex societies?
As a record-keeping system, it allowed for storing information.
Who was the emperor of the Incas when Francisco Pizarro arrived in 1532?
Atahualpa In 1532, Atahualpa vanquished and imprisoned his brother and consolidated his rule in Cuzco. That same year, a group of Spaniards led by Francisco Pizarro landed on the Peruvian coast, following rumors of a city of gold in the mountains.
What factor created pressure for an Inca emperor to expand the empire?
Dedication of the dead emperor's lands to support his cult
What natural phenomenon unique to the southern Pacific Ocean caused flooding along coastal lowlands and impacted agriculture, and thus early societies, in the Andean region?
El Niño This climate phenomenon, unique to the southern Pacific, causes flooding along coastal lowlands and impacts agriculture even today.
As in the conquest of the Aztecs, what aided Spanish efforts to conquer the Incas?
European diseases like smallpox European diseases, most especially smallpox, decimated both the Aztecs and the Incas, though the Spanish were unaware of it at the time.
What is Mesoamerica?
Geographic area stretching from present-day Mexico to Nicaragua
Why was Atahualpa so easily captured by Pizarro in their meeting at Cajamarca?
He believed they were meeting to talk, not fight. Atahualpa did not meet the Spanish prepared for battle, but to understand them and hear them out. The meeting between Atahualpa and Pizarro reflected two deeply different worldviews.
How did a newly chosen tlatoani justify his rule in the Aztec Empire?
He embarked on a military campaign to exact tribute and gain sacrificial victims.
Upon the death of the Inca ruler, what happened to his body?
He was mummified and entombed in a large chamber.
Which group avoided Aztec conquest by abandoning their cities when the Aztecs invaded?
Maya
Which statement characterizes the fall of Maya civilization?
The decline of the Maya occurred because of agricultural failures and other factors. There were many factors that contributed to the Maya collapse, including land exhaustion, disease, overpopulation, and constant warfare.
What cultural aspect of the Maya helped them develop a large regional trade network?
Their common language
What happened when the two Maya calendars coincided every fifty-two years?
There was a celebration with feasting and ball-game competitions.
How did a man advance in the government of Aztec society?
By distinguishing himself in war
What was the source of the conflict among the Incas that led to the war between Atahualpa and Huascar in the 1530s?
Claims to the throne Huascar claimed it as the first-born. His half-brother Atahualpa, Huayna Capac's favorite and an experienced military commander who accompanied him in his Ecuadorean campaign, claimed it as well.
What was the advantage of the chinampa farming system adopted by the Aztec Empire
It took advantage of Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico to reclaim land with limited rainfall for intensive farming.
Which of the following describes the extent of the Inca Empire?
It was bordered on the west by sea and on the east by mountains.
What natural resource shaped the architectural legacy of Maya society?
Limestone formations
Which Andean civilization flourished between 100 and 800 C.E.?
Moche
Before the arrival of the Spanish, what was the state of the Aztec Empire?
Moctezuma had inherited an empire that was riddled with problems, but he had begun to take steps to address these problems.
Which of the following statements describes the means by which the Incas assimilated conquered populations?
Newly conquered peoples had to adopt Inca culture.
How did agriculture in the early Americas differ from that of Europe and Asia in the same period?
People of the Americas had no animals that could be harnessed for agricultural labor.
Evidence of which of the following counters the theory that the first humans to come to the Americas crossed on a land bridge between Asia and North America?
Persons from Asia traveled to the Americas by boat, sailing along the Pacific coast.
Which of these was true of Cahokia's economy?
The Mississippians of Cahokia relied on agriculture to support their complex culture.
Which of the following statements describes the political status of Mesoamerica following the collapse of Teotihuacan?
The area entered a period of increased militarism and political disunity.
What Mesoamerican religious practice originated at the time of the Olmecs?
The construction of pyramid temples
What prompted the Incas to attempt to conquer the Amazon forest region?
They lacked open land to expand into.
Which of the following describes the Maya regions?
They were bordered on the northeast and northwest by sea and on the southwest by mountains.
In what way was the fall of the Aztecs a political defeat?
They were opposed by city-states willing to ally with the Spanish. The Aztecs fell as a result of the willingness of allies and enemies alike to join with the Spaniards against them when they perceived an opportunity.
Which of the following statements about Mesoamerican culture is true?
Thousands of languages were spoken throughout the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans.
How did the Inca state consolidate the empire?
Through mitmaq settlers and marriages through matrilineal lines
For what purpose was coca used by ancient peoples in the Andean highlands?
To alleviate pains from strenuous labor Coca helped farmers deal with the strains of farm labor, especially in the altitudes of the Andes.
What did the Inca Empire and the Roman Empire have in common?
Use of extensive road systems
