America

• Where was the Mayan civilization primarily located?

  Yucatan Peninsula, Southern Mexico, Central America
• What agricultural techniques did the Mayans use?

  Slash and burn, using floodwaters and irrigation
• What was the structure of Mayan society?

  • Ruler at the top
  • Some women held power
  • Majority of people farmed
  • City-states governed their people and neighbors
• What are stelae in Mayan culture?

  Sculpted stone monuments
• What mathematical and astronomical advancements did the Mayans achieve?

  First to use zero and a 365-day calendar
• What were the theories of decline for the Mayan civilization?

  • Warfare
  • Overpopulation
  • Over-farming leading to exhausted soil
  • Survived Spanish exploration
• How many Mayans live in Guatemala today?

  Approximately 2 million
• Where was the Aztec civilization located?

  Valley of Mexico, Central Mexico
• What was the legendary birthplace of the Aztecs?

  Aztlan
• What was the capital of the Aztec civilization?

  Tenochtitlan
• How did the Aztecs build their capital?

  They built it in a swamp connected by causeways
• What was the social structure of the Aztec society?

  • King (leader in war)
  • Priests
  • Nobles
  • Middle Class
  • Farmers, Serfs, Slaves (POW)
• What was the religious belief system of the Aztecs?

  They were polytheistic and worshipped multiple gods
• What were chinampas in Aztec agriculture?

  Floating gardens or artificial islands
• Who was Quetzalcoatl in Aztec religion?

  A serpent god and creator
• What was Teotihuacán in Aztec culture?

  A religious center with pyramids and temples
• What was a common practice in Aztec religion?

  Human sacrifice, often of prisoners of war
• What writing system did the Aztecs use?

  Hieroglyphs
• What calendar system did the Aztecs use?

  A 365-day calendar
• When did the Inca civilization form?

  In the 12th century
• Where was the Inca civilization located?

  Peru, along the western coast in the Andean region
• What was the capital of the Inca civilization?

  Cuzco
• Who was the Sapa Inca?

  The emperor, considered the divine son of the sun
• What was the governance structure of the Inca civilization?

  • Sapa Inca (emperor)
  • Nobles governed provinces
  • Officials carried out laws
  • Peasants worked the land
• What was quipu in Inca culture?

  Colored strings knotted to represent various numbers for record keeping
• How extensive was the Inca road system?

  14,000 miles
• What was the role of the ayllu in Inca society?

  A village leader who carried out government orders
• What were the main agricultural products of the Inca civilization?

  • Corn (maize)
  • Potato
  • Squash
  • Llamas
  • Alpacas
  • Dogs
• What was the Inca religion like?

  Polytheistic and related to nature
• Who was the chief god of the Inca?

  Inti, the sun god
• What were the main reasons for the decline of the Inca civilization?

  • Civil war
  • Arrival of Spanish invaders