All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is the name of the Aztec capital built on an island?
Answer: Tenochtitlán. Built on Lake Texcoco with causeways.
Flashcard 2: Which civilization had a writing system known as glyphs?
Answer: Maya. Sophisticated hieroglyphic writing system.
Flashcard 3: What is the term for the Inca's terrace farming?
Answer: Andenes. Stepped agricultural terraces on mountainsides.
Flashcard 4: What was the significance of the city of Chichen Itza?
Answer: Mayan religious center. Sacred site with pyramid and ball court.
Flashcard 5: Identify the primary god of the Aztec pantheon.
Answer: Huitzilopochtli. War and sun god requiring sacrifices.
Flashcard 6: Which civilization was known for its complex calendar systems?
Answer: Maya. Advanced astronomical and mathematical systems.
Flashcard 7: Name the empire that used the mita labor system.
Answer: Inca. Required labor service to the state.
Flashcard 8: What was the purpose of the Aztec chinampas?
Answer: Agriculture. Floating gardens for crop production.
Flashcard 9: Which civilization practiced human sacrifice extensively?
Answer: Aztec. Ritual offerings to gods for favor.
Flashcard 10: Identify the structure used by the Inca for transportation.
Answer: Inca roads. Extensive network connecting the empire.
Flashcard 11: What characterized the government of the Inca Empire?
Answer: Centralized monarchy. Absolute rule by emperor called Sapa Inca.
Flashcard 12: What is the name of the ruler of the Aztec Empire during its fall?
Answer: Montezuma II. Last Aztec emperor during Spanish arrival.
Flashcard 13: Identify the civilization known for the Nazca Lines.
Answer: Nazca. Created mysterious ground drawings in Peru.
Flashcard 14: What was the role of the Templo Mayor in Aztec society?
Answer: Religious ceremonies. Central temple for Aztec worship.
Flashcard 15: Which civilization built the Temple of the Sun?
Answer: Inca. Sacred temple in Cuzco capital.
Flashcard 16: Identify the primary reason for the collapse of the Inca Empire.
Answer: Spanish conquest. Disease and military defeat ended empire.
Flashcard 17: What was the primary unit of currency in the Aztec economy?
Answer: Cacao beans. Valuable commodity used for trade.
Flashcard 18: What architectural feature is notable in Mayan cities?
Answer: Pyramids and grand plazas. Monumental architecture for ceremonies.
Flashcard 19: Which civilization's capital was Cuzco?
Answer: Inca. Sacred center of Inca Empire.
Flashcard 20: What was the primary function of the Aztec codices?
Answer: Historical and religious records. Illustrated manuscripts preserving culture.
Flashcard 21: Identify the primary feature of Mississippian culture sites.
Answer: Mound structures. Earthen ceremonial and burial mounds.
Flashcard 22: Which civilization is associated with the city of Teotihuacan?
Answer: Pre-Aztec (Mesoamerican). Earlier civilization predating Aztecs.
Flashcard 23: Name the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire.
Answer: Francisco Pizarro. Conquered Inca Empire in 1532.
Flashcard 24: Name the leader who expanded the Inca Empire significantly.
Answer: Pachacuti. Transformed kingdom into vast empire.
Flashcard 25: What significant city did the Mississippian culture establish?
Answer: Cahokia. Major urban center near present-day St. Louis.
Flashcard 26: Which civilization built large earthen mounds in North America?
Answer: Mississippian. Complex society building ceremonial earthworks.
Flashcard 27: Identify the architectural style of Mayan pyramids.
Answer: Step pyramids. Tiered structures for religious ceremonies.
Flashcard 28: What was the primary material used in Mayan writing?
Answer: Stone and bark paper. Created books from stone monuments and tree bark.
Flashcard 29: What civilization is known for building Machu Picchu?
Answer: Inca. Built famous mountaintop citadel in the Andes.
Flashcard 30: Which crop was central to Mesoamerican civilizations?
Answer: Maize (corn). Essential grain crop supporting population growth.