Mesoamerican Cultures

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AP World History: Modern › Mesoamerican Cultures

Questions 1 - 10
1

Which of the following was the earliest of the major Mesoamerican cultures, and who laid the groundwork for common social features such as long-count calendars, bloodletting rituals, and ballgames?

The Olmec

The Incan

The Maya

The Aztec

None of these

Explanation

The Olmecs are among the earliest cultures of Mesoamerica and predated all of the other answers - as well as developing the salient social features - so they would be the best answer. The Maya appear to follow the Olmec by approximately five centuries, so while they were an early and influential civilization, they would not be the best answer. The Aztec came to power in the 14th century, so they too would not be a good answer. Lastly, the Inca were a long-lasting civilization, but they were not Mesoamerican, so they would not be the best answer.

2

What material was commonly used by the Aztecs as a substitute for metal weapons?

Obsidian

Thorns from native plants

Animal claws and teeth

Human bone

Explanation

The macuahuitl is a common Aztec weapon consisting of a wooden blade with obsidian shards as a cutting surface.

3

Which was NOT a center of the Mayan civilization?

Monte Alban

Uxmal

Chichen Itza

Tikal

Copan

Explanation

Monte Alban, one of the first great cities of Mesoamerica, was the center of the Zapotec civilization. It is located in present-day Oaxaca, Mexico. Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Tikal and Copan were important Maya centers.

4

Which aquaculture technique was used by the Aztecs to grow crops in shallow bodies of fresh water?

Chinampa

Trajinera

Multi-trophic aquaculture

Algaculture

Xochimilco

Explanation

The chinampa was an extension of land into a fresh body of water that the Aztecs built to grow crops. They were built of lake sediments formed in rectangular shapes and were used to grow crops like tomatoes, maize, squash, beans and chili peppers. At the time of the Spanish conquest, an extensive system of chinampas was found in Lake Texcoco and Lake Xochimilco, which is presently Mexico City. Today both tourists and Mexicans alike enjoy rides in brightly colored boats called trajineras through Xochimilco's chinampas and canals.

5

Which of these is a defining feature of Olmec art and culture?

Colossal stone heads

Brightly colored fabrics

Intricate weaving and knotting

Ornate gold and silver statuary

Explanation

The Olmec colossal heads are one of the most recognizable features of their art and culture. Carved from volcanic basalt, the heads are believed to represent rulers of the Olmec people, often dressed as ballplayers.

6

The Triple Alliance was another name for which Mesoamerican empire?

Aztec Empire

Incan Empire

Toltec Empire

Amymara Empire

Mayan Empire

Explanation

The Aztecs were actually an alliance of the city states of Texcoco, Tlacopan, and Tenochtitlan. Speakers of the Nahuatl language, the states in central Mexico came to dominate other cities throughout the region through demands of tribute. The primary city-state in the alliance was Tenochtitlan.

7

Which of the following crops were NOT typical of pre-Colombian agriculture in Mesoamerica?

Wheat

Corn

Beans

Squash

Chili peppers

Explanation

Grains like wheat and barley were brought over by the Spaniards in times of colonization. The other choices were common crops in Mesoamerica. Chinampa_,_ sediment formations, were used to produce the crops of the other choices.

8

Which of the following was NOT characteristic of many Mesoamerican cultures?

A high regard to the preparation of the afterlife

A ritual ball game played in a court

Hieroglyphic writing

Cultivation of the bean plant

Numerous states that vied for regional supremacy

Explanation

A high regard for preparing for the afterlife was more characteristic of the Egyptians, rather than cultures of Mesoamerica. Mesoamerican cultures were more characteristic of the cosmos and religion. The other answers are correct characteristics of Mesoamerican cultures.

9

Moctezuma II was ruler of which culture during the Spanish conquest of modern-day Mexico?

The Aztec

The Olmec

The Inca

The Maya

The Algonquin

Explanation

Moctezuma was the leader of the Aztec Empire when the Spanish arrived, so that would be the best answer. The Mayan Empire also existed during that time but they did no have a leader by that name, so they would not be a good choice. The Olmec civilization had declined and been subsumed into the Aztec Empire by then, so they too would not be a good choice. The Inca were not based in modern-day Mexico, so they would not be the best answer here. And the Algonquin were in North America, so they too would not be a good answer.

10

Which is a correct statement about Quetzalcoatl?

Quetzalcoatl was a Mesoamerican deity of wind and wisdom, represented as a "feathered serpent"

Quetzalcoatl was an Olmec deity of rain, also known as Tlaloc

The name of Quetzalcoatl comes from the Maya language

Depictions of Quetzalcoatl were mysteriously absent from large Mesoamerican centers such as Teotihuacan, Xochicalco and Chichén Itzá

Quetzalcoatl was strictly revered by the Aztec

Explanation

Quetzalcoatl was a deity revered by many Mesoamerican cultures including the Aztec, Toltec and Olmec. His name in Maya language is Kukulcán, but the name "Quetzalcoatl" is from the Nahuatl language, meaning "feathered serpent. " Depictions and imagery of Quetzalcoatl appear in many sites in Mesoamerica.

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