Deck 13: Ancient Civilizations of the Americas

Question 1

The "classic" or high point of Mesoamerican civilization is associated with

A)maize and beans.
B)wheat and barley.
C)rice and millet.
D)soy beans and potatoes.

Answer 1

maize and beans.

Question 2

The Maya were primarily located in the

A)Cuicuilco
B)Monte Alban
C)San Lorenzo
D)Teotihuacán

Answer 2

Teotihuacán

Question 3

The text's account of the Mesoamerican ball game

A)pyramids.
B)clay pottery.
C)massive stone heads.
D)obsidian statues.

Answer 3

massive stone heads.

Question 4

The first true city-state of Mesoamerica was probably

A)appropriated by numerous cultures.
B)erected by indigenous peoples in honor of Mexican independence.
C)disdained by the Aztecs.
D)an example of a local response to the introduction of Christianity.

Question 5

The people of the Americas most likely never developed the wheel because they

A)emphasizes that the Spaniards were disgusted by it.
B)presents competing interpretations of the game's rules.
C)uses it as a window into child-rearing and educational practices.
D)relies on archeological evidence.

Question 6

Carved images found at Monte Alban in the Valley of Oaxaca suggest

A)a lunar year of 260 days.
B)two interlocking cycles.
C)a century of 35 years.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 7

The staple crops that were domesticated during the archaic period in Mesoamerican history were

A)were inferior engineers.
B)had no large draft animals.
C)had no ready access to wood and iron.
D)were nomadic hunter-gatherers.

Question 8

Christopher Columbus and other early explorers

A)central Mexico into Central America.
B)Central America to Brazil.
C)North America to Mexico.
D)Chile north to Panama.

Question 9

Difficulties confront scholars trying to understand the ancient civilizations of the Americas because

A)can produce a narrative history.
B)has significant limitations.
C)was almost completely obliterated by the Spanish conquest.
D)only exists for Mesoamerican and not for Andean civilizations.

Question 10

The best known Olmec works of art are

A)was dominated by an elite class of ruler-priests.
B)maintained social equality between the sexes.
C)was monotheistic.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 11

Metallurgy was practiced from a relatively early period by

A)the Olmec between 1500 and 400 B.C.E..
B)the Aztecs between 1300 and 1500 C.E..
C)the Toltecs between 900 and 1200 C.E..
D)the Maya and Teotihuacan between 150 and 900 C.E..

Question 12

Mesoamerica extends from

A)the Zapotec and the Aztec.
B)the Mixtec and the Zapotec.
C)the Aztec and the Maya.
D)the Maya and the Olmec.

Question 13

Archeological evidence of early American civilizations

A)destroyed written records of the Maya.
B)believed they had reached the East Indies.
C)were sensitive to Native American cultures.
D)conquered all of South America.

Question 14

Teotihuacán's influence waned starting around 500 C.E.because of

A)Maya cities were not really cities but empty ceremonial centers.
B)Maya inscriptions were concerned entirely with astronomical and calendrical observations.
C)Scattered Maya farming communities surrounded the cities.
D)None of these answers are correct.

Question 15

The monumental architecture at San Lorenzo suggests that Olmec society

A)was dominated by an elite class of ruler-priests.
B)maintained social equality between the sexes.
C)was monotheistic.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 16

Europeans were able to conquer the empires of the Americas relatively easily for all of the following reasons except

A)the Pacific Ocean from Asia to Mexico.
B)the Pacific Ocean from Australia to Peru.
C)a natural bridge from Siberia into Alaska.
D)the Atlantic Ocean from Europe and Africa to the Caribbean.

Question 17

The Mesoamerican calendar is based on

A)a lunar year of 260 days.
B)two interlocking cycles.
C)a century of 35 years.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 18

Before 1000 B.C.E.,the two most influential peoples for the formation of early Mesoamerican culture were

A)Mesoamerican civilizations.
B)Moorish civilizations.
C)Andean civilizations.
D)Merovingian civilizations.

Question 19

Recently,historians have learned more about the Maya civilization because of

A)the examination of Aztec imperial records.
B)the architectural analysis of trade patterns in Mesoamerica.
C)their ability to decipher Mayan writing.
D)None of these answers are correct.

Question 20

The Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacán seems to have been

A)an invasion by the Aztecs.
B)the Spanish presence in the region.
C)a massive fire and disease.
D)factors that are still poorly understood.

Question 21

Scholars generally believe that human beings first came to populate the American continents by immigrating across

A)Andean civilizations never developed writing.
B)Mesoamerican civilizations never developed writing.
C)Andean writing displays a pro-Spanish bias.
D)the writing systems have never been deciphered.

Question 22

Which of the following characterized Maya civilization?

A)competed for dominance.
B)were subservient to one large center
C)did not serve as religious centers.
D)were cosmopolitan with many merchants from overseas.

Question 23

Itzcoatl was important to Aztec civilization because he was the

A) chief god they worshipped.
B) priest who led them out of slavery under the Maya.
C) ruler who established the Aztec's imperial ideology.
D) None of these answers are correct.

Question 24

The peoples of which one of the following cultures did not participate in the practice of human sacrifice?

A)Chavín de Huantar,Moche,Chimu,Inca
B)Moche,Chimu,Inca,Chavín de Huantar
C)Chimu,Moche,Chavín de Huantar,Inca
D)Chavín de Huantar,Chimu,Moche,Inca

Question 25

Which statement is most accurate about how urban life in the Classic period of Mesoamerica compared with that of Europe north of the Alps during the same period

A)Urban life in Mesoamerica was very similar to that of Europe.
B)Unlike with European cities,urban life in Mesoamerica was free from the stresses of warfare.
C)Mesoamerican urban life involved more people and a more sophisticated culture.
D)Cities in Mesoamerica were often larger than those of Europe,with strictly secular ruling authorities at their centers.

Question 26

Before the Aztec Empire coalesced,the prior inhabitants of the Valley of Mexico viewed the Aztecs as

A) good soldiers.
B) strong laborers.
C) possessors of mysterious technologies.
D) gods.

Question 27

Which of the following is the correct chronological order for civilizations in central Mexico

A)Aztec,Toltec Teotihuacán
B)Teotihuacán,Toltec,Aztec
C)Toltec,Teotihuacán,Aztec
D)Toltec,Aztec,Teotihuacán

Question 28

The Aztecs acquired their wealth from

A)trade with Chinese merchants and sailors.
B)the Indian tribes of North America.
C)theft from the Incas of South America.
D€)earlier Mesoamerican people they conquered.

Question 29

Besides the threat of military force,an important factor in the spread of Aztec influence in Mesoamerica was the

A)appeal of the Aztec religion with its promise of eternal life.
B)activities of Aztec merchants and traders.
C)Aztec practice of allowing conquered peoples to continue self-rule.
D)Aztecs toleration of vice and immorality.

Question 30

Based on Map 13-2,the Aztec and Incan Empires most likely did not come into direct conflict because they

A)maintained a close military alliance.
B)were separated by water and difficult terrain.
C)shared common leadership.
D)were more concerned with religion than warfare.

Question 31

All of the following were early Andean cultures except

A)sacred paths.
B)airstrips.
C)altars.
D)tombs.

Question 32

According to the Mayan creation myth,the Popol Vuh,the world was created by the

A)will and the words of the plumed serpent.
B)flood of the begetters of the water.
C)forces of volcanoes and earthquakes from the sun god.
D)shifting chaos of the primordial soup.

Question 33

The name of modern-day Mexico comes from the term used by which of the following people to refer to themselves?

A)Teotihuacán.
B)Tenochtitlán.
C)Cuzco.
D)Chavín.

Question 34

The Incas ruled their empire using all of the following methods except
a.practicing large scale human sacrifice.
b.relying on various forms of labor taxation.
c.employing people in full-time state service.
d.providing lavish ritual entertainment.

Question 35

The main Maya centers were located at

A)Palenque and Teotihuacán.
B)Cacau and Cuzco.
C)Tikal and Chichén Itzá.
D)Yax Kin.

Question 36

Though the purpose of the Nazca geoglyphs is a matter of speculation,they were most likely used as

A)Aztec
B)Toltec
C)Moche
D)None of these answers are correct.

Question 37

More is known about the Aztecs than about other pre-conquest Mesoamerican peoples because

A) pre-conquest Aztecs left extensive written records.
B) post-conquest administrators and missionaries gathered information from surviving Aztecs.
C) no other Mesoamerican peoples created any written record of their own histories.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 38

The Toltec civilization

A) lasted for over a thousand years.
B) influenced the Aztecs in terms of religion and mythology.
C) held a powerful empire that included the Maya centers.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 39

Which of these statements is the best summary of the textbook authors' apparent attitude toward human sacrifice by the Aztecs?

A) It was completely disgusting and incomprehensible.
B) It was the only thing that brought the Aztecs to power and kept them in control of their subjects.
C) It seemed to serve religious and political purposes,but it was also horrific and probably contributed to the fall of the Aztecs.
D) It created useful fear among the populace,but it would undoubtedly have led to the overthrow of the Aztecs regardless of other historical forces.

Question 40

The poem by Aztec ruler of Texcoco,Nezahualcoyotl,suggests that the Aztecs saw their relationship with their gods as one

A) similar to parents and children.
B) that is intimate,such as that of lovers.
C) that is highly unpredictable.
D) that is distant and mysterious.

Question 41

One of the main purposes for the Aztecs' frequent wars was to

A)gain control of the trade routes to the U.S.Southwest.
B)get prisoners to use in religious sacrifices.
C)give their troops training.
D)provide distraction for the rebellious lower classes.

Question 42

Which of the following is the correct chronological order for Andean civilizations?

A)in decline due to widespread corruption in the government.
B)one of the largest states in the world.
C)confined to the center of Machu Picchu.
D)not yet free from the control of the Chanca people.

Question 43

What role did geography play in the political,economic,and social development of the civilizations in the Americas? How does geography explain the patterns of settlement that emerged?

Question 44

Compare and contrast the ancient civilizations of the Americas with the ancient civilizations of the European continent.How would you explain their differences and similarities?

Question 45

Discuss the importance of the Mesoamerican calendar.How did it work,why was it important,and what does this say about Mesoamerican civilization? How does it compare with the Long Count of the Maya?

Question 46

How did the development of civilization in Mesoamerica differ from the development of Andean civilizations? What were some of the advantages and disadvantages of the geographical settings? Refer specifically to the Maya,Aztec,and Inca civilizations.

Question 47

Who were the Toltecs and in what specific ways did their culture influence the Aztecs?

Question 48

What was the role of monumental building projects in the Mesoamerican cultures? How did these structures differ in their uses from those of ancient Egypt?

Question 49

Discuss the Andean civilizations of Tiwanaku,Huari and Chimu.What were some of the problems posed by their geographical setting? How was the Inca Empire administered? What was the system known as the mita?

Question 50

What was the role of trade in Mesoamerica? How did trade impact the development of the various cultures there? Were some civilizations more influential than others in this region?

Question 51

What was the role of monumental architecture along the Peruvian coast? To what extent was it tied to a hierarchical agricultural society?

Question 52

What factors explain the rise and development of the Inca Empire? How did the structure of the Inca Empire differ from that of the Aztecs?

Question 53

Discuss the importance of the Maya culture and its influence in southern Mesoamerica.What was life like in such Maya centers as Tikal and Chichén Itzá? What were the greatest contributions of the Maya?

Question 54

Why did Teotihuacán rise to power around 500 C.E.? Discuss Teotihuacán's influence throughout Mesoamerica and refer specifically to their art and religious contributions.

Question 55

The text notes that the Aztecs had an "extractive empire." What does this mean? How did the organization of the Aztec Empire and the treatment of subject peoples differ from that of the Incas?

Question 56

Both the Aztec and Inca Empires fell in the early sixteenth century when confronted with Spanish forces of a few hundred men.What were the primary reasons for their defeat? Do you think that their defeats were inevitable? Why or why not?