Unit Assessment: Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations

Where was the Maya civilization located?

• in present-day Argentina

• in present-day Brazil

• in and around the Yucatán Peninsula

• in and around the Andes Mountains

What structures would an archaeologist most likely find among the ruins of a Maya city?

• canals

• suspension bridges

• causeways

• ball courts

The Maya had advanced scientific knowledge, but they did not develop

• telescopes

• a system of numbers

• an accurate calendar

• a system of writing

Which were the tallest and most important buildings in Maya cities?

• pyramids

• storehouses for food

• observatories to study the stars

• ball courts

Where did the Aztec build the capital of their civilization?

• in Cuzco in present-day Peru

• in Tenochtitlán in present-day Mexico

• on an island in the Caribbean

• in the rainforests of the Yucatán Peninsula

Which word best describes the Aztec before they built their empire?

• sailors

• farmers

• wanderers

• scientists

The Aztec were best known as

• great road builders

• fierce warriors

• talented musicians

• kindly rulers

Which of the following was not found in both the Maya and Aztec civilizations?

• the practice of human sacrifice

• a number of independent city-states

• impressive cities with grand buildings

• life built around religion

Who was the Aztec ruler in 1519?

• Hernán Cortés

• Moctezuma II

• Atahualpa

• Francisco Pizarro

Which of the following best describes the Aztec government?

• an empire united under a single ruler

• a collection of city-states, each with its own ruler

• tribal groups with no central government

• a democracy with a president elected by the commoners