Early American Civilizations End-of-Unit Content Assessment

The Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations are called pre-Columbian civilizations because:

• They developed before Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas in 1492.

• They developed after Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas in 1492.

• They developed before South America's Republic of Colombia in 1885.

• They developed after South America's Republic of Colombia in 1885.

The Maya, Aztec, and Inca had the following things in common:

• swamplands and underwater wells

• multiple gods and religious ceremonies

• llamas and toucans

• metal tools and pulleys

According to a myth passed down among the Aztec, one of their gods told them that they would know that they had found the perfect place to settle when they saw:

• a large lake with several small islands

• a hawk circling over a lake

• aqueducts and causeways

• an eagle sitting on a cactus, holding a snake

Mesoamerica was home to:

• the Inca and the Aztec

• the Inca and the Maya

• the Maya and the Aztec

• the Maya and the Inca

Glyphs and codices are proof that the Maya had:

• sacred temples

• a number system

• precious gemstones

• a writing system

The end of early Maya civilization was caused by:

• a lack of rainfall, leading to serious drought

• the spread of disease

• Spanish conquest

• no one knows for sure but it was probably a combination of factors

The Aztec created an empire in Mexico at the same time that:

• The Maya built an empire in the Yucatan.

• The British built an empire in England.

• The Romans built an empire in Italy.

• The Inca built an empire in South America.

Both Aztec and Inca civilizations used tribute systems in which their citizens were forced to:

• become warriors

• pay a goods tax

• carve stelae

• give gifts to the gods

All three early American civilizations:

• were frequently at war with one another

• spoke the same language

• passed down creation myths about how Earth and people were created

• created advanced road systems

Circle any of the items below that are key characteristics of a civilization.

• a writing system

• development of farming and cities

• a national flag

• art and architecture

• government and laws