Aztec, Maya, and Inca

Why is the Olmec culture often thought of as the mother civilization of Mesoamerica? *

• The Olmec taught the Zapotec and Maya people how to farm.

• All later cultures used the Olmec's written language.

• People from other cultures, such as the Zapotec and Maya, studied in Olmec cities.

• Later civilizations were influenced by Olmec art and religious practices.

How did the Olmec and the Zapotec civilizations end?

• They were attacked by rival groups.

• Major volcanic eruptions destroyed their villages.

• There was a severe drought.

• No one knows for sure.

What were the Maya able to accomplish using their mathematical skills?

• They traded with people in both North and South America.

• They traveled with people in both North and South America.

• They created a 365-day calendar.

• They fought off European explorers.

Why were the chinampas vital to the Aztecs?

• They allowed the Aztecs to travel long distances.

• They offered housing and shelter for people such as farmers.

• They provided fields for growing food.

• The Aztecs believed the gods lived in the chinampas.

Why was Teotihuacán important to the Aztec?

• It was the largest trading center.

• The Aztec believed the gods were born there.

• It was the first city that the Spanish conquered.

• It was positioned at the center of the Aztec empire.

Use the map and your knowledge of early Mesoamerican civilizations to answer the questions below.

Where did Hernán Cortés first land when he came to Mesoamerica?

• Zempoala

• Tenochtitlán

• Cholula

• Veracruz

Why do you think the conquistadors took the route shown on this map to Tenochtitlán?

Which of the following occurred during the Classic Period? Use the time line and your knowledge of the Maya to answer the question below.

• Public centers were built.

• The Maya civilization reached its height.

• The Maya no longer thrived.

• The Maya spread across the lowlands.

When did the population of the Maya dramatically decrease? Use the time line and your knowledge of the Maya to answer the question below.

• at the beginning of the Classic Period

• at the end of the Classic Period

• at the beginning of the Postclassic Period

• at the end of the Postclassic Period