Quiz on Pre-Columbian Civilizations

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.

Choosing words from the following list, fill in the boxes on the map to show where the three early American civilizations existed.

(a)  

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

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

Mesoamerica was home to:

• the Inca and the Aztec

• the Inca and the Maya

• the Maya and the Aztec

A sudden, widespread illness is called a(n) (a)   .

Glyphs and codices are proof that the Maya had:

• sacred temples

• a number system

• precious gemstones

• a writing system

Write the correct word from the box to complete the sentence: (a)   , the capital and center of the Aztec civilization, was located in present day Mexico City.

Write the correct word from the box to complete the sentence: (a)   was the Inca capital.

Something that is holy or deserving respect is (a)   .