Lesson 30 Assessment

Which of these sources best helps scholars learn about the cultures of the Maya, Aztec, and Incan people?

• paintings by recent Spanish painters
• artifacts from the sites of modern cities
• accounts written by English authors
• traditions found among descendants

Which describes the solar year calculated by the Maya?

• the year of 260 days on the sacred calendar
• the number of days in a single Calendar Round
• the time it takes Earth to go once around the sun
• the period from one full moon to the next

What was one way the medieval Maya system of numbers was DIFFERENT from ours here today?

• It lacked a way to show zero.
• B. It was based on 20 rather than 10.
• C. It could not be used to do subtraction.
• D. It used symbols to represent different amounts.

Which picture shows a Maya stele?

• A
• B
• C
• D

Maya sees a stranger and knows what town he or she is from. What traditional Maya art makes this possible?

• weaving cloth in complex patterns
• making jewelry from silver and gold
• carving sculptures in animal shapes
• making hats out of grasses and feathers

Why did the Maya create hundreds of glyphs?

• to raise crops on steep mountain slopes
• to communicate sounds, words, and ideas
• to teach men, women, and children their duties
• to protect themselves from attack by foreign invaders

How can tourists in Mexico observe Aztec technology skill in use?

• ride to the top of a skyscraper built with steel
• walk into the lobby of a typical downtown hotel
• take a boat to see flowers grown on artificial islands
• hire a horse-drawn carriage for a ride through the park

What achievement did the Aztecs adapt from the Maya?

• floating gardens
• use of roads
• chariots with wheels
• system of two calendars

What does this translation of a short Aztec verse tell about Aztec culture?

• Poetry was highly valued.
• Emeralds were quite common.
• Men sang while women danced.
• Long-distance traders got wealthy.

Suppose you are an archaeologist and find an old, overgrown temple. You know it is Aztec because it has ____________.

• a domed roof.
• a double stairway.
• carved pillars by the door.
• beautiful stained-glass windows.