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Pre-Columbian Civilizations Quiz

Total questions: 21

Worksheet time: 11mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What does pre-Columbian civilization mean?

a)

They developed before Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas in 1492

b)

They developed after Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas in 1492

c)

They developed during Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas in 1492

d)

They developed in the 20th century

2.

The Aztec homeland myth told them they would know where to settle when they saw what?

a)

An eagle sitting on a cactus, holding a snake

b)

A lion sitting on a rock, holding a fish

c)

A bear sitting on a tree, holding a bird

d)

A wolf sitting on a mountain, holding a rabbit

3.

What did the Maya, Aztec, and Inca all have in common?

a)

Multiple gods and religious ceremonies

b)

Single god and no ceremonies

c)

No gods and no ceremonies

d)

Only one god and many ceremonies

4.

Mesoamerica was home to which two civilizations?

a)

The Maya and the Aztec

b)

The Inca and the Olmec

c)

The Toltec and the Zapotec

d)

The Anasazi and the Hohokam

5.

What is an epidemic?

a)

A sudden, widespread illness

b)

A small, localized illness

c)

A gradual, widespread wellness

d)

A sudden, localized wellness

6.

What two things prove that the Maya had a writing system?

a)

Glyphs and codices

b)

Paintings and sculptures

c)

Songs and dances

d)

Tools and weapons

7.

What was the capital of the Aztec civilization?

a)

Tenochtitlan

b)

Machu Picchu

c)

Chichen Itza

d)

Teotihuacan

8.

What was the capital of the Inca civilization?

a)

Cuzco

b)

Lima

c)

Quito

d)

La Paz

9.

What does "sacred" mean?

a)

Something that is holy or deserving respect

b)

Something that is funny

c)

Something that is old

d)

Something that is broken

10.

What ended the Maya civilization?

a)

A combination of factors

b)

A single war

c)

A natural disaster

d)

A lack of food

11.

What two groups of people developed at the same time?

a)

Aztec and Inca

b)

Maya and Egyptians

c)

Romans and Greeks

d)

Chinese and Japanese

12.

How were the Aztec and Inca tribute systems similar?

a)

Their citizens were forced to pay a goods tax

b)

They had no taxes

c)

They only taxed the rich

d)

They used a barter system

13.

Which civilizations had Creation myths about how Earth and people were created?

a)

Maya, Aztec, Inca

b)

Romans, Greeks, Egyptians

c)

Chinese, Japanese, Koreans

d)

Vikings, Celts, Saxons

14.

What are the key characteristics of a civilization?

a)

Farming and Cities, Religion, Social Classes, Art and Architecture, Government, System for Recording Information

b)

Only Farming and Cities

c)

Only Art and Architecture

d)

Only Government and Laws

15.

How did the Maya adapt to their environment?

a)

Creating step terraces and using slash and burn techniques

b)

Building large ships

c)

Inventing the wheel

d)

Developing a written language

16.

How did the Aztec adapt to their environment?

a)

Building chinampas

b)

Building aqueducts

c)

Creating step terraces

d)

Waging war

17.

How did the Inca adapt to their environment?

a)

Building aqueducts

b)

Creating step terraces

c)

Building chinampas

d)

Waging war

18.

The Aztec expanded their empire by:

a)

Building aqueducts

b)

Creating step terraces

c)

Waging war against other city-states

d)

Trading peacefully

19.

The definition of indigenous is:

a)

Things that are produced, living, or existing naturally in a particular area

b)

People who travel to new lands

c)

A type of ancient building

d)

A method of farming

20.

The Spanish explorer that caused the decline of the Aztec empire was:

a)

Francisco Pizarro

b)

Hernan Cortes

c)

Christopher Columbus

d)

Vasco da Gama

21.

The Spanish explorer that caused the decline of the Inca empire was:

a)

Hernan Cortes

b)

Francisco Pizarro

c)

Christopher Columbus

d)

Vasco da Gama