Mesoamerica

According to their religion, the Maya believed

• kings and priests could communicate with the gods.

• their kings should be worshipped as living gods.

• priests and nobles should not mix together.

• human sacrifice was forbidden by the gods.

The first Mesoamerican civilization began

• once people learned how to farm in poor rain forest soils.

• right after people crossed the Bering Land Bridge.

• once people learned to mine obsidian.

• once people learned to fish along the jungle coasts.

A major breakthrough of the Maya was

• developing the concept of zero.

• creating metal tools.

• domesticating horses and oxen.

• inventing the wheel.

How did the Aztecs take control of the basin known as the Valley of Mexico?

• They conquered their neighbors with a powerful army.

• They were the first civilization to develop in the area

• They built a dike that cut off their enemies from Lake Texcoco.

• They produced trade goods that made them wealthy.

At its peak the Aztec empire

• had a population of 1 million people

• controlled all of present-day Mexico.

• controlled only the Valley of Mexico.

• extended from central Mexico to Guatemala.

Who ran the everyday operations of the Aztec government?

• The supreme council

• The chief minister

• The War Council

• The king of Tenochtitlan

The group that ruled the Aztec empire was known as

• the War Council

• the Supreme Council.

• the Triple Alliance

• the Absolute monarchy

To increase the land available for farming, the Aztecs built

• chinampas

• aqueducts

• terraces

• basins

Many feats of Aztec engineering were made necessary by Tenochtitlan’s location

• on a small island in a shallow lake.

• in the middle of a dense jungle.

• in the middle of a harsh desert.

• at a high altitude in the mountains.

Based on the map, which statement is true?

• Mayans traded with nearby areas.

• Mayans did not know how to build pyramids.

• Mayan civilization was land locked (no access to oceans).

• Mayans were isolated and did not trade.