Incas, Aztecs, Mayans

Which of these sources best helps scholars learn about the cultures of the Mayan, 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 Maya system of numbers differs from ours?

• It lacked a way to show zero.

• It was based on 20 rather than 10.

• It could not be used to do subtraction.

• It used symbols to represent different amounts.

Which picture shows a Maya stele?

• A

• B

• C

• D

A 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 aack by foreign invaders

How can tourists in Mexico observe Aztec technology still 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 causeways

• chariots with wheels

• system of two calendars

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

I, the singer, I make a poem

That shines like an emerald

A brilliant, precious, and splendid emerald

• 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.