Early American Cultures Walkthru

Answer on your own paper in complete sentences. Remember to focus on the pictures, maps and charts in the book.

Timeline p. 381

  1. What did the Maya begin doing in AD 200?
  2. How many years after AD 200 did the Classic Age end?
  3. What major world event happened in Europe during the Classic Age of the Maya?

Map P. 385

  1. Explain the general location of Mesoamerica.
  2. What is the name of the large peninsula in Mesoamerica?

Map P. 389

  1. Which early civilization was located in Mesoamerica?
  2. Which early civilization was located in South America?

Map P. 391

  1. What natural features (such as mountains, deserts, rivers, forests, etc.) did trade routes tend to follow?
  2. What two minerals were mined in the highland mountains?

History Close-Up Palenque P. 392-393

  1. In what ways might Palenque’s location have helped the city?
  2. In what ways might the location have hurt the city?
  3. How did they make more land usable for farming?

Picture P. 396-397

  1. What clues in this pictures show that the king is an important person?

Maya Astronomy and Calendars P. 398

  1. What were each of the two Maya calendars based on?

Primary Source P. 399

  1. Who are the people in this carving?
  2. What do you think they are doing?

Visual Summary P. 403

  1. When did the Maya build most of their cities?
  2. Why did the Maya civilization collapse?

Timeline P. 406-407

  1. When did the Aztec set up their capital?
  2. What happened in 1519?
  3. How many years after Cortez arrived did Pizarro conquer the Inca?

Map P. 411

  1. What 3 cities were located on Lake Texcoco?
  2. About how many miles is it across the empire from west to east?

Tenochtitlan P. 412

  1. What building appears to be the most important in this picture and why?
  2. On what did Aztec farmers grow crops? How did they do it?

People in Society P. 416-417

  1. What did priests do in Aztec society?
  2. Describe what the warrior looks like.

Aztec Gods P. 419

  1. Who was Tlaloc?
  2. What did the Aztec believe about Huitzilopochtli?

Aztec Arts P. 420-421

  1. Based on these pieces of art what color seems to have been important to the Aztecs? Why do you think that?

Inca Empire Map P. 423

  1. List 2 achievements of Pachacuti.
  2. About how many miles is the empire from north to south?
  3. What is the name of the lake in the center of the empire?

Biography: Francisco Pizarro P. 425

  1. What two things weakened the Inca before Pizarro’s third trip?

Capture of Atahualpa P. 426

  1. Why was Atahualpa kidnapped and who did it?

Machu Pichu P. 428-429

  1. What was Machu Pichu used for?
  2. What did the Inca use warehouses for?

Inca Art P. 430-431

  1. What did the Inca often offer to the gods?

Inca Roads P. 432-433

  1. How wide were many of the roads?
  2. How were messages carried?

Visual Summary P. 435

  1. Who conquered the Aztecs?
  2. Who conquered the Incas?