All Flashcards
Who was Huitzilopochtli?
The Aztec sun god, to whom human sacrifices were often made.
Who was Inti?
The Incan sun god.
When did the Mayan civilization thrive?
From 250 to 900 CE in the Yucatan Peninsula.
What happened around 900 CE to the Maya?
The Mayan civilization collapsed due to internal conflicts and food shortages.
When did the Aztec Empire flourish?
From the 1300s to 1521 CE in modern-day Mexico City.
When did the Incan Empire dominate?
From the 1400s to 1533 CE in the Andes Mountains of South America.
What was the significance of building Tenochtitlan?
Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital built on Lake Texcoco, was a massive city demonstrating Aztec engineering and power.
What was the role of human sacrifice in Aztec society?
Human sacrifice was practiced to appease the gods, especially Huitzilopochtli, and maintain cosmic balance.
What was the purpose of the mita system?
The mita system provided mandatory public service labor for the Inca Empire, contributing to infrastructure and state projects.
What was the function of the quipu?
The quipu served as a record-keeping and communication tool for the Inca, utilizing knotted cords to store data.
What was the impact of Mississippian Culture?
The Mississippian culture influenced later societies in North America with its agricultural practices and social structures.
What was the impact of the Aztec's militaristic society?
The militaristic society of the Aztecs allowed them to expand their empire through conquest and tribute collection.
Compare the political structures of the Aztec and Inca empires.
The Aztecs had a city-state system with Tenochtitlan as the dominant power, while the Inca had a unified monarchy with a strong central government.
Compare the economic systems of the Aztec and Inca empires.
The Aztecs relied on trade and chinampa agriculture, while the Inca used the mita system for labor and had a state-controlled economy.
Compare the religious practices of the Aztec and Inca empires.
Both were animistic and polytheistic, but the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice more extensively than the Inca, who favored animal sacrifice.
Compare the Aztec and Inca approaches to governance.
The Aztecs had a more decentralized approach with city-states paying tribute, while the Inca had a highly centralized, bureaucratic system.
Compare the agricultural techniques of the Aztec and Inca empires.
The Aztecs utilized chinampas for farming on lakes, while the Inca developed terraced farming on mountain slopes.
Compare the social structures of the Aztec and Inca empires.
The Aztecs had a strong merchant class and education for men, while the Inca had a state-led society with a highly organized system of government.
Compare the roles of religion in the Aztec and Inca empires.
Both empires used religion to legitimize their rule, but the Aztecs placed a greater emphasis on human sacrifice to appease their gods, while the Inca focused on state-sponsored rituals.
Compare the methods of expansion used by the Aztec and Inca empires.
The Aztecs expanded through military conquest and tribute collection, while the Inca focused on integrating conquered peoples into their state-controlled system.
Compare the communication systems of the Aztec and Inca empires.
The Aztecs relied on messengers and a network of roads, while the Inca used the quipu for record-keeping and communication.
Compare the architectural achievements of the Aztec and Inca empires.
The Aztecs built impressive cities like Tenochtitlan with pyramids and temples, while the Inca constructed elaborate road systems and mountain cities like Machu Picchu.