Empires of the Americas Review

Aztec and Inca similarities• Both the Aztec and Inca had complex

religious ceremonies• Both were conquered by the Spanish

with help from people they had conquered

• The Aztecs were conquered by Cortes• The Incas were conquered by Pizzaro

Aztec King• The Aztec king that

was conquered by Cortes was Montezuma.

Inca King• The Inca king that

was conquered by Pizzaro was Atahualpa.

Mayan gods• The Maya

worshipped more than 160 gods.

Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations

• All three complex architectural structures like pyramids and temples

• They were polytheistic, believing in many gods

Where did the Inca come from?

Where did the Aztec come from?

• The valley of Mexico

Quipu• The accounting

system of the Inca that involved tying knots in rope

More Inca achievements• Another Inca

achievement was the developed a system of roads

Aztec Calendar• The Aztec developed

a calendar so they knew when to perform religious ceremonies.

Mayan mathematics• Mayan mathematics was based on the

number 20• The system included the use of glyphs,

or picture writing

Slash and Burn Agriculture• Mayan farmers practiced slash-and-

burn agriculture. They cut down and burned trees, then used the ash for fertilizer.

Terraces• The Mayas also cut

terraces into the sides of mountains to make farming easier.

Aztec capital city• The city the Aztecs built in the Valley of

Mexico was called Tenochtitlan.

Chinampas• Aztecs living around

Tenochtitlan need to develop the farming of chinampas because they built Tenochtitlan on a lake.

Cuzco• The capital of the Inca empire was

called Cuzco.

Inca communications• The Inca used runners as messengers

so they could communicate over long distances.

Inca religious beliefs• The Inca believed

that their leaders were direct descendants of sun god

Maya population• The majority of the Maya people were

peasant farmers.

Mayan Achievement• The Mayan made grade advancements

in the science of astronomy (the study of the stars)

• The Mayans also built pyramids, much like the Egyptians did. (So did the Inca)

Mayan religious practices• The Mayans believed that the Gods

required sacrifices to keep them happy.

Mayan ball game• The Mayans had a

ball game that resembles our game of soccer.

• Often at the end of the game the losers were sacrificed.

• Where were most of the May settlements located?

• Where is Macchu Piccu located?