Chapter 11 Quiz:

1. According with the geographical area they lived, today we divide the American civilizations of the 600 to 1500 in three groups: Mesoamerica, Northern People, and the Andes cultures. Which of the following is true?

2. The first center to raise to power in Mesoamerica was a large city – state in central Mexico, with imposing religious buildings, ruled by an elite who controlled the tax collection, commerce, the army and the religious ceremonies and rituals. What was the name of this city?

3. Maya civilization flourishes in Mesoamerica in what is now South Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. Which of the statement is true?

4. When the Maya urban centers were abandoned, between 800 and 900, we speak about the end of Maya classic civilization, and link it to a series of factors that contributed to its decline among which are environmental issues and social conflicts. What is now accepted as the ultimate force that hit the Mayas?

5. After Maya’s decline, the region was dominated by a new force: the Toltec empire about which historians don’t have too many details. What was one feature Toltec shared with other civilizations in the region?

6. Built on the ruins of Maya, the Aztec empire, also known as Mexica, dominated Mesoamerica between 1325 and 1521 being destroyed by European conquerors. What are three dominant features?

7. The northern people culture was located in what is now North America and has been further divided in two distinct categories: southwestern desert culture and mounds builders. What is the name of the culture developed in the Four Corners and it is know for its cliff dwellings for domestic and religious life?

8. Cahokia is the name of a place located near St. Louis, Illinois, where stands the biggest mound ever found in the US: about 100 feet high with a base of 1037 by 790 feet. Among the discoveries, archeologists have found the remains of fifty people in just one burial site, suggesting human sacrifice. This center is part of:

9. Where is the Andean region located?

10. What is the name of the most famous civilization of the Andes that used a system of knotted colored cords called khipus for recording administrative information such population count, tribute obligation and so on?