Student Name: _____________________________________
“This great city contains a large number of temples, or houses, for their idols, very handsome edifices, which are situated
in the different districts and the suburbs.” – Cortés referring to the Aztec capital
Aztec & Incan Empires
Learning Objectives:


I will be able to compare the major political, economic, social and cultural developments of
the Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations.
I will be able to summarize major ideas in astronomy, mathematics, and architectural
engineering that developed in these civilizations.
Focus Question:
What were the cultural and technological developments of the civilizations of the Americas?
Historical Context
The civilizations of Mesoamerica were advanced in many ways. In fact, the accomplishments of the
Maya, Aztec, and Inca Empires rivaled the advances of their European counterparts. Their
achievements in math, science, government, and record-keeping left a mark on their world.
Historians, archeologists, and anthropologists
studying these civilizations have taught us even more
about these cultures by analyzing the clues left by
these peoples. However, there are many things still
left to discover.
Task: Using the information from the documents and your
knowledge of social studies, answer the questions that
follow the documents.
Machu Picchu, an Incan City designed to be a
retreat for the Emperor Pachacuti
A maquahuitl, an Aztec sword, which was said to be able to
decapitate a man
Student Name: _____________________________________
“This great city contains a large number of temples, or houses, for their idols, very handsome edifices, which are situated in the different districts and the
suburbs.” – Cortés referring to the Aztec capital
Agriculture in the Aztec Empire
1.
What are chinampas?
2.
How were they connected to the
city?
Incan Roads
1.
2.
3.
How were messages delivered
throughout the empire?
Terrace Farming in Incan Empire
1.
What is terrace farming?
2.
What pros or cons did terrace
farming offer to the Incan people?
Why was the construction of this
road system so impressive for this
region?
1.
How is the Haab calendar similar
to ours? How is it different?
2.
When did the Mayans use the
Long Count calendar?
3.
Which group from the Americas
has a calendar that they adapted
from the Mayans?
How does this technique compare
to others used on the mainland?
3.
3.
4.
The Mayan Calendar
Why was this a significant
achievement?
Why were the roads such a vital
part of the Empire? Explain.
How did agriculture change as a
result of the Europeans?
Farming in the Incan Empire
1. Explain why irrigation is a
significant achievement.
Hernando Cortez: 2nd Letter
1. Explain why Cortes was so
impressed when he arrived in
Tenochtitlan.
2. Do you think an Incan would
have described this
achievement as ‘clever’?
Explain.
3. Why was the aqueduct such a
significant achievement?
4. How did the hygiene of the
Aztec differ from that of
Europeans?
5. What was happening at the
same time in Europe?
Human Sacrifice in the Aztec
Empire
Pedro de Cieza de Leon:
Chronicle of the Incas
1. Why do some believe that the
Spanish sources are biased?
1. Why do you think that the
Incan collected tribute?
Explain.
2. What are some reasons that
archaeologists believe resulted
in human sacrifice?
2. Imagine that you are a young
man or woman in Spain who
aspires to be a conquistador.
How could you use this letter
to persuade the king to allow
you to attack a different section
of the Aztec Empire?
3. Is a mummy an example of a
primary or secondary source?
Explain.
4. How were the children treated
prior to being sacrificed?
2. Imagine that you are a peasant
farmer during a famine. How
does this system of tribute
protect you?
Processing Task:
Using at least five out of the eight documents, assess the level of cultural and technological development of the Aztec and Incan
Empires. List all of the things that make the Aztec and Incan Civilizations culturally and technologically advanced in the space
below by organizing them on the arrow line from least to most advanced. For each item, provide a one sentence explanation for its
placement on the spectrum.