Aztec, Maya, and Incan WebQuest

1. Geography: On the map provided (next page)…

● Identify where the Incan, Mayan, and Aztec civilizations were located. Label them on the map! (arrow = Aztecs;
circle = Mayans; Sun thing = Inca)
o https://www.sutori.com/en/story/aztec-inca-mayan-timeline--JQ2iytJDwJY2vn3Sbk4Ef8ue
● In what modern countries would you have found these civilizations? Label them on the map!
o http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/nalargez.htm (Maya and Aztec)
o http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/salargez.htm (Inca)
2. Religions:
● Were these empires polytheistic or monotheistic?
o Name at least one god from each civilization. What they were the god of?
https://www.mayaincaaztec.com/religion.html

Polytheistic, Maya - Hanab Ku - Creator of the Universe; Aztecs - Ometecuhtli, and Omeciuatl
were the creators of Earth; Inca’s - Viracocha created the Earth

● Why were the pyramids of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca built? What happened at each of the temples?
o https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/pyramids-in-latin-america
The pyramids built by the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations served as monumental structures
that combined religious, political, and social purposes.

3. Aztecs: http://www.livescience.com/34660-tenochtitlan.html Click on a few of the links to help find your answers.
● What was the name of the Aztec capital/main city?
Tenochtitlan
● Why did they build it where they did?
It was a sign from their god to live there.

● Aztec Calendar- https://www.ancient.eu/article/896/the-aztec-calendar/

o How many calendars and months did the Aztecs have? Explain each calendar.
2; Tonalpohualli - ritual calender; Xiuhpohualli 365 solar calander
o How is their calendar alike and different from ours?
365 days but the 260 day calendar was weird

● Decline- http://www.pbs.org/conquistadors/cortes/cortes_a00.html
o Who was Hernando Cortez and how did he help bring about the end of the Aztec civilization?
Hernán Cortés (often referred to as Hernando Cortez in older texts) was a Spanish conquistador whose actions
were instrumental in the downfall of the Aztec Empire. He led the Spanish expedition that brought about the
conquest of the Aztecs between 1519 and 1521. Here’s how Cortés played a crucial role in ending the Aztec
civilization
4. Mayas:
● Calendar- http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-mayan.html
o Discuss the Maya calendars. How accurate were they?
They were very accurate with a very small discrepancy between the actual day and the day it said,
less than 1 day.

● Decline- https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/maya
(Watch the video and read the bottom of the article.)
o Do we know why the Maya civilization declined?
One theory explaining the fall of the Maya Civilization is still an issue of continued debate among historians,
though it is most likely due to a combination of several factors rather than one single cause. There were
different regions that collapsed at different times-especially the Classic Maya civilization, which from 250-900
CE saw the abandonment of major cities in the south by around 900 CE.

5. Incas: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pizarro-traps-incan-emperor-atahualpa
● Who was Atahualpa?
Atahualpa was the last independent emperor of the Inca Empire. He came into power after the brutal civil war with
his half-brother, Huáscar. Atahualpa's reign was eventually short-lived because of the arrival of Spanish conquistadors led
by Francisco Pizarro. In 1532, Pizarro captured Atahualpa during a surprise ambush in the city of Cajamarca. Although
Atahualpa offered a fabulous ransom in gold and silver, Pizarro nonetheless had him executed in 1533. This was to become
a turning point in the fall of the Incan Empire.

● Who was Francisco Pizarro and how did he help bring about the end of the Incan civilization?
Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador and the leader of the expedition which finally brought down the Inca
Empire. After capturing Atahualpa, Pizarro used the political turmoil following the civil war, along with advanced
European arms and strategy, to defeat the Incas. The capture and execution of Atahualpa led to the disintegration
of the centralized Inca state and therefore allowed the Spanish to take control of the region.

● Religion- https://www.ancient.eu/Inti/
o Who was Inti?
Inti was the Inca sun god, one of the most important deities within Incan religion. Inti was considered to be
the ancestor of the Inca emperors, thus he was a divine figure who was very important to the rulers'
legitimacy. The Incas considered themselves as "children of the sun," where the emperor, Sapa Inca, was
 considered the earthly representative of Inti. Inti was also the patron of agriculture since the heat of the sun
was responsible for the growth of the crops.

o What is the significance of the deity’s role?

The cult of Inti also gave the Inca rulers a divine mandate to further legitimize their power. His cult was one of the central
points in the religious and state activity of the Incas. Temples like the Coricancha in Cusco were among the most important
religious establishments. Similarly, Inti had importance in the rituals and festivals linked with agriculture, integrating his
importance into spiritual and practical elements of life in the Inca world.

o Technology-Why were Inca roads so impressive?

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/757/the-inca-road-system/
The Inca road system counted as one of the most advanced in the ancient world, reaching over 15,000
miles into length and connecting the various regions together. These are roads that crisscrossed the Andes
Mountains, deserts, and rainforests. What made them remarkable was their construction without the use of
wheels or iron tools. The roads allowed for rapid communication, troop movements, and transportation of
goods, which held together the empire. Bridges, stairways, and even rest stops called tambos along the
way made such travel and control over vast territories manageable.

o Did Incans write and keep records?

https://www.thoughtco.com/introduction-to-quipu-inca-writing-system-172285
The Incas never developed a conventional written language, but they did devise an unusually sophisticated
record-keeping system using quipu. Quipu consisted of colored threads with knotted arrangements that recorded numerical
and possibly narrative information. Thus, they were able to record census data, agricultural production, and the amount of
tributes. Even though the quipu system is not fully understood today, it remains one of the leading examples of their
administrative capabilities.

o What is Machu Picchu and who “found it”? https://www.britannica.com/place/Machu-Picchu

Machu Picchu is an ancient city of the Incas that stands high on the peaks of the Andes Mountains. It was most probably
constructed as an estate for Emperor Pachacuti around the mid-15th century. The purpose of the city remains debated, but
it could have been used for religious or ceremonial purposes. Machu Picchu was never found by the conquering Spaniards
and remained unknown to the outside world until its 'discovery' in 1911 by American historian Hiram Bingham. Today, it
stands as one of the most iconic symbols of Incan civilization and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

6. Timeline:

● Color code the timeline—each civilization a different color.

7. Contextualization:

Evaluate the extent to which agriculture and human sacrifice affected the legacy of the Aztecs.

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