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What was the signal for the Aztecs to know where to settle?
A eagle would sit on a cactus with a snake in its mouth
Where was the Aztec civilization located?
The Mexico Valley
What is the name of the lake where the Aztecs settled, making it the center of their empire?
Lake Texcoco
What was one positive feature about the mountains surrounding the Aztecs?
Mountains provided security and protected the Aztecs from invaders.
Water would drain from the valley into the lake
What was one negative feature about the mountains surrounding the Aztecs?
Rain water that drained into the lake was salty, making farming difficult. Flash floods would occur due to rain hitting the steep slopes.
What did the Aztecs use to help them farm on the salty lake?
chinampas
What was the Priest's role in the Aztec civilization?
The Priests were responsible for making sure that the gods were offered the correct offerings and sacrifices.
What was the signal for the Incas to know where to settle?
Inti gave Manco Capac a golden staff that when swallowed by the earth, would indicate the location of Cuzco.
Where was the Inca civilization located?
On a strip of land on the western side of South America. In the Andes Mountains.
What was the name of the capital city of the Inca civilization?
Cuzco
What are the two natural barriers surrounding the Incas?
The desert coastline and the Amazon jungle.
What was one of the ways the Incas modified their mountainous environment to get around?
Built bridges over gorges.
Built roads into the sides of mountains and plateaus.
What did the Incas use to help grow their crops and stop the soil from washing away?
A terracing system of using walls to flatten the earth then soil was mixed with gravel
to keep the soil from expanding, so it wouldn’t push out the wall
Explain the Inca belief in the afterlife.
They took great care in embalming and mummifying the bodies of the dead. They brought gifts to the dead that they thought the dead could use in the afterlife.
What is an aqueduct?
pipe or channel designed to carry water to a distant source; irrigates dry land
What did the Incas use to keep records?
Quipus
