Mesoamerican Technology In Pre-Colubian Times (Olmec And Mayan - Aztec and Inca))

Question 1

What does Mesoamerica mean?

Answer 1

• Meso = middle
• America = North and South America

Question 2

Where is Mesoamerica located?

Answer 2

Mesoamerica is the region that is now Mexico and
Central America.

Question 3

In pre-Columbian times, it was the most densely populated region of
the Americas.

Answer 3

Mesoamerica

Question 4

Regions included in Mesoamerica?

Answer 4

• Region in North
  America and
• Central Mexico through
• Belize,
• Guatemala,
• Nicaragua,
• Honduras,
• El Salvador, and
• Northern Costa Rica

Question 5

What societies flourished in the Mesoamerica Region?

Answer 5

Pre-Columbian societies
flourished before the Spanish colonization of the
Americas in the 15th and 16th.

Question 6

What region invaded the Mesoamerica after the flourishing of pre-Columbian societies?

Answer 6

Spanish Colonization of the Americas in the 15th and 16th

Question 7

During the Spanish Colonization in the Americas, they caused what?

Answer 7

Mass Genocide

Question 8

Mesoamerica is home to what civilizations?

Answer 8

• Olmec,
• Maya,
• Aztec &
• Inca civilization.

Question 9

Timeline of the Mesoamerican Civilization?

Answer 9

• Olmec (1200 B.C. - 600 A.D.)
• Maya (250 A.D. - 900 A.D.)
• Aztec (1200 A.D. - 1521 A.D.)
• Inca (1438 A.D. - 1533 A.D.)

Question 10

• 1200 B.C. - 600 A.D.
• First known civilization to form in Central and Latin
  America.

Answer 10

Olmec Civilization

Question 11

• 250 A.D. – 900 A.D.
• Developed in what is now called the Yucatan Peninsula.

Answer 11

Maya Civilization

Question 12

• 1200 A.D. – 1521 A.D.
• Built their capital on what is now Mexico City.

Answer 12

Aztec Civilizatiom

Question 13

• 1438 A.D. – 1533 A.D.
• Developed in the Andes Mountains in what is now Peru.

Answer 13

Inca Civilization

Question 14

Summary of Mesoamerican Contribution to Science and Technology

Answer 14

▪ Calendars
▪ Mathematics
▪ Architectural Wonders
▪ Agriculture
▪ Engineering/Hydrology
▪ Chocolates
▪ Medicine

Question 15

under olmec

the immense stone heads they carved from a volcanic rock they called ___

Answer 15

basalt

Question 16

▪ lived along the Gulf Coast of modern-day Mexico in tropical rain forests and
lowlandsfrom around 1200 BCE to 400 BCE.

▪ earliest known civilization in Mesoamerica.

▪ known for the immense stone heads they carved from a volcanic rock
called basalt.

• Archaeological evidence also suggests that they originated the
Mesoamerican practices of the Mesoamerican Ballgame—a popular game in the pre-
Columbian Americas played with balls made from solid rubber—and that they may have
practiced ritual bloodletting.

Answer 16

THE OLMECS
(1200 B.C. –600 A.D.)

Question 17

Crops grown by Olmecs

Answer 17

corn and beans

Question 18

At 1200 A.D. , the Olmecs significant urban centers developed at what cities?

Answer 18

• San Lorenzo (the earliest),
• La Venta,
• Laguna de los
Cerros,
• Tres Zapotes and
• Las Limas

Question 19

Typical Olmec Goods?

Answer 19

Obsidian, jade,
serpentine, mica, rubber, pottery, feathers and polished
mirrors of ilmenite and magnetite.

Question 20

It helped the Olmec build their urban centers of
San Lorenzo and La Venta.

Answer 20

Trading

Question 21

The cities
used predominantly for ceremonial purposes and elite
activity; most people lived in small village.

Answer 21

San Lorenzo and La Venta

Question 22

Where is the first pyramid of Mesoamerica located?

Answer 22

Pyramid of La Venta

Question 23

How many deities does the Olmec have?

Answer 23

8

Question 24

Sex of the 8 deities of Olmec?

Answer 24

androgynous—possessing male and female characteristics—

Question 25

Olmec art is made up of?

Answer 25

jade, clay,
basalt, and greenstone, which is an archaeologist’s term
for carved, green-colored minera

Question 26

Olmec Art Expressions?

Answer 26

anthropomorphic—human-shaped—
creatures, often highly stylized, using an iconography
reflective of a religious meaning

Question 27

most striking art left behind by this culture (Olmec Civilization)

Answer 27

Olmec colossal—very big—heads.

Seventeen monumental stone representations
of human heads sculpted from large basalt
boulders have been unearthed in the region to
date.

Question 28

The Olmec are considered a “______” by historians

Answer 28

cultural hearth

Question 29

• They lived in modern-day southern Mexico
and Central America.Including the areas that are
today Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and
Honduras.
▪ They were an agriculture-based society. They grow corn,
beans, and squash, and practice many of the same crafts, such
as weaving and pottery.

▪ Their central location made it very easy to trade
and interact with other cultures from North and South
America.

Answer 29

V. THE MAYA
(250 A.D. –900 A.D.)

Question 30

The Mayan units of time are as
follows:

Answer 30

• Kin = 1 day;
  were numbered 0-19
• Uinal = 20 kin or day;
  were numbered 0-17
• Tun = 18 Uinal;
  were numbered 0 - 19
• Katun = 360 Uinal or 7,200 days; were numbered 0-19
• Baktun = 400 Tun or 144,000 days; were numbered 1-13

Question 31

What did the Maya built for trading and communication?

Answer 31

Large and complex system of roads to stay connected with other
cities and people. These roads were used for trading goods inside and outside the
Mayan empire.

Question 32

Mayan civilization left behind important architectural wonders such as:

Answer 32

ruins of huge ziggurat and observatories used by
astronomers.

Question 33

What is the Mayan’s contribution to Science and Technology?

Answer 33

Created a 365 day calendar by watching the
star

Question 34

Two parts of the 365 day calendar made by the Mayans?

Answer 34

1. Solar calendar with 365 days, divided into 18 months with
   20 days each with 5 extra days at the end
2. Lunar calendar and a Calendar based on the movement of
   the Planet Venus. This was a sacred calendar with 260 days
   and 13 weeks of 20 days each.
   A depiction of Mayan calendar
   PERSONAL

Question 35

First people to use the zero?

Answer 35

Mayans

Question 36

Number System of Mayans?

Answer 36

vigesimal number system based on base 20 (and, to some
extent, base 5), probably originally developed from counting
on fingers andtoes.

Question 37

The vegesimal system consisted of three symbols:

Answer 37

• zero - represented as shell shape
• one - a dot
• five - a bar

Question 38

State of advancement in regards of book in the mayan civilization?

Answer 38

• The Mayans also developed a form of an early book that
recorded the exploits of their gods, daily life, news and
many more subjects.

• Their books were written on bark and folded into fan-
like structures. Many of these were sadly destroyed by
the Conquistadors but thankfully some have survived to
this day.

Question 39

The mayan architecture?

Answer 39

▪ The Mayan built towering temples, pyramids, plazas and palaces around the
empire.

▪ The ceremonial centers usually consisted of pyramidal mounds with temples or
other buildings on top. On top of the temples, priests performed religious
ceremonies and sacrifices while people watched from the plazas below

Question 40

Examples of Mayan Architecture?

Answer 40

• Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (In Mexico)
• Sayil Palace (600-900 A.D)
• Temple of Inscriptions (A.D. 675-A.D. 683)
• Ball Courts

Question 41

• The Maya incorporated their advanced
understanding of astronomy into their temples
and other religious structures.

• Is situated according to the sun’s
location during the spring and fall equinoxes.

• At sunset on these two days, the it casts a
shadow on itself that aligns with a carving of the
head of the Mayan serpent god. The shadow
forms the serpent’s body; as the sun sets, the
serpent appears to slither down into the Earth.

Answer 41

Pyramid at Chichén Itzá

Question 42

• One of the oldest palaces in Maya history. The palace is a three-story
  building with each story set back from the one below. Instead of stacking the rooms
  one above the other, they were built side by side. The whole palace was made from
  stone and concrete in the Puuc architectural style. The building known as El Mirador
  on the site is believed to have been used as anobservatory.

Answer 42

Sayil Palace (600-900 A.D)

Question 43

• Largest stepped
  pyramid in the region, situated in the heart of Palenque.
  It was built to commemorate the ruler K’inich
  Janaab’ Pakal. It is one of the best sources of
  archeological information of the Maya civilization with
  the inscriptions on its walls telling us much about this
  great civilization. It has five entrances at the front with
  carved walls, and the staircase was built to reach the
  crypt situated at a higher level. Various tablets have
  been found in the temple which tell us how the Maya
  understood the notion of time.

Answer 43

Temple of Inscriptions (A.D. 675-A.D. 683)

Question 44

• Used to play
  traditional Mesoamerican ball games. The games had
  their own rules and regulations where two teams tried
  to bounce a rubber ball through a ring without using
  their arms andlegs.

• The ball court usually had sloping sides, but in Uxmal,
the sides were vertical; in Tikal, the court was a triple
court and the walls were L-shaped.

• These were believed to be based on religion,
and the courts were built with their sacred nature in
mind. The games were played from north to south, and
the loser of the game had to make a sacrifice to the
gods. The sport was particularly popular in Copan.

Answer 44

Ball Courts

Question 45

the top of Maya society; claims to be related to gods
and follows a hereditary succession

Answer 45

the kings, or “kuhul
ajaw” (holy lords),

Question 46

They were thought to serve as mediators
between the gods and people on earth, and
performed the elaborate religious ceremonies and
rituals so important to the Maya culture were they
practice human sacrifice.

Answer 46

“kuhul
ajaw” (holy lords)

Question 47

Mayan Agriculture?

Answer 47

• Although somewhat limited by their geographical location and local
plant species, Mayan farmers were expert agriculturists. Their main
crop staples included Corn (maize) but they also cultivated beans and
squash, which were often grown together with corn to provide
mutual support for each crop.
• As their population grow there is a need to double up their
production of crops thus this factor drives the Mayans to mass
produce the crops they have been utilizing to withstand the growing
population of the empire.

Question 48

[Under Olmec]

the __ __ was depicted as a harpy eagle associated with rulership.

Answer 48

Bird Monster

Question 49

Additional facts for Mayan Agriculture?

Answer 49

• Recent discoveries also indicate Mayan farmers grew manioc (cassava), a highly
nutritious and energy-rich root vegetable and an excellent source of
carbohydrate. It turns out that their cultivation of cassava might solve a long-
standing mystery as to how they were able to sustain such a large civilization
and population given their lack of metal tools andlocale.
• The Mayans were highly accomplished engineers and employed their skills to
develop innovative farming techniques including raised farm beds and terrace
farming. These techniques were vitally important in providing means of
reducing water runoff and erosion and turning mountainous regions into
productive farmlands.

Question 50

Unusual.Mayan Crop?

Answer 50

Rubber

Question 51

[Under Olmec]

The __ __ was shown with flame eyebrows, a bulbous nose, and bifurcated tongue.

Answer 51

Olmec Dragon

Question 52

What is rubber?

Answer 52

The Maya cut slits in the bark of the rubber tree and
collected its sap. They used the dried sap to make
water-resistantshoes and clothing.
Rubber was also used to make balls.

The Maya played
games in enclosed, I-shaped courts with the rubber
balls. These ball games took on a ritual significance
and were an important part of Mayan culture.

Question 53

[Under Olmec]

Deities often represented a natural element including:

Answer 53

The Maize deity
The Rain Spirit or Were-Jaguar
The Fish or SharkMonster

Question 54

Why Mayan Civilization Declined?

Answer 54

• Maya were wiped out by war;
• Disruption of their trade routes;
• Maya’s agricultural practices and dynamic growth resulted
in climate change and deforestation;
• Maya culture was subsumed by the Spanish
conquistadors in the 16th century.

Question 55

Mayan Medicine?

Answer 55

They knew about stitches and
often used human hair to suture wounds. They also regularly made casts to speed the healing and recovery of fractures
and other bone breakages

used iron pyrite as tooth fillings (in dentistru)

skilled in creating prosthetics made from jade and turquoise and used obsidian for making cuts.

Question 56

A mineral noted for its near-monomolecular edge whose use, when compared to other materials, has the ability to
accelerate healing and reduce scarring. It is still in use today by some surgeons performing specialist operations

Answer 56

Obsidian

Question 57

Where is the Mayan Civilization todsy? Their descendants?

Answer 57

More than 2 million descendants of Maya
people live in Guatemala and southern
Mexico today

Question 58

• ___ people settled in the Valley of
  Mexico and what is now Mexico City.

Answer 58

VI. THE AZTECS
(1200 A.D. –1521 A.D.)

Question 59

• The capital city of Aztec empire is
  ___

Answer 59

“Tenochtitlan”

Question 60

• There are approximately __ people living in the Aztec empire

Answer 60

30 million

Question 61

Aztec was known also as Toltec and thus some would refer the Aztec empire as ___ ___

Answer 61

Toltec empire

Question 62

They were fierce warriors who used military power to build a huge empire and starts to collect taxes from the people they conquered which mounted the wealth of the empire.

Answer 62

Toltec empire

Question 63

The Aztec faith shared many aspects with other
Mesoamerican religions, like that of the Maya, notably
including the rite of __ __

Answer 63

human sacrifice

Question 64

(god of war and of the sun)

Answer 64

Huitzilopochtli

Question 65

(“Feathered Serpent”)

Answer 65

Quetzalcoatl

Question 66

a Toltec god who served many important roles in the Aztec faith over the years

Answer 66

Huitzilopochtli
Quetzalcoatl

Question 67

The Great Temple, or Templo Mayor, in the Aztec capital
of Tenochtitlan was dedicated to __ __ __ __ __ __

Answer 67

Huitzilopochtli and
Tlaloc, the rain god.

Question 68

How did the Aztecs build a city in the center of a lake?

Answer 68

▪ Tenochtitlan was built on an island;

▪ It was connected to the mainland by causeways leading north, south, and west of the city;

▪ The city was interlaced with a series of canals, so that all sections of the city could be visited either on foot or by canoe.

Question 69

Two aqueducts served the city:

Answer 69

1. One aqueduct piped in fresh water from outlying springs
2. One aqueduct could be cleansed of mud and silt

Question 70

The Aztec Aqueduct

Answer 70

1. Excrement was collected.
2. Solids rowed out in barges and used as manure
3. Urine was used to make dyes fast.

Question 71

The Aztecs were the first to develop the “__ __.” Later, it was given a name called “___.”

Answer 71

floating gardens

chinampas

Question 72

are artificial islands that were created by
interweaving reeds with stakes beneath the lake’s surface,
creating underwater fences. A buildup of soil and aquatic
vegetation would be piled into these “fences” until the top layer
of soil was visible on the water’s surface.

Answer 72

Chinampas

Question 73

Aztecs has developed special boats called ___

Answer 73

canoes

Question 74

Canoes are capable to carry __ passengers or ___ of maize.

Answer 74

60 passengers
3 tons

Question 75

The Aztec canoe is used for ___

Answer 75

transportation

Question 76

The Aztec Architecture

Answer 76

• The Aztec Empire is famous for many of its features including the amazing architectural styles that the Aztec people used in the construction of their buildings and cities.
• Aztec architecture followed similar principles to other earlier Mesoamerican civilizations, including,
  the use of a grid system in city building and the construction of large temples in the shape of a pyramid.
• The Teotihuacan pyramids are some of the largest of their kind in the Americas. Ancient Teotihuacanos constructed the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon in the year 100 C.E., centuries before
  the Aztec had arrived in Teotihuacan. These marvels still stand at an incredible height of around 65 meters (213 feet) and 43 meters (141 feet)

Question 77

Aztecs Calendar and Dates

Answer 77

The Aztec’s system of tracking days was very intricate and their calendar system was derived from the Mayan
one

• The Aztec sunstone, a very famous calendar, weighs 24
  tons and is 13 feet in diameter. It contains information on
  the days that begin and end months as well as the gods
  related to the days. The center of the stone contains a god
  called Tonatiuh. Surrounding it are four squares
  containing symbols that represent the ages preceding the
  time of the Aztecs (tiger, water, wind,rain). Lastly, around
  the squares, there is a ring that possesses 20 segments for
  the 20 days of the month. Each day has it’s own unique
  symbol and god.

Question 78

The Aztec people followed two maincalendars.

Answer 78

1. One was a more sacred calendar consisting of 13 months of 20 days
2. the other was an agricultural or
   solar calendar with 18 months of 20 days. The solar calendar, being the scientific one, should add up to 365
   days, yet it only adds up360.

Question 79

Aztecs Hieroglyphs

Answer 79

• The Aztecs language was called Classical Nahuatl and it wasn’t written as an alphabet but as a series of glyphs. Each symbol represented only one sound. The language of the Aztecs were eventually developed into an alphabet, yet they used to simply be a series of pictures used in three different ways.
• The first way was pictograms. This was simply about the symbol meaning what it looked like. This method was easy understand but it required hundreds and
  thousands of symbols to have meaningful language.
• The second way is ideograms. Ideograms are related to idea behind what the symbol represents. A picture of footprints could represent a trip or even a passage of time in a certain direction.
• The last way is phonograms. This is finally how a picture can represent a certain sound such as a picture of a bee could represent the sound of “b”. All these components came together in the Aztec glyphs.

Question 80

Aztec Math and Number System

Answer 80

• Aztec number system was a vigesimal one, which means they used 20 as a base number. In their arithmetic calculations, there
  were symbols that were used to represent different values. A dot meant the number 1, a bar meant 5, and there were many other
  symbols for 20 and its various multiples.
• It was also clear that the Aztecs had a very clear understanding of multiplication and division in the sense of geometry. Their
  standard unit of linear measurement was called land rod, equivalent to 2.5 meters. If an object was not an exact amount of land
  rods, certain symbols were added to indicate the remaining length (less than a land rod).

Question 81

Aztec Education

One of the Aztecs primary contribution is the idea of compulsory
universal education.

Answer 81

They decided to make it mandatory for
children to attend school and receive education.

Question 82

Aztec Education

From age 12 to 15, kids attended a type of school called ___

Answer 82

cuicalli also known as house of song

Question 83

Aztec Education

Most girls ended their education at age __

Answer 83

15 yrs old

Question 84

Aztec Education

boys went to a type
called ___ from ages 15 to20.

Answer 84

telpochalli

• They slept at this school, but if that wasn’t an option the boys went to another type called calmécac. Calmécac taught of a variety of
  subjects as well as trained them for the military as the school offered opportunities for a government position.

Question 85

Aztecs Invented a ball
game termed as
“_____”

Answer 85

Tlachtli

Question 86

____ is one of the most desired foods of
Mesoamerica and was consumed by the Olmec, Maya,
and Aztec civilizations, amongst others

Answer 86

Chocolates

Question 87

What happened to theAztecs?

Answer 87

Invaders led by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés overthrew the Aztec Empire by force and
captured Tenochtitlan in 1521, bringing an end to
Mesoamerica’s last great native civilization.

Question 88

VII. THE INCA
(1438 A.D. –1533 A.D.)

Answer 88

• The Inca civilization flourished in ancient Peru between c. 1400 and 1533 CE, and their empire eventually extended across western South America from Quito in the north to Santiago in the south, making it the largest empire ever seen in the Americas and the largest in the world at that time.
• the Incas conquered people and exploited landscapes in such
  diverse settings as plains, mountains, deserts, and tropical jungle.
• Famed for their unique art and architecture, they constructed
  finely-built and imposing buildings wherever they conquered, and
  their spectacular adaptation of natural landscapes with terracing,
  highways, and mountaintop settlements continues to impress
  modern visitors at such world famous sites as MachuPicchu

Question 89

The Inca government was called the ___. It was a monarchy ruled by asingle leader called the
___ ___.

Answer 89

Tawantinsuyu

Sapa Inca

Question 90

The emperor or king of the Inca Empire which means “sole ruler”. He was the most powerful person in the land and everyone else reported to the Sapa Inca. His principal wife, the queen, was called thecoya.

Answer 90

Sapa Inca

Question 91

[Inca Government Organization]

Viceroy

Answer 91

Below the Sapa Inca was the viceroy, or Inkap Rantin. He was a close relative of the Sapa Inca and worked as his closest advisor.

Question 92

[Inca Government Organization]

High Priest

Answer 92

The high priest, called the “Willaq Umu”, was also a very powerful man. He was probably second in power to the Sapa Inca due
to the importance of religion in the Inca Empire.

Question 93

[Inca Government Organization]

Governors of a Quarter

Answer 93

The Inca Empire was divided up into four quarters. Each of these quarters was ruled by a
governor called an Apu

Question 94

[Inca Government Organization]

Council of the Realm

Answer 94

The Sapa Inca also kept a council of men who advised him on major matters. These men were powerful nobles.

Question 95

[Inca Government Organization]

Inspectors

Answer 95

In order to maintain control and to make sure people were paying their taxes and following the ways of the Inca, the Sapa Inca had inspectorsthat watched over the people. The inspectors were called “tokoyrikoq”.

Question 96

[Inca Government Organization]

Military Generals

Answer 96

There were also military generals. The head general was usually a close relative of the Sapa Inca. These leaders were called”Apukuna”.

Question 97

[Inca Government Organization]

Other Officials

Answer 97

There were many other government officials and leaders throughout the Inca Empire such aspriests, military officers,
judges, and taxcollectors.

Question 98

The Inca Tax

Answer 98

• For tax purposes censuses were taken and populations
  divided up into groups based on multiples of ten (Inca
  mathematics was almost identical to the system we use
  today). As there was no currency in the Inca world, taxes
  were paid in kind - usually foodstuffs, precious metals,
  textiles, exotic feathers, dyes, and spondylus shell - but
  also in labourers who could be shifted about the empire
  to be used where they were most needed, known as
  mit’a service.
• To keep track of all these statistics, the Inca used the
  quipu, a sophisticated assembly of knots and strings
  which was also highly transportable and could record
  decimals up to 10,000.

Question 99

Inca Architecture

Answer 99

• Master stone masons, the Incas constructed large
  buildings, walls and fortifications using finely-worked
  blocks - either regular or polygonal - which fitted
  together so precisely no mortar was needed.
• With an emphasis on clean lines, trapezoid shapes, and
  incorporating natural features into these buildings, they
  have easily withstood the powerful earthquakes which
  frequently hit the region.
• The distinctive sloping trapezoid form and fine masonry
  of Inca buildings were, besides their obvious aesthetic
  value, also used as a recognisable symbol of Inca
  domination throughout the empire.
• Inca qollqa (storehouses) used for storing
  grain and other foodstuffs. 15-16th
  century CE, Ollantaytambo.
• The Inca site of Machu Picchu built by Pachacuti Inca
  Yupanqui(1438-71 CE). Fortress, sanctuary, and once home to around 1,000 residents, the site is perched in
  the high Andes above the river Urubamba

Question 100

Inca Road System

Answer 100

• The Inca Empire was connected by its vast road system
  (running 25,000 miles), which made communication between
  even far away points possible within days. Messengers lived in
  pairs – and their whole responsibility was to be ready to
  receive a message and run to deliver it –so one of them would
  sleep while the other remained ready to do the job.
• With the road system and messenger service, the king could
  send out an order to mobilize an army for defense and the men
  of the various communities would respond in a timely fashion.
• There were stations, inns, and storage depots along this
  roadway to supply troops, give travelers a rest, and maintain
  those who worked for the messenger services.
• Inca roads were built without the benefit of sophisticated surveying
  equipment using only wooden, stone, and bronze tools. As they
  were built in different geographical zones using local populations,
  the roads are, consequently, not uniform in construction design or
  materials.
• Sometimes there are also two or three roads constructed in parallel,
  especially near the larger urban centres. Flattened road beds - often
  raised - were usually made using packed earth, sand, or grass. The
  more important roads were finished with precisely arranged paving
  stones or cobbles.
• Roads were typically edged and protected with small stone walls,
  stone markers, wooden or cane posts, or piles of stones. Drainage
  was provided by frequent drains and culverts, which drew off
  rainwater from the road surface, channelling it either along or under
  the road. When crossing wetlands, roads were often supported by
  buttress walls or built on causeways.

Question 101

Inca Food & Agriculture

Answer 101

• The Inca state developed a huge farming apparatus,
  where crops and herds were commandeered from
  conquered people and the people themselves were
  periodically commandeered to work on state-owned
  farms. More positively, a vast network of storage
  facilities was developed to insure against times of
  drought and disaster and foodstuffs were often given
  out as gifts by rulers seeking to make themselves
  popular.
• Land was worked using simple tools such as a hoe, clod
  breaker, and foot plough - the chakitaqlla, which
  consisted of a wooden or bronze pointed pole that was
  pushed into the ground by placing one’s foot on a horizontal bar. Hoe blades were typically made using
  sharpened cobble stones.
• Crops cultivated across the Inca Empire
  included maize, coca, beans, grains, potatoes, sweet
  potatoes, ulluco, oca, mashwa, pepper, tomatoes,
  peanuts, cashews, squash, cucumber, quinoa, gourd,
  cotton, talwi, carob, chirimoya, lúcuma, guayabo, and
  avocado.
• Livestock was primarily llama and alpaca herds. These
  animals were vital to many aspects of Andean life as
  they provided wool, meat, leather, moveable wealth,
  transportation - especially for the army, and they were
  often sacrificed in religious ceremonies.
• The Incas were ambitious farmers, and to maximise
  agricultural production, they transformed the landscape
  with terracing,
  canals, and irrigation networks, whilst wetlands were
  often drained to make them suitable for farming.

Question 102

The Decline of Inca Empire

Answer 102

• The Inca Empire fell to the Spanish conquistadores under
  Francisco Pizarro in 1533 CE, but it had been in decline
  already for sometime.
• Rebellions throughout the empire were already ongoing by
  the time Pizarro arrived in the region and the diseases
  (especially smallpox) brought by Europeans had already
  destroyed large swaths of the population (up to 90%).