Great Cities Before 1500

History · World History · ages 12-13

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which record keeping method did the Inca use?
- Printed paper books
- Knotted cords called quipu
- Clay coins with holes
Which city was larger than any in Europe around 1500?
- Paris
- Tenochtitlan
- London
People often picture the Americas as empty before 1500, and the proof backs them.
Circle one: True False
Why did the Inca cut terraces into mountains?
- To build slides for fun
- To hide gold from neighbours
- To make flat steps for crops on steep slopes
The Aztecs lived in Mexico and the Inca in the Andes. Where did the Maya live?
- Southern Mexico and Central America
- Northern Canada
- Southern Spain
Teotihuacan housed about 200,000 people in a planned grid.
Circle one: True False
Maya sky records beat the Spanish calendar. What does that show?
- Calendars need no sky watching
- Spain copied the Maya at once
- Careful sky watching can beat newer books
A book says the Inca were simple because they lacked wheels and coins. What is wrong?
- It ignores terraces, roads, and quipu records
- Nothing, tools tell the whole tale
- Wheels and coins are the only measure

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Knotted cords called quipu · Quipu cords stored numbers in knots for taxes and harvests.
Tenochtitlan · The Aztec capital held more people than any European city then.
False · Huge cities, roads, and calendars prove millions thrived there.
To make flat steps for crops on steep slopes · Terrace steps hold soil and water so crops grow on slopes.
Southern Mexico and Central America · Maya cities stood in the forests of southern Mexico and beyond.
True · Its streets, homes, and pyramids held a huge planned city.
Careful sky watching can beat newer books · Long patient records of the sky outdid the calendar ships brought.
It ignores terraces, roads, and quipu records · States can run on roads, terraces, and knots instead of wheels and coins.