3.4: Art of the Americas
1. Some of the oldest human-made objects found in the Americas are ________.
a. shark’s teeth necklaces d. monoliths from Stonehenge
b. Clovis points e. none of the other answers
c. cactus cocktails
2. We know about cultures from the ancient Americas through ________.
a. indigenous accounts, both oral and written
b. accounts by Europeans that had direct contact with indigenous people
c. inscriptions on stone monuments
d. all of the previous answers
e. none of the previous answers
3. Art from South America studied in this chapter is known as ________.
a. Alpine d. Andean
b. Anacondan e. all of the other answers
c. Arctic
4. The Raimondi Stela is ________.
a. a painted codex d. a terra-cotta grave marker
b. a wooden coffin e. none of the other answers
c. a stone monument
5. The sculptural relief of the Raimondi Stela (3.4.2) is very deep with many contours and shadows
making it easy to view from all directions.
6. Chavín art commonly features animals with spiritual connections.
7. Contour rivalry refers to:
a. a situation where an artist cannot decide where to place a line
b. artists who compete to make important artworks
c. designs in which lines describe more than one thing at the same time
d. maps that do not clearly distinguish between two places
e. all of the other answers
8. Paracas textiles have been preserved because ________.
a. Paracas rulers had airtight vaults d. wool is biodegradable
b. the climate in Peru is very dry e. none of the other answers
c. wool is not biodegradable
9. The arts of the Paracas and the Chavín bear no relation to each other in terms of either style or
content.
10. Embroidery can only be used to create basic outlines on textiles. It would not be used, for example,
to make intricate details or animal figures.
11. The Moche earspool from Sipán (3.4.4) was found in ________.
a. a royal tomb d. Machu Picchu
b. a tree e. a bathhouse
c. a riverbed
12. Gold was important to the Moche culture because ________.
a. it was more valuable than textiles
b. it was associated with the sun’s energy and power
c. a fake version was readily available
d. it could be found in only one place on the continent
e. all of the other answers
13. Machu Picchu was built for ________.
a. the Inca ruler Pachacuti d. European explorers
b. the Maya ruler Pacal e. no one knows who built it
c. a group of Yale archaeologists
14. This creature seems to have possessed special significance in Machu Picchu, and is depicted
throughout the site.
a. eagle d. condor
b. lion e. llama
c. snake
15. The Inca made figurines of ________ because they wanted to celebrate the role these creatures
played in textile manufacture.
a. llamas d. deer
b. spiders e. bats
c. sharks
16. Which of these materials was not used to make the Andean llama figurine (3.4.6)?
a. silver d. lapis lazuli
b. cinnabar e. any of the other answers
c. gold
17. ________ were symbolically important to textile manufacture and served as an inspiration for an
Inca creation myth.
a. llamas d. deer
b. spiders e. bats
c. sharks
18. The collection of individual patterns on the Inca ruler’s tunic (3.4.7) ________.
a. provides a map of sacred sites
b. indicates the conquest of all possible ethnicities
c. shows that the designer could not make up their mind
d. depicts animals from all realms of the cosmos
e. all of the other answers
19. In the Andes, textiles were considered ________ gold and silver.
a. less valuable than
b. of equal value to
c. more valuable than
d. none of them were valued
e. textiles did not exist in Andean culture
20. Mesoamerican art was made in ________.
a. an island near America
b. the area north of Chile
c. the area south of Canada
d. the region of modern-day Mexico and Central America
e. anywhere on the continent of the Americas as long as it was underground
21. The writing system developed by the Maya is known as ________.
a. pictographs d. hieroglyphs
b. alphabetics e. none of the other answers
c. cuneiform
22. In 1940 Matthew and Marion Stirling found ________ at the site of ________.
a. Inca mummies . . . Cerro Gordo
b. Aztec fishing boats . . . Tenochtitlan
c. Olmec colossal heads . . . La Venta
d. Maya paintings . . . Bonampak
e. Kwakiutl masks . . . British Columbia
23. Olmec heads were easily found at La Venta because they were still on prominent display, exactly
as the Olmec had left them.
24. The Pyramid of the Sun is found at ________.
a. Teotihuacan d. Ten Bears
b. Templo Mayor e. Machu Picchu
c. Lake Titicaca
25. The Pyramid of the Sun is a ________.
a. stepped pyramid d. effigy mound
b. ziggurat e. residence
c. geoglyph
26. The Aztecs established a powerful empire around ________ years after Teotihuacan, along with its
Temple of the Feathered Serpent, had been abandoned.
a. 800 d. 400
b. 10 e. none of the other answers
c. 8,000
27. Teotihuacan had at its heart a large religious complex. Compare the architecture and arrangement
of the temples at Teotihuacan with that of the pyramids in Giza, Egypt. What are the similarities
and what are the differences between these two complexes on different continents? Think about the
number of buildings on each site, their functions, the materials and construction methods, and their
religious significance.
28. Details of the ballgame shown on the Maya cylindrical vessel (3.4.13) include ________.
a. equipment and protective gear
b. ballcourts and game strategy
c. pictures of the victors and their bronze trophies
d. scoresheets and team names
e. none of the other answers
29. The Mesoamerican ballgame was played for the purpose of ________.
a. recreation d. all of the previous answers
b. political ceremony e. none of the previous answers
c. religious ritual
30. The ball on the Maya cylindrical vessel (3.4.13) is shown much larger than its actual size. What
might be the reason for this? Find another one or two examples, from the textbook or elsewhere,
where scale is modified in ancient American art. For each example, explain how the artist has
changed the scale or proportion, and suggest why he or she might have made that choice.
31. A mural at the Maya city of Bonampak depicts its ruler Chaan Muan punishing his captives by
deciding to imprison them for life.
32. Aztec civilization came after the Olmec, Teotihuacano, and Maya societies.
33. Ceremonies including ________ took place at the top of Aztec pyramids.
a. ballgames where the losers were decapitated
b. sacrifices where victims’ hearts were extracted
c. sculpture lessons where students were celebrated
d. fashion shows where the most elaborate costume won
e. all of the other answers
34. The only people ever sacrificed by the Aztecs were prisoners captured during war.
35. The colossal sculpture of the Aztec mother goddess Coatlicue (3.4.16) is made of ________.
a. gold d. stone
b. silver e. all of the other answers
c. feathers
36. The designs on the colossal sculpture of the Aztec mother goddess Coatlicue (3.4.16) are
________.
a. symmetrical d. only symmetrical on one side
b. asymmetrical e. none of the other answers
c. completely random
37. The enormous relief carving of the Aztec moon goddess Coyolxauhqui (3.4.17), found beneath the
Great Temple of Tenochtitlan, shows her ________.
a. with snakes instead of a head
b. wearing a necklace of human hearts and hands
c. with her arms and legs severed from her body
d. chasing Huitzilopochtli right after he was born
e. as the moon during an eclipse
38. The enormous relief carving of the Aztec moon goddess Coyolxauhqui (3.4.17), found beneath the
Great Temple of Tenochtitlan, shows a mythical event and has nothing to do with the sacrificial
ritual that occurred at the temple.
39. Compare and contrast the following sculptures: Raimondi Stela (3.4.2) and The Mother Goddess,
Coatlicue (3.4.16) by considering the following questions: which of the sculptures is in higher
relief? What would the impact of each sculpture have been on its viewers? What is the subject
matter of each sculpture? How does the form relate to the content for each sculpture?
40. Many examples of indigenous art from the southwest US come from the four-corners area, the
place where ________.
a. two mountain ranges in the Rockies intersect
b. the states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet
c. the first perfectly square Anasazi pueblo was built
d. the most gold was mined
e. none of the other answers
41. Cliff dwellings, such as those built by the Anasazi in Mesa Verde, were constructed using which
materials available in the area?
a. ice and bone d. adobe, timber, and stone
b. water and paper e. all of the other answers
c. logs and animal hides
42. Anasazi cliff dwellings were built to take advantage of sun and shade in order to provide
temperature control in different seasons.
43. ________were portable dwellings made by Plains Indians.
a. tipis d. hogans
b. pyramids e. cliff dwellings
c. temple mounds
44. The depiction of a battle with the Sioux in 1797 painted on a Mandan robe (3.4.20) was created
using ________.
a. fresco d. wool thread
b. oil paint e. all of the other answers
c. mineral pigments
45. The Mandan robe painted with a depiction of a battle with the Sioux in 1797 (3.4.20) functioned
only as a piece of clothing to keep the owner warm.
46. The ________ in Wo-haw’s self-portrait show the effect of the presence of European settlers on
the Plains Indians of North America.
a. buffalo and shooting star
b. domesticated bull and cultivated fields
c. peace pipe and upright stance
d. traditional materials used
e. none of the other answers
47. Wo-Haw was a member of the ________ people.
a. Lakota d. Mandan
b. Crow e. colonizing European
c. Kiowa
48. The Kwakiutl late nineteenth-century Eagle Transformation Mask (3.4.22) was opened and closed
during performances to ________.
a. create a dynamic visual experience
b. represent the transformation the wearer was undergoing
c. suggest ancestral connections between eagles and humans
d. all of the previous answers
e. none of the previous answers
49. The medium of the Eagle Transformation Mask (3.4.22) is:
a. Kwakiutl d. wood, feathers, and rope
b. British Columbia e. all of the other answers
c. late nineteenth century
50. Animals are an important feature of many ancient American artworks. Choose three ancient
American artworks that include animals. In each case, analyse how the animal has been depicted:
is it a naturalistic figure or a stylized form? Why has that particular animal been chosen: does it
have ceremonial or religious significance?
51. What is the name of the artist who made the Basket for Cooking Acorns (3.4.23)?
a. Lucy Telles d. Marion Stirling
b. Julia Parker e. The artist’s name is not known
c. Willie Seaweed
52. Which of the following concerns would be most important for contemporary Native American
basket weavers?
a. using plants from far away regions
b. connecting with the traditions used for generations
c. coming up with innovative new patterns
d. keeping the basket-weaving technique a secret
e. all of the other answers
53. The basket-making tradition for California Indians involves not only creating functional objects
but also integrating symbolic and metaphoric importance.