Acoculco, Ching, and El Tesoro:
A. developed at the time that Teotihuacan was at its peak
B. provided the Teotihuacanos with the raw materials for making pottery
C. were hilltop centers in the Tula region that peaked after Teotihuacan’s decline
D. were Oaxacan sites that produced goods for trade with Teotihuacan
In the Postclassic, the pochteca merchant class:
A. generally married the members of the calpulli that were farmer”artisans
B. gained great wealth, which they ostentatiously displayed
C. served as vassals of the state in their trading expeditions
D. shared their high status with the royal family
The economic importance of Chichn Itz derived from its:
A. water management for the dry Yucatn Peninsula
B. control of obsidian trade
C. construction of large temple complexes
D. control of salt beds
In Aztec society, a young man was ready to marry when:
A. he reached the age of 18 or was able to grow a beard, whichever came first
B. his older siblings were married
C. his sisters permitted him to do so
D. he proved himself by capturing an enemy in battle
At the site of Chalcatzingo:
A. the Maya incised petroglyphs on cliff faces
B. burials were egalitarian in nature
C. there may have been a female ruler
D. the first Mesoamerican ball court was constructed
Evidence suggesting that tortillas first appeared in Mesoamerica during the Middle/Late
Formative periods is found in:
A. fossilized food remains in caves
B. the stone sculptures that depict captives eating tortillas
C. ceramic bowls with painted pictures of tortillas
D. flat griddles used for cooking tortillas
The Puuc water god is known as:
A. chultun
B. the Feathered Serpent
C. Chac
D. chacmool
The Mesoamerican 260-day calendar:
A. was developed by the Aztecs in the 14th century ad
B. consists of 20 names with 13 numbers
C. corresponds with the length of human gestation
D. does not correlate with any known length of time
Almost all Classic Maya inscriptions ceased between:
A. ad 600 and 700
B. ad 700 and 800
C. ad 800 and 900
D. ad 900 and 1000
The Tepanec War of the 1420s:
A. was between the Tepanecs and Mexica
B. pitted the Tepanecs against the Otom
C. involved all the ethnic groups in the Central Highlands of Mexico
D. was disastrous for the commoners of Tenochca because they lost calpulli land
Human culture is defined in the textbook as:
A. those physical characteristics that allow for biological adaptation
B. the adaptive behaviors that enhance our ability to survive
C. a particular way of life for social animals
D. the same as a society
Scholars first recognized and defined the Maya collapse:
A. because of the sudden cessation of the erection of dated monuments
B. in the demographic loss of the Maya region
C. through the change in ceramics from the Classic to Postclassic Periods
D. by comparing the Maya to other Mesoamerican cultures
When a particular status is conferred upon an individual at birth, it is called:
A. ascribed
B. achieved
C. innate
D. genetic
By the end of the Formative period, Monte Albn was:
A. the only site in the Valley of Oaxaca
B. part of a five-tier settlement hierarchy
C. the administrative center for the surrounding region
D. the lowest ranked site in a three-tier settlement hierarchy
The “Triple Alliance” refers to:
A. the three city-states that controlled tribute in the Basin of Mexico
B. the social structure of slaves, commoners, and nobles
C. the polygynous marriage of an Aztec ruler to daughters of the rulers of three different
city-states
D. three gods who were worshipped together
The settlement of Monte Albn Early I:
A. can be called a primate center
B. was the first true city in Mesoamerica
C. contained dozens of different neighborhoods
D. lacked monumental architecture
In Mesoamerica the most notable “fusion” site (combining Maya and Central Mexican
elements) is:
A. Chichn Itz
B. Cob
C. Tula
D. El Tajn
El Tajn had over a dozen ball courts because:
A. there were twelve major-league sports teams, each of which needed its own court
B. it held regional events, similar to the Olympics, and required such facilities to host
them
C. numerous schools for ball game players were located at the site
D. each of its rulers probably built his own court
Sex in Aztec society:
A. took place before marriage to ensure the couple were fertile
B. was considered to be pleasurable but a waste of productive time
C. was regulated by the government
D. was not encouraged among the population, due to high growth rates
Ancient Teotihuacanos spoke:
A. Nahuatl
B. one of the Mayan languages
C. Teotihuacano
D. an unknown language
Numerous states and proto-states, especially in the Central Highlands of Mexico and
the Maya Lowlands first developed during the _____ period in Mesoamerican
prehistory.
A. Formative
B. Archaic
C. Postclassic
D. Classic
The terminology used to describe the entire materials and practices, including the
production, distribution, and consumption of goods as controlled or influenced by the
decisions of a society’s rulers is:
A. “political economy”
B. “political organization”
C. “economics”
D. “inequality”
A “codex” is a:
A. journal written by a traveler, especially one who goes to a new land
B. type of book
C. form of clerical record that was kept by Franciscan priests
D. tablet used by ancient Mesoamerican commoners to keep track of the agricultural
cycle
Rainfall in the Yucatn Peninsula varies from _____ in the northwest corner to _____ in
the southern lowlands.
A. 500 mm / 4 mm
B. 400 mm / 5,000 mm
C. 4,000 mm / 500 mm
D. 500 mm / 4,000 mm
Cuernavaca, Morelos, was the closest tierra caliente town to the Basin of Mexico. This
area was particularly attractive to the Aztecs because:
A. the local population was eager to join the Aztec empire and receive its protection
B. the political climate in this region was weak and the city-states could be easily
toppled
C. produce such as cotton could be grown and exported to Tenochtitlan
D. its maguey produced the best pulque
The Mayan word “sacbe“:
A. is used to refer to a particular arrangement of temple-pyramid
B. means “white way”
C. refers to low-lying swampy areas
D. is translated as “ruler”
It is important for the student of archaeology to understand cultural history because:
A. it provides insights into the cultural evolution of a region
B. it allows one to make up phase names
C. dates are the entire focus of archaeology
D. the sequence is the same for all regions
Immediately after the death of Motecuzma II:
A. the Spaniards took control of Tenochtitlan
B. his brother Cuitlahuac was made huetlatoani
C. Ahuitzotl’s son became the huetlatoani
D. Corts was crowned king of the Mexica
The Mexica are commonly known as the:
A. Nahua
B. Acolhua
C. Tepanecs
D. Aztecs
Choose the correct order of Aztec social statuses, from high to low:
A. pipiltin, pochteca, macehualtin, huetlatoani
B. huetlatoani, pipiltin, pochteca, macehualtin
C. pochteca, macehualtin, huetlatoani, pipiltin
D. huetlatoani, pochteca, pipiltin, macehualtin
Cob consolidated its territory by:
A. controlling obsidian trade
B. controlling water resources
C. spreading the cult of the Feathered Serpent
D. constructing a system of sacbeob
The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan was built over:
A. the Pyramid of the Moon
B. a cave
C. a cemetery
D. a road