Empires of the Americas
Review
Aztec and Inca similarities
• Both the Aztec and Inca had complex
religious ceremonies
• Both were conquered by the Spanish
with help from people they had
conquered
• The Aztecs were conquered by Cortes
• The Incas were conquered by Pizzaro
Aztec King
• The Aztec king that
was conquered by
Cortes was
Montezuma.
Inca King
• The Inca king that
was conquered by
Pizzaro was
Atahualpa.
Mayan gods
• The Maya
worshipped more
than 160 gods.
Maya, Aztec, and Inca
civilizations
• All three complex architectural
structures like pyramids and temples
• They were polytheistic, believing in
many gods
Where did the Inca come
from?
Where did the Aztec come
from?
• The valley of Mexico
Quipu
• The accounting
system of the Inca
that involved tying
knots in rope
More Inca achievements
• Another Inca
achievement was
the developed a
system of roads
Aztec Calendar
• The Aztec developed
a calendar so they
knew when to perform
religious ceremonies.
Mayan mathematics
• Mayan mathematics was based on the
number 20
• The system included the use of glyphs,
or picture writing
Slash and Burn Agriculture
• Mayan farmers practiced slash-andburn agriculture. They cut down and
burned trees, then used the ash for
fertilizer.
Terraces
• The Mayas also cut
terraces into the
sides of mountains
to make farming
easier.
Aztec capital city
• The city the Aztecs built in the Valley of
Mexico was called Tenochtitlan.
Chinampas
• Aztecs living around
Tenochtitlan need to
develop the farming
of chinampas
because they built
Tenochtitlan on a
lake.
Cuzco
• The capital of the Inca empire was
called Cuzco.
Inca communications
• The Inca used runners as messengers
so they could communicate over long
distances.
Inca religious beliefs
• The Inca believed
that their leaders
were direct
descendants of sun
god
Maya population
• The majority of the Maya people were
peasant farmers.
Mayan Achievement
• The Mayan made grade advancements
in the science of astronomy (the study
of the stars)
• The Mayans also built pyramids, much
like the Egyptians did. (So did the Inca)
Mayan religious practices
• The Mayans believed that the Gods
required sacrifices to keep them happy.
Mayan ball game
• The Mayans had a
ball game that
resembles our game
of soccer.
• Often at the end of
the game the losers
were sacrificed.
• Where were
most of the May
settlements
located?
• Where is
Macchu Piccu
located?