1. Why are the Olmecs often called Mesoamerica’s “mother culture”?
2. What type of Olmec statues were found around 1860? What made these unique?
3. How did the Olmecs contribute to later Mesoamerican civilizations?
4. What is known about Maya cities?
5. What advances did the Maya make in math and religion?
6. Why do historians think the Maya declined?
7. Where were the Aztecs supposed to build their capital?
8. How was Aztec society organized?
9. Why and how did the Aztecs sacrifice to the sun god?


10. Why did conquered peoples rebel against the Aztecs?
11. How was the Inca government similar to Egypt’s?


12. How did the government unite the empire?


13. Why did the Incan Empire

1. What changes occurred during the Tang Dynasty?
2. Name three advances in technology under the Tang and Song Dynasties.
3. What social changes occurred in China during the Tang and Song periods?


1. Name three characteristics of the nomads of the steppes.


2. Name three reasons for the success of the Mongols as conquerors.


3. What were two effects of the Mongol empire on Central Asia?


4. How did Kublai Khan rule China?


5. What did Marco Polo do while he was in China?


6. Name two reasons why Mongol rule came to an end.