North and South America Prior to 500 C.E. - SAT Subject Test in World History

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Question

Which of these is the earliest known Mesoamerican civilization?

Answer

The earliest known civilization in Mesoamerica is the Olmec Empire. The Olmec Empire emerged approximately 1500 BCE and lasted as an empire until approximately 400 BCE. The Olmec people are known for their unique art and architecture.

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Question

Which of the following groups are indigenous people who have inhabited the tundra of North America since at least 3000 B.C.E.?

Answer

The Inuit people (often popularly called "Eskimos") have inhabited the Arctic tundra since at least 3000 B.C.E. Their society was based around hunting caribou and seals, and they survive in the very coldest regions of North America to this day.

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Question

The Hopewell Native Americans are most well known for which of the following?

Answer

The Hopewell people lived in modern-day Midwest United States. They are most famous for their burial mounds that exist to this day.

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Question

Which of the following native people of the Americas are famous for their system of calendars based on their deep knowledge of astronomy?

Answer

The Maya had a very profound understanding of astronomy, the movement of the stars, and the passage of time. Their calendars went back to 3000 B.C.E. and were much more accurate than any other calendars on Earth during the height of Maya civilization. Their calendar is known today as "the Long Count calendar."

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Question

Tehuacan was an early agricultural community in which moden-day country?

Answer

The Agricultural Revolution took place in Mesoamerica around 5,000 B.C.E. The earliest known agricultural site in the Americas is at Tehuacan in modern-day Mexico. Even if you did not know the answer to this question you could have reasonably inferred from the similarities between Tehuacan and Teotihuacan (a well-known Aztec community).

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