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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Analyzing Architecture Of The Americas
Due to the high seismic activity of the area, which architectural attributes were included in the construction of Monte Albán, pictured above?
Flying buttresses
Thick walls and short stature
Strong, weight-bearing arches.
Thick walls
Short stature
Thick walls and short stature
Monte Albán was constructed using thick walls and short stature, in part due to the high level of seismic activity in the area. These attributes assured that the structures would not be disrupted or destroyed by any earthquakes.
Image accessed at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Panorama_of_Monte_Alban_from_the_South_Platform.jpg
Photograph by Matt Saunder
Example Question #1 : Analyzing Architecture Of The Americas
As can be seen in the above photo, Monte Albán is made up of multiple different __________________, located atop and also around an artificially-leveled hill.
None of these
larger tribal settlements
smaller tribal settlements
smaller cities
plazas and platforms
plazas and platforms
The city of Monte Albán was founded in large part by the Zapotec civilization, and flourished from 500BC to around 850AD. Its construction and basic architecture consists of multiple plazas and platforms that housed many different buildings, such as religious centers, residential buildings, ball courts, and marketplaces. Although it was considered poly-ethnic, it did not consist of smaller tribes or cities. It was, in fact, one singular, unified city.
Image accessed at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Panorama_of_Monte_Alban_from_the_South_Platform.jpg
Photograph by Matt Saunder
Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Architecture Of The Americas
Which of the following was a significant building method in Incan architecture?
Mixed cement
Complex glasswork
Mortar-less masonry
Heavy timber
Mortar-less masonry
The architecture of the Inca Empire reflected their mountain locale, which stretched across modern day Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Large stones were frequently used for significant buildings, such as the massive complex of Macchu Picchu. The most remarkable aspect of Inca masonry was its intricate stonecutting, which allowed their masonry to be put together without the use of mortar or any binding substance.
Example Question #2 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Architecture Of The Americas
Incan architecture employed which of the following building techniques?
Ashlar masonry
Lacunari
Post-and-lintel construction
Corbelling
Ashlar masonry
Ashlar masonry is the term given to the finely beveled rocks fitted closely next to one another by Incan builders. Corbelling was used by Hindu architects to lend cavelike appearances to temples. Post-and-lintel construction was used in the building of Neolithic structures, including Stonehenge. Lacunari refers to the coffers used by Roman builders to lessen the weight of heavy ceilings.
Example Question #3 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Architecture Of The Americas
The Templo Mayor located within the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan conveyed to its people both a religious and a __________ message.
loving
cosmic
None of the other answers is correct.
fearful
political
political
Aztec temples were not just centers for religious worship, but also displays of political propaganda. The Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan, for example, was a reminder to the people of Tenochtitlan that a great amount of wealth and power was required to erect it, and that such power should be respected.
Example Question #2 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Architecture Of The Americas
Incan architecture employed which of the following building techniques?
Ashlar masonry
Post-and-lintel construction
Corbelling
Lacunari
Ashlar masonry
Ashlar masonry is the term given to the finely beveled rocks fitted closely next to one another by Incan builders. Corbelling was used by Hindu architects to lend cavelike appearances to temples. Post-and-lintel construction was used in the building of Neolithic structures, including Stonehenge. Lacunari refers to the coffers used by Roman builders to lessen the weight of heavy ceilings.
Example Question #4 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Architecture Of The Americas
Which feature of Monte Albán, pictured above, is meant to represent the victims of human sacrifice of the Zapotec civilization?
Distorted stone monuments of naked men called "Danzantes."
Relief sculpture carved into the stone walls of the Main Plaza.
None of these
The Zapotec civilization did not participate in human sacrifice.
Sacrificial altars used to store the hearts of the victims.
Distorted stone monuments of naked men called "Danzantes."
The Zapotec civilization used stone monuments depicting naked men with distorted posture and often mutilated genitals, called "Danzantes," or "Dancers," to represent their victims of human sacrifice. These stone monuments can be seen throughout the plazas of Monte Albán. Over 300 of these monuments have been found.
Image accessed at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Panorama_of_Monte_Alban_from_the_South_Platform.jpg
Photograph by Matt Saunder
Example Question #1 : Identifying Artists, Works, Or Schools Of Architecture Of The Americas
The Anasazi were notable for constructing buildings in __________.
desert plains
stone cliffs
lake islands
swamplands
stone cliffs
The Anasazi are believed to have developed a unique culture in the American southwest around roughly the twelfth century B.C.E. The most notable aspect of Anasazi ruins and buildings is their location. In multiple sites in the Four Corners region, large stone palaces and other buildings are built into caves along stone cliffs, creating the look of a building that comes directly out of the stone walls.
Example Question #2 : Identifying Artists, Works, Or Schools Of Architecture Of The Americas
The Mayan civilization of Mesoamerica is perhaps best known for building which Pre-Columbian city, which in this day and age has become a popular tourist attraction?
Chichen Itza
Tlaloc
Zocalo
Tenochtitlan
Queztalcoatl
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza, built and occupied between 600 and 1200 BCE, is a famous city built by the Mayans in what is today known as Yucatán, Southern Mexico. It is not completely known why Chichen Itza was abandoned, only that it remains in good condition to this day, and is a stunning example of Mayan architecture.
Example Question #183 : Architecture
The pyramids found alongside these stone monuments in what is now Hidalgo, Mexico, are examples of the architectural style of which pre-Columbian civilization of Mesoamerica?
The Aztec civilization
The Toltec civilization
The Olmec civilization
None of these
The Inca civilization
The Toltec civilization
The Toltec civilization dominated the area of Mexico that is now known as the state of Hidalgo in the early post-classic period of Mesoamerican chronology. The pyramids constructed in Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, show an interesting similarity to Mayan architecture, though they are different enough as to be able to determine Toltec from Mayan architecture. What the similarities seem to hint at is that there was some kind of interaction between the Mayan and Toltec civilizations.
In addition, the Aztec peoples considered the Toltec civilization as their ancestors. Although little is known about the history of the Toltec civilization, the Aztecs wrote about them extensively. Unfortunately, it is not known if the accounts of the Aztecs are indeed historical, or simply fictional accounts of those whom they consider to be their ancestors.
Image accessed at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Telamones_Tula.jpg
Photograph by Luidger
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