Which statement best describes calendars, mathematics, and writing achievements of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations?

Which statement best describes calendars, mathematics, and writing achievements of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations?

• A. All three civilizations produced calendars, mathematics, and writing
• B. Only the Maya produced calendars and writing
• C. Only the Aztec produced calendars and writing
• D. Only the Inca produced calendars and writing

Answer: (A)

The focus here is on how these civilizations contributed to calendars, math, and ways of recording information. The Maya are renowned for a sophisticated writing system using glyphs and for a highly accurate calendar that combines a linear Long Count with cyclical religious calendars; they also developed significant mathematical ideas, including the concept of zero. The Aztec likewise used a complex calendar system and kept records using a system of pictographs and glyphs. The Inca didn’t develop a true writing script, but they did maintain extensive numerical and administrative data through quipu, a knot-record system that functioned as a way to store information and manage resources. In the context of this question, quipu is considered a form of writing/record-keeping, so all three civilizations had calendars and mathematics, and they each used a method of writing or data recording. That makes the statement describing all three as having calendars, mathematics, and writing best fit the material students are expected to know.

The focus here is on how these civilizations contributed to calendars, math, and ways of recording information. The Maya are renowned for a sophisticated writing system using glyphs and for a highly accurate calendar that combines a linear Long Count with cyclical religious calendars; they also developed significant mathematical ideas, including the concept of zero. The Aztec likewise used a complex calendar system and kept records using a system of pictographs and glyphs. The Inca didn’t develop a true writing script, but they did maintain extensive numerical and administrative data through quipu, a knot-record system that functioned as a way to store information and manage resources. In the context of this question, quipu is considered a form of writing/record-keeping, so all three civilizations had calendars and mathematics, and they each used a method of writing or data recording. That makes the statement describing all three as having calendars, mathematics, and writing best fit the material students are expected to know.