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AP US History
Ms. Grev
Diverse Societies – Primary sources
Gold Frog Ornaments – Mixtec, Southern Mexico, 15th to 16th century
A member of the Mixtec people, who lived within the Aztec empire, made this necklace for an Aztec
aristocrat. Mixtec and Aztec peoples associated frogs with rain and fertility, which were important
factors for survival in civilizations with large cities and complex societies that depended on stable crop
yields of maize and other products.
Identify: When historians examine
documents or artifacts, they need to
identify details that may be relevant
to their research. Describe this
necklace, taking care to identify
details that you think are relevant to
events of this era.
Analyze: If frogs represented fertility
for the Aztecs, why might a highstatus Aztec want to wear these
symbolic objects?
Evaluate: How did the natural environment contribute to the development of this artifact?
Ruins of the Pueblo Town of Cicuique, New Mexico, 16th Century
The pueblo of Cicuique, whose ruins are photographed below, housed two thousand residents who grew
corn, beans, and squash and traded goods with neighboring towns. The residents lived in an arid climate
and practiced a type of farming that required very little water. The town was fortified and contained five
hundred warriors who defended the town from the nomadic tribes of the Great Plains. The ruins are
located in New Mexico.
1) Identify: Describe the geography of the land around this ruined pueblo.
2) Analyze: In what ways was this town a product of its geography?
3) Evaluate: This structure suggests that the people who built it were settled rather than nomadic.
What inferences can you make about their economic patterns based on this evidence? Explain your
response.
AP US History
Ms. Grev
Checkpoint: Historical Thinking
Read the following background and study the picture below. Then, follow the instructions and answer
the questions for 1-3 below. You may use the back of this paper if necessary. For 2 and 3, you must write
in complete sentences.
Chief Powhatan’s Deerskin Cloak, Virginia, 1608
Chief Powhatan, who ruled the Pamunkey in the present-day Virginia, wore this deerskin cloak for tribal
ceremonies. Powhatan’s tribe was part of the Algonquin peoples who inhabited the southeastern region
of North America. The objects in this cload are made of shells, which were considered items of value by
the Pamunkey people. The circles could represent regions under Powhatan’s control, the animals
probably represent deer, and the individual in the center represents Chief Powhatan.
1) Identify: Describe the arrangement of the
images and materials in this cloak.
2) Analyze: What do these materials tell us about
the native economy and society of the Pamunkey
peoples in southeastern North America?
3) Evaluate: How might Powhatan’s placement at the center of this cloak foster conflict with European
colonists?