The Inca: mountain roads, terraces and the quipu

Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   The cell marked ? is blank. Noah's chart has a blank: how long was the Inca road system?

   • A few km
   • Exactly 40,000 km
   • About 300 to 400 km along the main road
   • About 30,000 to 40,000 km

2. Read this first

   Inca roads and runners

   Topic	What we know
   Length	about 30,000 to 40,000 km of roads (sources give different totals)
   Travel	people and goods moved without wheels or draft animals
   Chasquis	relay runners who took over at stations a few km apart (most chroniclers say about 2.5 km; others give 6 to 9 km); estimates of a day's travel range from up to 300 km to 360–480 km
   Tambos	roadside buildings with supplies and lodging

3. 2.

   How far apart were the chasqui stations, Pia asks?

   • About 25 to 90 km
   • About 2.5 to 9 km, by different accounts
   • About 300 to 480 km
   • About 30,000 km
4. 3.

   What did tambos hold, Ren asks?

   • Relay runners' horses
   • Wheeled carts
   • Supplies and lodging
   • Gold coins
5. 4.

   Tala reads that chasquis were relay runners. What is a relay?

   • One runner runs the whole way
   • Runners ride horses
   • Runners take turns, each running a stretch
   • A message sent by ship
6. 5.

   Zee reads that travel used no draft animals. What is a draft animal?

   • An animal kept as a pet
   • A wild animal
   • A bird that carries messages
   • An animal that pulls carts or plows
7. 6.

   Why does the chart give a range, 30,000 to 40,000 km, instead of one number, Ari asks?

   • The roads change length each day
   • Sources give different totals
   • 40,000 is the exact length
   • The chart could not count
8. 7.

   Is the road system longer than 25,000 km, Jun asks?

   • It can't be known
   • Just when the total is 40,000
   • Yes, under either total
   • No, under either total
9. 8.

   Why use relay runners instead of one runner, Kira asks?

   • Fresh runners kept the message fast
   • Relays slowed the message
   • One runner is faster over a long distance
   • Runners rode wheeled carts
10. 9.

    Why build tambos along the roads, Luz asks?

    • To store wheels
    • To mark the end of the roads
    • To stop people traveling
    • Travelers needed supplies and rest
11. 10.

    Milo's friend says Inca roads were built for carts. What is the best reply?

    • Agree: roads mean carts
    • Disagree: no one used the roads
    • Disagree: travel was without wheels
    • Agree: llamas pulled carts along the roads