Question

which statement best describes a shared cultural or religious characteristic of the maya, inca, and aztec civilizations?
a. all three civilizations practiced monotheism and built temples dedicated to a single god.
b. all three rejected religious ceremonies and focused only on scientific study and experimentation.
c. all three believed in multiple gods connected to nature and performed rituals or sacrifices to honor them.
d. all three adopted christianity from european explorers quickly becoming the world center for catholic worship.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Mesoamerican civilizations (Maya, Inca, Aztec) were polytheistic, not monotheistic, so A is wrong.
• Option B: These civilizations had religious ceremonies and did not focus only on scientific study (they had limited scientific experimentation in the modern sense), so B is wrong.
• Option C: Maya, Inca, and Aztec were polytheistic, believing in multiple nature - connected gods, and performed rituals/sacrifices to honor them. This matches their religious/cultural practices.
• Option D: They did not quickly adopt Christianity from European explorers; resistance and gradual adoption occurred, so D is wrong.

Answer:

C. All three believed in multiple gods connected to nature and performed rituals or sacrifices to honor them.