The Aztecs
According to legend, the Aztecs chose their permanent home after seeing an eagle perched on a cactus eating one of these.
What is a snake?
Most of the Maya civilization was located on this peninsula, which separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea.
What is the Yucatán Peninsula?
The Inca Empire was massive, stretching approximately 2,000 miles down the west coast of this continent.
What is South America?
This term refers to the region of Central America where several important civilizations, like the Maya and Aztecs, were located.
What is Mesoamerica?
Bartolomé de Las Casas became the first Spaniard to be ordained as one of these in the New World.
What is a priest?
The Aztecs created these "mat-gardens" to grow crops on the water, which provided food even during droughts.
What are floating gardens (or chinampas)?
The Maya were even more advanced than Europeans of their time in these two specific fields of study.
What are astronomy and mathematics?
Since they had no written language, the Inca kept records using this elaborate system of knots.
What is quipu?
This Aztec language is still spoken today in Mexico by approximately 1.5 million people.
What is Nahuatl?
Bartolomé was inspired to release his slaves after hearing a challenging sermon by this Dominican monk.
Who is Father Montesinos?
We can thank the Aztecs for discovering the delicious taste of this bean, which they used to make bars and hot drinks.
What is the cacao bean (or chocolate)?
Maya mythology taught that the heavens were held up at each corner by one of these animals.
What are jaguars?
This magnificent "deserted city" was built by the Inca high in the Andes Mountains.
What is Machu Picchu?
This specific manuscript is the oldest known Maya book to exist from before the Spanish invasion.
What is the Dresden Codex?
Bartolomé traveled across the ocean five times to appeal to this person on behalf of the native people.
Who is the King (of Spain)?
This is the name for the types of books the Aztecs used to record their history and culture.
What is a codex?
These famous Maya monuments were often over 100 feet tall and built in religious centers near the palaces of rulers.
What are stepped pyramids?
These animals were commonly used by Inca merchants to transport goods along their cobbled streets.
What are llamas?
This Maya language, still spoken by 750,000 people today, was written using Spanish spelling in the 1600s.
What is Yucatec?
Bartolomé argued that the Pope had granted Spain land in the New World for this purpose, rather than for terrorizing.
What is evangelizing (or spreading the Gospel)?
While poorer teenagers attended schools for farming and warfare, wealthy Aztec boys went to advanced schools to study these two subjects.
What are writing and astronomy?
Because they did not have metal tools, the Maya used logs, manpower, and chisels made of this specific mineral.
What is jadeite?
The Incas were such skilled masons that they paved streets with stones so perfectly fitted together they did not need this
What is mortar?
The Maya used this system of writing, which they carved into rock slabs to record the accomplishments of their rulers.
What are hieroglyphics?
When Bartolomé passed away in 1566, the native people honored him by lighting these and lamenting his death.
What are fires?