The Maya
What was the main crop that the Mayans grew?
Corn
What is the name of the floating gardens the Aztec built?
chinampas
What did the Anasazi people develop to get water to their crops?
Irrigation
A method of supplying dry land with water through a series of ditches or pipes.
Irrigation
A long period with very little rain.
Drought
What were the two ways Mayan farmers overcame their landscape to grow crops?
They built terraces in hilly areas and piled up soil above the water in swampy areas.
What did the Aztec people build into their cities?
Broad avenues, plazas, markets, even a zoo
What kinds of crops did the Anasazi grow?
Squash, beans, corn, and cotton
The practice of people owning other people and forcing them to do work.
Slavery
A scientist who looks for and studies artifacts.
Archaeologist
What kinds of things did the Mayan people build?
Temples, plazas, monuments
What kinds of crops did the Aztec grow?
Peppers, squash, tomatoes, corn, and beans
Where did the Anasazi build their homes?
Underground or into the sides of cliffs
An object left behind by people who lived long ago.
Artifact
Forced payment, usually made in the form of valuable goods.
What did Mayan farmers do to keep their soil from wearing out?
Moved their fields from place to place.
What kinds of things did the Aztec people build to connect the island to the rest of the valley?
Causeways and bridges
What was the name of the Anasazi's 800 room town?
Pueblo Bonito
A large area in which different groups of people are controlled by one ruler or government.
Empire
An amount greater than what is needed.
Surplus
Why did the Maya build monuments?
To honor their rulers or please their gods
The Aztec people placed their buildings in special locations to mark the position of what?
The Sun
Why did so many artifacts from the Anasazi survive?
The dry hot climate where they lived allowed them to be preserved and found by archaeologists.
A culture that has developed complex systems of government, education, and religion.
Civilization
To spend most of one's time doing one kind of job.
Specialize