A
Where can the lowlands be found?
In the jungles of the Yucatan
3 main crops grown in the highlands
maize, squash, beans
The land of the Maya is best described as having...
extremely varied geography
What city has been called the "cradle of the Maya civilization?"
El Mirador
What important mathematical ideas did the Maya develop?
they developed the concept of zero, and a sophisticated number system that calculated sums up to the hundreds of millions
How did farmers use slash and burn agriculture to fertilize their land?
they used the ash left from burning the plants and trees on the land
Olmec Social Order?
rulers, priests, merchants, farmers
Why might the Maya make a sacrifice to the maize god?
for good harvest
True or False: Maya city states were independent of one another.
True
Why did Maya astronomers study the sun, moon, planets, and stars
to use the observations to calculate the best times for planting/harvesting crops and for religious celebrations.
Why did the Zapotec build terraces?
to create more land for farming
Why did the Zapotec culture begin in the Oaxaca Valley?
The valley had very fertile farmland
Layout of a Maya city?
central plaza which served as a market
How did the Maya use their mathematical skills?
to record astronomical observations
What did the Maya develop using their astronomical observations and calculations?
an elaborate 365 day calendar nearly as accurate as our own.
Where was Mesoamerica located?
stretching from southern Mexico into part of Central America.
Why did Olmec and Zapotec civilizations develop along coastal areas?
In order to be close to water sources
How did sports play a role in Maya religion?
The Maya played a specific ballgame to honor their gods - it took place on a court at the foot of a temple. The captain of the losing team was probably sacrificed to the gods.
In which years did Spanish conquerors destroy much of Maya culture? What specifically was destroyed?
1500's, codices
What is the name of the most famous Maya book and what is it about?
The Popol Vuh, which recounts the Maya creation story
What geographic factors influenced the development of civilizations in Mesoamerica?
flat, fertile land in the highlands. Rainy climate of the lowlands, and fertile floodplains of the lowlands.
Agricultural techniques in the highlands vs the lowlands?
highlands - field irrigated by diverting nearby streams.
lowlands - slash-and-burn agriculture used to clear fields in the dense jungles
How were living quarters different for upper and lower classes in Maya society?
Upper class: stone buildings
lower class: mud huts
Describe the Maya writing system
The Maya used glyphs (symbolic pictures) to represent words, syllables, and sounds that could be combined into complex sentences. History was written and recorded in a tree-bark paper book called a codex.
The Maya represented numbers using which 3 symbols? What did each symbol represent?
a shell to represent zero
a dot for one
and a bar for 5