The Maya
Where and when did the Maya civilization flourish? What was their most famous city?
Mostly Guatemala and a portion of the Yucatan Peninsula. 300 BC - 900 AD. Tikal.
Where and when did the Aztec civilization flourish?
The middle of Mexico. From 1110-1521 AD. The Aztecs came from the Chichimecs.
Where and when did the Inca civilization flourish? What was their capital city?
In the Andes Mountains of South America, in modern day Ecuador, Peru and Chile (from Quito to Santiago). Around 1100-1533 AD. The capital city was Cusco.
Where is Machu Picchu located?
Machu Picchu is located in Peru, high up in the Andes Mountains.
What was the Bering Land Bridge (aka Beringia)?
The land connecting the north-east tip of Asia and present-day Alaska. There is a theory that people crossed this land bridge during the Ice Age.
The Maya form of government was a theocracy. What does that mean? Who was the most important leader?
They were ruled by many gods and their priests were in charge. They worshiped the sun, the stars, and the moon. True Man was the most important leader.
What was the name of the Aztec capital city? What was unique about this city? Why did they choose this location?
Tenochtitlan. It was on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. They chose this location because they saw a sign - an eagle eating the fruit of a cactus plant (this was later changed to an eagle eating a snake).
Which language did the Inca speak? And did they have a written language?
The spoke Quechua, but did not have a written language. They used knotted strings called quipu instead of a written language to keep their records.
What explorer discovered the abandoned city of Machu Picchu in the early 1900s? What was he really looking for?
Hiram Bingham. He was looking for Vilcabamba, the last Inca city before the Inca civilization was destroyed by the Spanish.
What was the most important crop that was planted and grown by the early civilizations of Mesoamerica?
Maize (corn)
What was one of the greatest inventions of the Maya?
The calendar system.
Who was Quetzalcoatl? What did he look like?
One of the Aztec gods. It was part bird and part snake. He was a feathered serpent.
Who was the most important god in the Inca belief?
The sun god Inti. The Inca believed that they were descendants of him.
What was the most important building at Machu Picchu? What was it made of?
The temple of the sun. All the buildings at Machu Picchu, including the temple of the sun, were made of rock. The temple was made of rocks that fit together perfectly, like a puzzle. They didn't use mortar in between the rocks to hold them together.
What was the name of the first great civilization on the coast of Mesoamerica around 1200 BC? They are known for their giant stone sculptures of faces, masks, and little statues of people made out of jade.
The Olmec
What 2 types of calendars did the Maya have?
They had 2 calendars - a solar calendar, which contained 365 days, and a ritual calendar, which had 260 days. The two calendars rotated together. The ritual calendar determined whether a day was good or bad.
What was the name of the Aztec king?
Montezuma
Who was one of the most important and well known leaders/kings of the Inca? Why?
Pachacuti. During his rule, the Inca empire grew to a great size.
There were 600 terraces at Machu Picchu. What are the 2 main purposes for having these terraces?
The main purposes are:
1. To grow crops.
2. To keep the city from sliding down the mountain because of all the rain it gets.
Which early civilization was known to perform human sacrifices? Why did they do this?
The Maya and the Aztec. The Aztecs sacrificed about 3000 people every year. They did this in order to "feed their gods" because they thought their gods were live beings.
What caused the decline of the Maya civilization?
There isn't really one cause, but maybe a combination of different factors - climate change, war, political factors.
What caused the decline of the Aztec civilization?
The arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1519. Hernan Cortez was their leader. The Aztecs thought he was a god. The conquistadors wanted to convert the Aztecs to Christianity and they also wanted their gold. The Aztecs and the Spanish fought, and many Aztecs were killed.
What caused the decline of the Inca civilization?
The arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1532. Their leader was Francisco Pizarro. The Inca leader, Atahualpa, was put to death by the Spanish.
What was the main purpose of Machu Picchu? What was it used for?
Machu Picchu was a royal retreat, like a vacation home for the emperor. It was built for the great Inca leader Pachacuti.
What led to the creation of cultures, societies, and civilizations in Mesoamerica?
1. Agriculture - planting crops and growing food
2. Living in towns - building homes, establishing villages, cities, and not moving all the time
3. Art - Making beautiful things with your hands, having a hobby
4. Social organization - government, choosing leaders, having an army
5. Trade - Exchanging goods with others, working
6. Math and science - developing knowledge
7. Written language - communication between the groups of people