OLMEC
The ancient Olmec civilization is considered the "________ culture" of Mesoamerica.
"Mother culture"
The Maya civilization thrived in present-day _______, _________, __________, ________, and __________ (countries) from about 2000-1500 BCE.
Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador
The Aztec Empire dominated central Mexico from 1428-1521 CE. Their capital city, _________, was built on an island in Lake Texcoco.
Tenochtitlan
In ______ _______, the Inca Empire stretched over approximately 2,500 miles along the Andes Mountains from present-day Columbia to Chile.
South America
Peru
They were skilled in agriculture, particularly ________ cultivation.
maize
Their religious center was called Chavin de _______ became a pilgrimage site.
Huantar
The Diquis culture is famous for its perfectly round __________ some measuring over 6.5 feet in diameter.
The Olmec flourished from 1200-400 BCE and inhabited the tropical lowlands of present-day ___________ (country).
Mexico
The Maya are know for their advanced understanding of ______________.
astronomy
The capital city of the Aztecs was home to approximately _________ people, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time.
200,000
Flourishing from 1438-1533 CE, the Incas built an extensive network of roads and bridges, including the famous, Inca Trail leading to __________ _________.
Machu Picchu
The Moche are known for their intricate pottery, irrigation systems, and massive ________ complexes.
ceremonial
Zapotec developed one of the earliest ________ systems in Mesoamerica.
writing
Chavin de Huantar features intricate stone carvings and advanced __________.
metallurgy
They flourished from 700 to ______ CE.
1530
The Olmec are best known for their colossal ______ ________, carved from basalt, some weighing up to 40 tons.
stone heads
The Maya had a fully developed written language of _______.
The Aztec were known for their engineering marvels such as causeways, aqueducts, and __________ (floating gardens).
chinampas
The Inca practiced terrace farming and domesticated llamas and _________.
alpacas
The Moche built the _________ del _______ an adobe pyramid.
Huaca del Sol
Centered in the Valley of ________ 500 BCE to 16th century
Oaxaca
The Chavin are credited with influencing later ________ civilizations through their religious iconography and technological innovations.
Andean
The Diquis culture lived in what is now _______ and _____ ______.
Panama and Costa Rica
Olmecs developed early forms of writing, mathematics, and a _________ system that would influence later civilizations.
calendar
The Maya civilization built magnificent cities such as ________ and _______ ______, featuring towering pyramids, palaces, and ball courts.
Tikal and Chichen Itza
The Aztec has a rich cultural life with poetry, art, and vibrant _____________.
Marketplaces
The Incas used a system of knotted cords called ______ to record information.
quipu
The Moche left behind a vivid artistic record of the daily life, rituals, and ________.
warfare
The Zapotec capital sat atop an artificially leveled mountain
Monte Albán
Chavin culture lived in Peru from 900 BCE to _____ BCE
200
They created advanced ______ work, intricate ceramics, and complex social systems.
gold
Olmecs religious beliefs centered around the ________ deities and maize cultivation, laying the cultural foundation for the Maya and Aztec.
jaguar
The Maya's decline was likely due to ________, __________, and social unrest.
drought, warfare, and social unrest
The Aztec empire fell to ________ ________ and the Spanish in 1521.
Hernán Cortez
The Inca empire fell to Spanish conquistador __________ _________.
Francisco Pizarro
Archaeological finds such as the tomb of the ______ of _______ revealed their complex social hierarchy.
Lord of Sipán
The Zapotec capital Monte Alban sat atop an artificially leveled mountain and featured plazas, pyramids, and __________.
observatories
In northern _______ America, they flourished in the highlands of _______.
South America, highlands of Peru
The purpose of the stone spheres remains a mystery, but they are believed to have had ceremonial or _________ significance.
astronomical