Why are there only 4 Maya codex remaining today?
Spanish conquistadors burned them when they arrived.
What was the main crop of the Mayans? Use the vocabulary word as your answer.
maize
codex
True or False?
Thousands of Mayans still live in Mesoamerica today.
TRUE
They used their heads to balance items. Example: They tied straps of bags around their head to carry pumpkins from the fields to the peasant homes.
Give 1 way the Maya calendar was similar to ours?
They both had 365 days in a year
What were the Spanish soldiers called who came and took over the Mayans?
conquistadors
What is the strip of land between North and South America called?
MesoAmerica
Name 2 things the Maya considered beautiful in their culture that we do not find beautiful today.
flat forehead, big nose, crossed eyes
How might the howler monkey have contributed to the Mayans leaving their city-states?
It may have spread the yellow fever disease throughout the city-states.
Give at least 2 uses for temples in the Maya Culture.
Religious ceremonies (including sacrifices), to make announcements from the top to the whole city-state, to be close to the gods, to study astronomy
Which word means that soil has lots of nutrients and is good for growing crops?
fertile
What is a drought?
a period of time with little to no rain
Give 1 positive and 1 negative of slash and burn.
Positive: made the soil fertile for growing crops
Negative: only lasted a few years and then it had to sit untouched for 5-15 years
How might the perengis maidis insect have contributed to the Mayans leaving their city-states?
It infected the crops and led to famine.
Why was the sport of ringball considered ahead of its time? This means why was it considered advanced for the Maya to have the game of ringball?
They built huge arenas and even had fans watching. None of the North American native tribes did this.
Fill in the blank with the correct vocabulary word.
The Mayans built large ________________ that included temples, palaces, and a ringball court for recreation.
city-states
The Mayans had a love for ___________________and the built tall __________________ in their palaces so they could study the sun, moon, and stars.
Blank 1: astronomy
Blank 2: observatories
Peasants wore plain cotton - Rulers wore colorful cotton and lots of feathers and feather headresses
What are 2 reasons the Mayans may have fought with other native tribes in their area?
In the name of religion or over resources such as land and water
What was the Mayan's math system called and why?
Base 20 because they had 10 fingers and 10 toes
Fill in both blanks with the correct vocabulary terms.
When the conquistadors arrived they found Mayan ___________ carved onto stone towers called ____________.
Blank 1: glyphs
Blank 2: stela
Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary words.
The Spanish did not believe in _________________, or the worshipping of many gods. They were a _____________ culture and tried to change the Mayan natives.
Blank 1: polytheism
Blank 2: monotheistic
What is the name of the peninsula the Maya lived on?
Yucatan
Name at least 3 countries we could travel to today to see Maya Ruins.
Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador