The Maya
What term means belief in many gods?
Polytheism
Which country conquered the Aztec?
Spain
What is the term for the farming method in which trees and other plants are cut down and burned so the ash can fertilize the soil?
Slash and burn agriculture
How did the Aztec gain victims for human sacrifices?
They waged many wars
Tenochtitlan is what major city today?
Mexico City
Why were temples built on top of pyramids?
to be closer to the gods
What was the name for the Aztec capital city?
Tenochtitlan
What is an example of a Maya city?
Tikal, Palenque, Copan, etc.
What is the name of the lake where the Aztec built their capital city?
Lake Texcoco
What civilization was the model for future Mesoamerican civilizations?
The Olmec
What is one of the most important crops for the Maya?
Manioc or Corn (beans and squash also important)
What is the name for the elite class of Aztec warriors?
Jaguar Warriors
What did the Maya do to increase their power and land?
They fought wars
What is the term for articifical islands?
chinampas
What language did the Aztec speak?
Nahuatl
What is the name for the oldest surviving Mayan book?
The Dresden Codex
How did the Aztec pass down stories of their history and religion?
Oral Tradition
What are two possible reasons for the decline of the Maya?
War, drought, overpopulation, disease
How did the Aztec create their empire?
What is the difference between how the Maya passed power between rulers and how the Aztec passed power between rulers?
In the Mayan civilization, power passed from father to son, and in the Aztec civilization the Supreme Council chose the next emperor
What is the name for the stone monuments that were carved with the history of the Maya?
Stelae
What were the three groups of people on the Aztec social structure?
Nobles, Commoners and Slaves
Who was the high priest in Maya civilization?
the king
Which conquistador conquered the Aztec
Hernan Cortes
What is the term for the alliance the Aztec kings of Tenochtitlan, Tlacopan and Texcoco made?
Triple Alliance