Mayan and Olmec Vocabulary
A person responsible for managing or overseeing a particular organization, institution, or system
What is administrator?
The Olmecs developed one of the earliest forms of this in the Americas
What is writing?
The Olmecs and Mayans contributed to the growth of later civilizations in this region
What is Mesoamerica?
Religious leaders often advised rulers. What were they called?
What are priests?
One way we still learn from these cultures is by studying these ancient remains
What are runis/artifacts?
A ceremonial act or procedure, often involving religious or cultural practices
The Mayans made sigificiant advances in the field, including the concept of zero
What is mathematics?
The Olmec civilization arose around this fertile land with plentiful rainfall in this modern day town of
What is Veracruz, Mexico?
Rulers, nobles, and commoners show this feature of society
What is a soicial hierarchy?
The Mayan concept of zero influenced the development of this subject
What is mathematics?
Formal agreements between different groups or nations for mutual benefit or protection.
What is alliance?
What are colossal heads?
Both civilizations chose locations that offered this farming advantage after floods
What is nutrient-rich soil?
Olmec and Mayan societies were organized into these social classes
Whatare rulers, nobles and commoners?
The Olmecs' building innovations helped create these large ceremonial structures
What are pyramids or ceremonial centers?
A group of people considered to be the most powerful, wealthy, or influential in a society.
What is elite?
The Mayans created accurate calendars based on observations of these.
What are astronomical events?
Growing this staple crop encouraged large settlements
What is corn?
The Mayans had a tradition of making these colorful fabrics for trade and ceremonies
What are textiles?
Calendars and sky-watching influenced how people planned farming and rituals
What is timekeeping /astonomy legacy?
A belief in or worship of multiple gods or deities
What is Polytheism?
This Olmec innovation was crucial for their complex engineering projects
What is dranage or drainage systems?
People chose places with this kind of soil that helped crops grow
What is fertile soil?
This feature of the Mayan culture can be seen in their art, which often depicts animals and plants
What is a strong connection to nature or the world around them?
Why do historians say both cultures are "foundational" for the region
What is they influenced later Mesoamerica societies' art, beliefs, tech and city planning