Geography
What 2 continents are included when we refer to Ancient America?
What are North and South America?
A narrow land bridge that links North and South America
What is an isthmus?
What was one purpose that the Olmecs built cities?
Possible answers: as political centers, to place courtyards and pyramids
True or False: The Ancient Mayans lived in the Yucatan around 2600 B.C.
What is TRUE?
What type of ball was used in Mayan Ball games?
What was a rubber ball?
True or False: The physical geographies of North and South America are very different.
What is TRUE?
An ancient civilization that arose in North America and includes southern Mexico and the Central American countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, and parts of Honduras and Nicaragua
What is Mesoamerica?
What type of artwork are the Olmecs best known for?
What are huge, stone heads?
Ancient Mayans has a class society. What group was at the top?
Possible answers might include: Who were the nobles and priests?
What mathematical value (number) are the Mayans credited with creating?
What is the concept of zero (0)?
What is the major river system of North America?
What is the Mississippi River?
Clearing a part of a jungle by cutting back and burning it
What is slash and burn agriculture?
True or False: The Olmec only worshipped one nature god?
What is False: The Olmec worshiped a number of nature gods , but above all the jaguar spirit
Name one trade that the Mayans were good at?
Possible answers might include: What were weavers, potters, farmers, architects?
Mayan writing on steles and books contain picture symbols that are known as what?
What are glyphs?
The location of continents affects their climates. Which continent of the Americas has a mild, dry climate with 4 distinct seasons?
What is North America?
The name archeologists gave to Mesoamerica's first known civilization
Who are the Olmecs?
True or False: It is believed that the Olmecs used some type of calendar system?
What is TRUE: It is believed the Olmecs developed a calendar to keep track of religious ceremonies, and used picture symbols to illustrate it
The Mayas built large palaces, pyramids and public buildings. Many of the buildings were covered with statues to honor whom?
Possible answers include: their gods and their kings
Very little is known about the Nazca culture which arose in Peru. We do know that they developed an extensive irrigation system and their economy was based on __________.
What is farming?
Some ancient civilizations arose high in South America's ___________ Mountains. These mountains extend about 5,500 miles from Venezuela in the north to Chile at the southern tip of South America. They consist of high plateaus and higher peaks. What is the name of this mountain range?
What are the Andes Mountains?
A type of corn crop that was important to the Maya- in fact, according to Mayan legends, people had been created out of it
What is maize?
Which of the following was NOT a contribution of the Olmec civilization? a) creation of ritual ball games b) the creation of algebra c) great advances in art d) ideas for cities and ceremonial centers
What is b) the creation of algebra? The Olmecs are credited with developing a bar and dot systemfor counting, but not for algebra
When did the Mayan people use their masks?
Possible answers include: in religious and cultural dances, at wedding ceremonies, and to honor births and deaths
Why did early civilizations such as the Nazca and Moche have to develop irrigation system.
Possible answers: Both groups had to use advanced farming techniques to make the most of their environments. They used irrigation techniques to channel water and help grow staple crops (corns, beans, squash) as they were primarily farmers who relied on these crops. Many of these areas received little rainfall.