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Preclassic & Early Classic Maya
Writing
Concepts
Development & Change
General
100

Ex Oriente Lux means …. 

What is relevance to the Maya? 

What is out of east comes light? egocentricism, Western Bias

100
What is conspicuous consumption? Give an example in Mesoamerica?
What is a flashy show of your wealth and power? large pyramid of Sun at Teotihuacan
100
List two characteristics of a chiefdom.
What is social ranking along descent lines and chiefs often redistribute goods to secondary sites?
100

List four Mesoamerican traits

What are ballgame, human sacrifice, animism, 260-day ritual calendar and 365 day solar calendar...

200

Who destroyed many of the Maya codices? 

How did he attempt to atone for his actions? 

Who is Bishop de Landa?

What is wrote Relación de las Cosas de Yucatan?

200
What is a shaman? Describes the long-term importance of shamanism in Mesoamerica.
What is a spiritual guide that interacts with natural elements and/or supernatural forces on behalf of others? Shamans become rulers in later periods.
200
Define direct historical approach. Is it useful in Mesoamerica? Why?
What is working from present back through time to investigate the significance of collected data?
200
List three characteristics of the Paleoindian period.
What is mobile, hunted megafauna, and lived in micro-bands?
300

Name 3 characteristics of Preclassic Period

What is 

1. Development of urbanism (large cities such as El Mirador, Nakbe)
2. great increase in population
3. appearance of homogeneous style pottery
4. domestic and public architecture
5. special industries and crafts
6. ranking and social stratification develop
7. hieroglyphic writing and long count dates appear

300
What does the Earth Monster represent when a figure is placed inside its open mouth?
What is the entrance to the underworld?
300
What culture is often referred to as the Mother Culture? What evidence supports this idea? What evidence counters it? Give 3 examples.
What is (1) Pro: Ballgame “invented” by Olmec? Con: earlier ball court found (Paso de la Amada, Chiapas- 1400BCE)? (2) Pro: San Lorenzo had hierarchical settlement system that integrated settlement? Con: every major chiefly center exhibited settlement hierarchy? (3) Pro:Olmec had extensive trade networks that surpassed other cultures? Con: No quantitative data to support /were Olmec in charge?
300
List two reasons for the decline of Teotihuacan.
What are external competition from other large sites and lower agricultural yields due to cooler climate?
300
Give an example of a female depicted in the Mesoamerican record from the Formative or Early Classic periods?
What is El Rey?
400

Name 3 characteristics of Early Classic---that are different from Preclassic! 

population drops from Preclassic period (before explodes in Late Classic)
2. more centers erect monuments with texts proclaiming ancestry of lords
3. public ceremonies recorded about coronations, funerals, sacrifice of captives
(nobles and kings), rites and temple dedications
4. military and political alliances
5. few distinct regional art styles (these develop in Late Classic)
6. power concentrated at Tikal and Calakmul (Peten region)
7. art themes: honor gods and kings, negotiate relationships between humans and
supernatural forces

400
What is termination ritual? Why did Mesoamericans do it? Give an example.
What is a reitual in which people deliberately destroyed or mutilated a building or monument? To keep spirit or essence of, for example, a ruler from roaming.
400
What are the key sociopolitical, subsistence, and economic changes between the Archaic and Formative periods?
What is .......
400
How is the Temple of Quetzcoatl different from Teotihuacan's two other major monuments?
What is dedicated to "cult" of feathered serpent representing warfare, over 200 sacrificial victims in building, and built in enclosed cuidadela?
500

What is the significance of Tikal’s Dark Ages? What happened to cause this? AND Why were archaeologists wrong about the Middle Classic? 

Calakmul defeated Tikal 562CE, cessation of monuments with dates at Tikal


They originally thought a hiatus across entire Maya region but we know now that other sites were continuing to develop and grow

500
What is a barrio? Describe why the "discovery" of barrios at Teotihuacan is important? What evidence to we have to support the existence of barrios?
What is ...
500
Discuss the common trait of Mesoamerica (hint: subsistence). Why was it so important? Give a chronological explanation of how and why it became so integral to the Mesoamerica lifeway.
What is maize?
500
What are 4 characteristics of Mesoamerican States?
What are: (1) Social, administrative, and site hierarchies (2) ability to mobilize labor to build and maintain public architecture (3)non-farming specialists (food surplus) such as kings, priests, or artisans supported by agriculturalists (4)elaborate rituals, art, calendars and writing used to facilitate and legitimize elite status, e.g. celebrate great events in elite lives (5)control of trade (resources)