Ancestral Puebloans
They survived in the desert by growing corn, beans, and squash. These three together are often called by this name.
The Mississippians are most famous for building these large, flat-topped dirt structures used for temples and homes for their leaders.
What are mounds?
The Maya built these tall, triangle-shaped stone structures with steps leading up to special temples right at the top.
What are pyramids?
The mighty Aztec Empire was located in the central part of this modern-day country.
What is Mexico?
The Inca Empire was located high up in this very long mountain range in South America.
What is the Andes?
These multi-story homes were built directly into the sides of canyon walls using sandstone and adobe clay.
What are cliff dwellings (or pueblos)?
Mississippian farmers planted their crops in the rich, dark soil located right next to this famous, long river.
What is the Mississippi River?
These modern day countries represent the primary area where the Maya empire was located. (name 2)
What are Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.
Because their city was surrounded by water, the Aztecs built these special "floating gardens" out of mud and reeds to grow their food.
What are chinampas?
To farm on the steep sides of the mountains, the Inca cut these giant, flat "steps" into the hills so their crops wouldn't slide away.
What is terrace farming?
This dry, desert region in the United States—which includes states like Arizona and New Mexico—is where the Puebloans lived.
What is the southwest?
This was the largest Mississippian city, located near modern-day St. Louis, which once held up to 20,000 people.
What is Cahokia?
Instead of using an alphabet like ours, the Maya used these picture symbols to carve their history into stone.
What are hieroglyphics (or glyphs)?
This was the name of the great Aztec capital city, which was built on an island in the middle of a giant lake.
What is Tenochtitlan?
The Inca raised this fluffy, long-necked animal to carry heavy loads up the mountains and used its wool to make warm clothes.
What are alpacas or llamas?
This round, underground room was built into Puebloan communities and used for special religious ceremonies.
What is a kiva?
Their houses were made by weaving flexible river branches together and covering them with wet mud, a building style known by this two-word name.
What is wattle and daub?
While kings lived in stone palaces, regular Maya farmers lived in simple, one-room wooden huts with roofs made out of this dried plant material.
What is thatch (or straw/leaves)?
This bird was a very important symbol to the Aztecs, and legend says they built their city where they saw one sitting on a cactus.
What is a eagle?
This ancient city high in the Andes consists of ruins from the Inca empire. It is a popular destination.
What is Machu Picchu?
Because it hardly ever rained, Puebloan farmers built canals and dams to catch and save rainwater for their crops in a process called this.
What is irrigation?
Because they lived near so many rivers and forests, Mississippians traveled long distances in these boats made from carved-out tree trunks.
What are dug out canoes?
By studying these, the Maya invented a very accurate calendar.
What are the stars, the sun, and the moon?
This modern symbol is rooted in the Aztec creation myth. (Tell also where it is found)
What is the eagle on the cactus with a snake in it's mouth found on the Mexican national flag.
Because they did not have a written language, the Inca used this special method to keep records and send messages across the empire.
What are colored and knotted strings, or quipu?