Mayan Civilization
The Mayans lived in this region, which includes parts of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.
What is MesoAmerica
The Aztec capital city, built on an island in a lake, was called this.
What is Tenochtitlán?
Who was at the top of the social class?
Kings/Nobles
What did Maya rulers do to gain and maintain control over their people?
They used religious influence to gain/maintain power over the people.
The Mayan civilization slowly declined because of these main problems.
What are drought, warfare, and disease?
Often regarded as the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica
Who are the Olmec?
This supernatural figure, often shown with a human and jaguar-like appearance, was important in Olmec religious art.
Were-jaguar
The Mayans are famous for developing this type of writing system.
What are hieroglyphs?
The Aztecs practiced this to honor their gods, sometimes using captured warriors.
What is human sacrifice?
The primary staple food of both the Maya and Aztec diets, often made into tortillas.
Maize (corn)
This Aztec ruler expanded the empire through conquest and was in power when the Spanish arrived
Who is Moctezuma II?
The Spanish brought this disease, which killed many Aztecs.
What is SmallPox
The Olmec civilization developed mainly in this region of present-day Mexico.
The Gulf of Mexico
This Maya rain god was believed to control rain and storms.
Chaac
What were the large triangular buildings that Mayans Built called?
What were pyramids or temples?
This Spanish explorer led the conquest of the Aztecs in 1519.
Who is Hernán Cortés?
What religion were the Aztecs? (hint: they preached multiple Gods)
Polytheistic
The Aztecs became powerful by demanding these from conquered peoples.
What are tribute payments (or taxes)?
What role did disease play in the fall of these empires?
Diseases like smallpox decimated populations, weakening societies and making them vulnerable to conquest.
The famous colossal heads were believed to represent who/what?
powerful leaders, rulers, or important people
The Maya believed these natural water-filled sinkholes were sacred and sometimes used them for religious ceremonies and offerings.
Cenotes
What mathematic concept did the Mayans discover?
The concept of zero
The Aztecs built artificial islands to grow food, called these.
What are chinampas?
This was required for both boys and girls in the Aztec Empire.
What is education
This civilization created the accurate calendars and astronomy
What is the Mayan Civilization
What kind of weapons did the Spanish use? What kind of weapons did the Aztecs use?
Spanish- Steel silver swords.
Aztecs- Wooden obsidian spears
Why don't we know more about their language/writing system?
There is a lack of surviving written record
This Aztec god was associated with wind, knowledge, and creation and was often shown as a feathered serpent.
Quetzalcoatl
How did the Mayans get their resources?
Farming
What was the primary reason for the rapid downfall of the Aztec Empire after the arrival of the Spanish?
What is disease and alliances with enemy neighboring tribes?
What purpose did the Triple Alliance serve in the Aztec Empire?
to Expand the territory under one empire
The Aztecs believed their gods led them to build their capital where they saw this sign.
What is an eagle on a cactus with a snake in its beak?
What were the social classes?
The Mayan and Aztec society was divided into classes, including nobles, priests, warriors, merchants, farmers, slaves.
Free point for everyone!
Free point for everyone!
This Aztec god was associated with war and the sun and was considered one of the most important gods in Aztec religion.
Huitzilopochtli