Geography & Environment
This peninsula was the heartland of the Maya civilization.
Yucatan Peninsula
What food item was made from the cacao tree cultivated by the Maya?
Chocolate
Most Maya lived in these, located just outside the urban centers.
Tiny plots or terraced hills
Maya artists personified aspects of this, like the sun, moon, rain, and lightning.
Nature
What were the accordion-style books made of bark paper called, on which the Maya recorded their history and knowledge?
Codices
Besides the Yucatan Peninsula, name two other modern-day countries that include parts of the Maya region.
Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, or Honduras (any two)
What was the basic food of much of the Maya population, made by women of the household?
Comal
Most Mayan cities developed one of these to facilitate trade between other cities as well as to stimulate local trade.
Marketplaces
This "god of knowledge and wisdom" was often represented by Maya artists.
Itzamna
What base number system did the Maya Long Count calendar utilize?
Base-20 (vigesimal)
The Maya adapted to and modified these types of forests to survive.
Tropical lowland forests
Besides warfare and debt, what was another reason individuals in Maya society could become enslaved?
Punishment for crimes
The Maya civilization was composed of these, each governed by a hereditary ruling class.
Independent city-states
What was the purpose of ritual human sacrifice in Maya religion?
To appease certain gods and strike fear into enemies
What were some materials, besides paper, that Maya scribes carved or painted hieroglyphic inscriptions on?
Ceramic vessels, jade jewelry, bone, shells, and stone monuments
Increased population led the Maya to clear more land, but the lack of trees resulted in this environmental issue.
Erosion
What was the name given to the fields where crops like corn, beans, and squash were grown together?
Milpas
Two major _______ ________ that supported the great Maya cities' trade and agriculture.
River systems
This planet was of particular interest to the Maya, who associated it with warfare.
Venus
What did the Maya use to create terraced fields on hillside farmland?
Canals
Some scholars believe this natural event may have contributed to the Maya decline. (See
Volcanic eruption
What was the role of women in Maya society?
Taking care of the home, raising children, and making comal
In the powerful city-state of Palenque, this ruler claimed to be descended from the gods.
Pacal
The Maya believed that planetary cycles affected the actions of these.
Gods
The name of one important collection of Mayan hieroglyphs discovered by archaeologists and mentioned in the text.
Palenque