Olmec Origins
This is the cultural region ("Middle America") where the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec all lived.
Mesoamerica
Maya civilization was not one empire, but was organized into these independent units.
City-States
This was the "sign" the Aztecs looked for to build their city: An eagle on a cactus eating this.
Snake
This crop, also known as corn, was the "soul" of Mesoamerican agriculture.
Maize
The Maya lived primarily on this flat, limestone-rich peninsula.
Yucatan
Historians give the Olmec this nickname because they influenced all later civilizations in the region.
The Mother Culture
The Maya were among the first in the world to develop a symbol for this mathematical concept.
Zero
The Aztecs built their capital city, Tenochtitlan, in the middle of this specific lake.
To create more farmland on the water, the Aztecs built these "floating gardens."
Chinampas
The Olmec and Maya often used this "slash-and-burn" method to clear land in this biome.
Rainforest/Jungle
The Olmec are most famous for carving these massive stone monuments out of basalt.
Colossal Heads
This is the complex writing system the Maya used, consisting of over 800 symbols.
Hieroglyphs
This term describes the "tax" or payment that conquered people had to send to the Aztec Emperor.
Tribute
This sharp, glass-like volcanic rock was used to make the region's deadliest weapons.
Obsidian
This area was the high-altitude home of the Aztec Empire, surrounded by mountains.
Valley of Mexico
This was the first major Olmec city, known for its complex drainage systems and earthen mounds.
San Lorenzo
Maya priests used their knowledge of stars to create two of these to track time and seasons.
Calendars
The Aztecs formed this partnership with two other city-states to expand their power.
Triple Alliance
These beans were so valuable they were used as both a luxury drink and a form of money.
Cacao
This body of water forms the eastern border of the "Olmec Heartland."
Gulf of Mexico
The Olmec were the first to harvest sap from trees to create this bouncy substance.
Rubber
This was the bark-paper book used by the Maya to record their history and rituals.
Codex
This was the social class at the very bottom of the Aztec hierarchy, often composed of war captives.
In mountainous areas, the Maya and later groups used this "stair-step" farming method.
Terrace Farming
This was the most important natural resource found in the Maya highlands, used for jewelry.
Jade