MayaAztecAnasazi

civilization In this chapter we discussed many civilizations. Define civilization.

Civilization Civilization – a culture that has developed a complex system of government, education, & religion

Where did the Maya civilization exist, and from what years?

The Mayas lived in what is now present-day Mexico & Guatemala. From years , they lived on the Yucatan Peninsula & two of their cities were Tikal & Chichen Itza.

main crop The Mayans farmed a variety of crops, but what was their main crop & how did it help them?

corn The Mayan’s main crop was corn & they grew a surplus (or extra) of it. Farming a surplus of corn allowed their civilization to develop.

monuments temples The Mayans had many monuments & temples. What purposes did they serve?

Mayans built temples to honor their gods, ask the gods for success in battle, and to ask for good corn harvests.

Describe how the Mayans were an advanced civilization for their time.

The Mayans were farmers, artists, scientists, & historians. They had an advanced system of writing, wrote books, invented the idea of the number zero, were advanced in math & science, and had a calendar.

What was the name of the Aztec capital city in Mexico and what was it built to honor?

Tenochtitlan The Atzec capital was Tenochtitlan, a small island on a lake in the Valley of Mexico. Their city was built to honor their gods & the sun.

How & what did the the Aztec farm? Also, how’d they travel to their city?

floating gardens chinampas bridgescauseways The Aztecs farmed chili peppers, squash, beans, corn, & tomatoes on floating gardens called chinampas. They used bridges & causeways to travel back & forth.

The Aztec civilization didn’t last forever. Who conquered them, and when?

The Aztec empire was conquered by Hernando Cortez from Spain in the 1500s. He had help from Aztec’s neighbors who were their enemies.

The Aztec empire was one of great beauty. What were some of the great things?

Some of the Aztec things of beauty were: beautiful plazas, markets, broad avenues, zoos, schools, quetzal birds & large populations

war human sacrifices Describe the Aztec’s outlook on war and why they performed human sacrifices.

The Aztecs were a very war-like people who conquered their neighboring cities. Their emperor Moctezuma I considered themselves idle if not at war. They performed human sacrifices to gain land & slaves, and to obtain tribute from people to sacrifice to their gods.

The Anasazi lived in the Four Corners area of the Southwest. What present day states make up that area & what towns did the Anasazi build?

The Four Corners is made up of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico & Arizona. The Anasazi built the towns of Pueblo Bonito & Mesa Verde

What were the Anasazi’s homes like?

They built high-rise apartment style villages beneath cliffs and mesas in the desert.

artifacts Archeologists have been able to uncover many Anasazi artifacts, such as pottery. Why?

The very arid & dry climate of the Anasazi helped preserve, or save, many of their artifacts, which teach the archeologists much about their past.

How’d the Anasazi farm in their dry climate?

irrigation The Anasazi used irrigation to water their crops, which guided rain water through channels to their crops of squash, beans, corn, and cotton.

kiva Anasazi men uses kivas. Describe what a kiva is.

A kiva is an underground room that Anasazi men used for religious purposes. These rooms had symbols painted on the walls in red, green, white, & yellow.