 Agriculture: the process of growing crops and farming  Mesoamerica: Southern part of North America  Empire: land controlled by one ruler or government  Civilization: culture with cities, a government, and many different jobs

 There are 8 features of a civilization  Cities  Well-organized central governments  Complex religions  Job specifications  Social classes  Arts and architecture  Public works  writing

 What is a city?  Well established city with jobs, social events, governments, and agriculture

 Has some form of governing system  In most ancient civilizations, priests and nobles served as leaders and lived in large palaces

 Believe in some form of a higher power  Some civilizations believed in multiple gods and would hold festivals in their honor

 People have specific jobs within their city  Example: farmers, builders, religious leaders

 Upper class – rich members of society (priests)  Middle class – work and earn their own money  Lower class – poor, work for the nobles and have to give them their earnings

 Made artwork such as paintings, carvings, clay work

 Maintaining the civilizations  Examples: digging canals, building temples, palaces, monuments, tombs and pyramids

 Left evidence of a form of writing