Mesoamerican Incas, Mayas, Aztecs 🌽

W/ History - Chapter 13

Where was the Maya civilization located?

In the forests of central Mexico.

What farming method did the Maya use?

They used the slash-and-burn method.

What type of writing system did the Maya have?

A hieroglyphic writing system.

What is one of the things the Maya is well-known for?

Developing the most advanced writing system in the ancient Americas

What were the Maya known for in mathematics?

Creating a 365-day calendar.

How did the Maya worshipped their gods?

The Mayas worshipped their gods by:

1. Praying and making offerings of food, flowers, and incense

2. Piercing and cutting their bodies

3. Offering their blood, believing it’d nourish the gods

4. Human sacrifice (usually captured enemies)

What did the Maya grow?

Maize, beans, squash, and avocados

What was the social structure of the Maya like?

1. Kings

2. Priests, Warriors, Merchants

3. Farmers

What did the Maya trade?

Crops, wood, jade, and obsidian

Why did the Mayas believe about human sacrifice?

The Mayas believed that human sacrifice pleased the gods and kept the world in balance

codex

A bark-paper book that the Maya used to record important historical events

What structures were the Maya known for building?

Pyramids, temples, and palaces

Where was the Inca civilization located?

In the Andes Mountains in Peru.

What did the Incas build to connect their empire?

Roads

What farming technique did the Incas use in the mountains?

Terraces (staircase-like structures) for farming

Why did the Incas build terraces?

To grow crops on the steep mountain slopes

What kind of sacrifices did the Incas perform?

Animal sacrifices

Why did the Incas perform animal sacrifices?

To honor their gods and seek favor or blessings

Teotihuacán

The first major civilization of central Mexico

obsidian

The most valuable item in Teotihuacán’s trade; a green or black volcanic glass found in the Valley of Mexico

What was obsidian used for in Teotihuacán?

To make razor-sharp weapons

Quetzalcoatl

the Feathered Serpent

chinampas

floating gardens

Huitzilopochtli

the Aztec sun god

What did the Aztecs believe about Huitzilopochtli?

The Aztecs believed that Huitzilopochtli made the sun rise every day and when the sun set he battled the forces of evil to get to the next day

What kind of writing did the Aztecs use?

Picture symbols

What made the Aztec military strong?

They had a powerful army

What kind of sacrifices did the Aztecs practice?

Human sacrifices

Why did the Aztecs perform human sacrifices?

Because the Aztecs believed that Huitzilopochtli would be too weak to fight the forces of evil without regular offerings of human blood

Lake Texcoco

A swampy island settled by the Aztecs

Why was Lake Texcoco important to the Aztecs?

It was the site where they built their capital, Tenochtitlán.

Why was Montezuma I important to the Aztec Empire?

Montezuma I was important to the Aztec Empire because he:

1. Expanded the empire through warfare

2. Strengthened its government, economy, and religious system

3. He helped build temples, aqueducts

4. Supported arts and education

Montezuma I

an Aztec emperor

causeways

raised paths across water or wet ground

What did the Aztecs use causeways for?

To connect the island shore and floating gardens on the lake

What were the origins of the Aztecs?

The first Aztecs were poor farmers from northern Mexico who migrated south

What were the 2 key ways that the Aztecs became rich?

1. Aztec warriors made the citizens of the towns they conquered pay tributes of gold, cotton, or food

2. They also controlled the trade network

What did the Inca, Maya, and Aztec civilizations all have in common before Europeans arrived?

They all had powerful empires in the Americas.

What staple crop did all three Mesoamerican civilizations grow using smart farming methods?

Maize (corn), along with other foods.

What type of religion did the Incas, Mayas, and Aztecs follow?

Polytheistic—they believed in many gods.

What kinds of gods were important to these civilizations?

Gods of nature like the sun and rain; they were animistic

What was the political structure of these empires like?

Each had strong leaders who held power and made rules.

What areas of knowledge were the Inca, Maya, and Aztec civilizations advanced in?

Astronomy, writing, math, and building.