Which of the ancient civilizations in the Western Hemisphere was located in the Valley of Mexico?
The Aztec civilization was located in the Valley of Mexico.
True or False: The Maya were a very peaceful society.
False: The Maya were an amazing society, but not necessarily peaceful, because they sometimes committed human sacrifice!
True or False: The Mayan city-state Chichen Itza was an important place for the Maya to farm.
False! This was an important religious center, whose Well of Sacrifice was home to the gods who controlled the rain, according to the Maya.
True or False: Trade and commerce was important for the Maya.
True! The Maya used a "barter system," exchanging goods from different places with each other.
True or False: The Maya played an important ball game, called Pok-a-Tok, that had religious significance.
True! They even played at Chichen Itza, a city-state which was an important religious center.
Which of the ancient civilizations in the Western Hemisphere had cenotes for water?
The Maya had cenotes, or natural wells, for water.
Which of the ancient civilizations in the Western Hemisphere was located in parts of Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula part of Mexico?
The Maya civilization was located in parts of Central America and Mexico (including the Yucatan Peninsula).
True or False: The Maya lived in an empire, all ruled by one powerful emperor.
False! The Maya lived in separate city-states, each with its own powerful lord.
True or False: One amazing achievements the advanced Maya accomplished was to come up with the idea of "0."
True! Most ancient civilizations were very limited in the mathematical ability because they didn't have a "0" in their number systems!
True or False: The Maya didn't have any ways to cure diseases, since modern medicine hadn't been invented yet.
False: The priests also functioned as doctors, and they used natural remedies, or cures, like using plants, minerals, obsidian, and even human hair!
True or False: The Maya always farmed in the same way, by multicropping (planting different crops throughout the year).
False: The Maya used different farming techniques to match each of their diverse environments.
True of False: The Maya were too ancient to develop any systems of writing, numbers, or art. Those wouldn't be invented until thousands of years later.
False! A "civilization" has to have a writing system and art, and so did the Maya, writing with glyphs and painting murals!
Which of the ancient civilizations in the Western Hemisphere had a variety of animals?
All 3 of the ancient civilizations in the Western Hemisphere had a variety of animals!
True or False: The centers of Mayan city-states were important for both religion and government.
True! The lord and the priests led the government and religion from pyramid-temple complexes in the centers of the city-states.
Where was the Inca civilization located?
The Inca civilization was located in South America, along the Andes Mountains.
Why are the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Palenque important?
Palenque contains the ancient Temple of Inscriptions, with the longest carved hieroglyphics text found, along with King Pakal's tomb full of treasures!
Which of the ancient civilizations in the Western Hemisphere was located in the Andes Mountains?
The Inca civilization was located in the Andes Mountains, on the western side of South America.
Where was the Aztec civilization located?
The Aztec civilization was located in North America, in the Valley of Mexico in Central Mexico, (the region of Mesoamerica).
Where was the Maya civilization located?
The Maya civilization was located in North America, in Mexico (the Yucatan Peninsula part of Mexico) and in Central America, (the region of Mesoamerica)!
What did Mayan priest-astronomers do?
The priest-astronomers studied the sky to predict events like eclipses, decide when to plant and harvest, create calendars, and schedule special ceremonies.