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MESOAMERICA:
Mayan & Aztec Empires
WORLD HISTORY NOTES
DATE: _____________
Climate of Mesoamerica
 Warm ______________
 ______________ Rainfall
 Rich _____________ soils
o Good for growing crops like
_____________________________.
Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
 _______________
o (1200 BC to 300 AD)
 _______________
o (1500 BC to 750 AD)
 _______________
o (900 to 1200 AD)
The Mayan Civilization
 Developed around ______________BC
o At its height, Maya civilization consisted of
some ____________________ spread among
______________.
Supporting Large Cities
 __________ and ______________ helped
support larger populations, and early Maya
villages grew into cities.
Mayan Farming Practices
 _________________________________- a
method of farming involves burning the
vegetation to clear land for planting.
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Mayan Cities & Government
 Classic Age
o (250 to 900 AD)
 Mayans built:
o ________________
o ________________
o ________________
 Who did they build them for?
o ________________
o ________________
Mayan Society & Religion
 Society
o Kings ruled with absolute
power

It was believed they
____________________
_____________.
o ______________________
 Upper Class
o ______________________
______________________

Middle Class
o ______________________
 Lower Class
 Religious Ceremonies
o Offering of blood to the gods.
(______________________).
o _______________________
 Only allowed to use your
elbows, knees, and hips
to get a rubber ball
through a hoop.
 Losing team
sacrificed.
o __________________________
Religion: Major Gods
 Hun Hunahpu – _____________________.
o Father of the hero twins
o Most important deity for the Maya
o He brought about the creation for the present world
age.
 Chac – _____________________________________.
o Both adored and feared by the Maya
o He was portrayed as both a benefactor and a violent warrior.
 Gukumatz – _________________________________.
o Taught the Maya the arts of civilization, including codes of law, agriculture, fishing, and
medicine.
 Ixchel – __________________________________________________________.
o Goddess of creativity, weavers and childbirth, goddess of medicine and reason, and a
bringer of the storms.
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Mayan Achievements
 Architecture
o _________________
o _________________
 Astronomy
 Math
o _________________
 Writing
 ____________________
Mayan Calendar
 The Maya had ____________________:
o ___________________________________________
o ___________________________________________
 It was more _________ that the European
calendar.
Decline of Mayan Civilization
 Factors to decline:
o ___________________________________________
 Overuse of resources
o Drought
 Not able to feed everyone
o ___________________________________________
 _____________________________________
o Abuse of Power by Kings
_______________________________________________________________________
The Aztecs
 Located in modern day ___________, and Tenochtitlan was the capital city and
is located in what is now present day __________________.
Rise of the Aztec Empire
 According to legend, the war god told one of the tribes’ leaders that they should
look for a place where they saw an ____________________________________.
It was there that they should settle and build a new capital.
o They built Tenochtitlan after the prediction came true, and it was on a swampy island
in __________________________________.
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 Population consisted of farmers &
warriors.
o __________________________________.
 After the alliance was formed the
empire gained control over many
region.
 Ruled ______________
other city-states.
 ___________________
under Aztec rule.
Aztec Empire
 Conquered people paid ____________.
o _______________________________
 The Aztec Empire gained wealth:
o ____________
o Tribute
Tenochtitlan
 Size
o __________________________
 Approximately 3200
acres
 Population
o __________________________
 __________________________
o
o
o
o
o
o
Walled City
Pyramid
Temples
Palaces
Ball court
_”______________________”_
 ____________________
o Canals
o Markets
Aztec Society
 Social Classes
o Though people were born into a certain class it was possible to move up the ranks
within a life time.
 Also apart of the middle class
 _________________________
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Aztec Religion
 Main deity in the Aztec religion was Huitzilopochtli and was known as both the
_______________ and _________________.
o _______________________ was practiced heavily in the Aztec religion.
 Believed that these
sacrifices gave
____________________
which in turn would
insure the survival of the
Aztec civilization.
 War captives were used in the
sacrifices
o In times of peace the Aztec
would have to resort to
_________________________.
 In the year 1487 the Aztecs
reported killing
___________________________
at the great pyramid of
Tenochitlan.
o After a town was conquered the
inhabitants where no longer
eligible of sacrifice and became Aztec citizens.
Aztec Art
 The Aztecs also made other religious and non-religious
artifacts such as _______________________.
o These artifacts were sold in markets by visiting merchants.
Aztec Achievements
 Written Record
o _____________- symbols that represented both objects and
sounds.
 Kept track of _________________________________.
 Astronomy
 Calendar like the Mayans, but they also tracked the
movements of some _________________________.
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