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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
__________________________
___.
The Mayan Civilization
Early Mesoamerican Civilizations
 _______________
o (1200 BC to 300 AD)
 _______________
o (1500 BC to 750 AD)
 _______________
o (900 to 1200 AD)
involves burning the vegetation
to clear land for planting.
 Developed around
______________BC
o At its height, Maya civilization
consisted of some
____________________ spread
among ______________.
Mayan Cities & Government
 Classic Age
o (250 to 900 AD)
 Mayans built:
Supporting Large Cities
 __________ and
______________ helped support
larger populations, and early
Maya villages grew into cities.
o ________________
o ________________
o ________________
 Who did they build them for?
o ________________
o ________________
Mayan Farming Practices
 ___________________________
______- a method of farming
 Society
o Kings ruled with absolute
power

It was believed they
____________________
_____________.
o ______________________
 Upper Class
Mayan Society & Religion
o ______________________
______________________

Middle Class
o ______________________
 Lower Class
 Religious Ceremonies
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o Offering of blood to the gods.
(______________________).
o _______________________
 Only allowed to use your
elbows, knees, and hips
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.
Mayan Achievements
to get a rubber ball
through a hoop.
 Losing team
sacrificed.
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
_________________________________
_________________________________
_____
 Architecture
o _________________
o _________________
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
______________
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
__________________________
________.
 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 Walled City
o Pyramid
o Temples
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o Palaces
o Ball court
o _”______________________”_
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
 ______________
___________
 ____________________
o Canals
o Markets
 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 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.
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
_________________________.
 War captives were used in the
sacrifices
o In times of peace the Aztec
would have to resort to
_________________________.
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