Download Chapter 6 Review: Mesoamerican Civilizations Name: Section 1

Chapter 6 Review: Mesoamerican Civilizations
Name:_______________________
Section 1: The Maya
The oldest civilizations in the Americas formed in the area called __________________.Three of the advance cultures that
developed there were the _____________, the ________________, and the _______________. The first people to settle in the
Americas came from ___________. The strip of land which connected Asia to the North America (where Alaska is today) was called
the ___________ _____________ _____________. ________from ____________ in the highlands had produced rich soils.
Volcanoes produced a natural volcanic glass called ______________, which is a rock that was used to make very sharp blades for
spears and arrows. The soil in the rain forest is poor but has valuable resources such as __________ foods, and ____________
hunted for their ___________, ____________ or _____________. The Olmec people used _________-_____-___________
________________. Olmec farmers grew ___________and ___________. They also planted ___________, _____________,
____________,______________, and ________________.The Olmec were known for their __________. Olmec civilization lasted
about __________ years. The ______________ developed what might have been the first system of ____________in the Americas.
Archaeologists have learned much about the Maya cities such as ____________, ____________ and ____________. These cities
included hundreds of _____________, stone ___________, _____________ and ______________. The Maya had a complex society
which included the three main groups: ______________, a ___________ ___________, and __________________. The nobles
included the _________, __________ __________, and priests. The basic social unit in Maya society was the __________ _______.
Myans got their water from _______________. The Maya region contained dozens of independent city states. Each city state had its
own __________. The Maya were religious people who worshiped many _________. The most startling Maya rituals were ________
_____________ and ______________. By 1000 AD many great Maya cities fell to ruin. ___________ and ___________, which may
have also caused food storages may have been the causes. The Maya had made many important achievements. They developed a
complex_____________ system, created impressive works of ____________, made important discoveries in ____________ and
_____________. They also developed the most advanced writing system which used _______________. They used this information
to predict events such as eclipse of the ____________ and _______________. They also developed a complex system of _________.
Section 2: The Aztecs
The Aztec empire developed in the ____________of central Mexico. Because of its high elevation, this __________ has cooler
temperatures than that of the Maya _____________. A ______________is a bowl shaped area. The __________ __ __________
was the center of the Aztec empire.At the center of it was a large lake, Lake ___________. There the Aztecs built the city of
____________________. The land around the lake was ideal for ___________. The Aztecs added to their farmland by building
____________, or artificial islands. T he Aztec empire grew and by the early 1500’s the empire extended from _________ ________
to _________________. The Aztec king had total power over the people of __________________. The Aztecs had ___________
_______________ a system in which one person from a ruling family had ____________ powers. Aztec society revolved around
______________, _______________, and ______________. The Aztecs worshiped many __________. The most important of these
were ________________ and _______________. The Aztecs sacrificed thousands of victims every year , cutting out their
___________ offering them to Huitzilopochtli. The Aztecs waged ________ partly to capture ___________ for sacrifice.
Most Aztecs were ________________ who lived simply. They ate mainly __________, __________ and __________ ________.
Some Commoners worked as ___________which made fine craft goods for noble families. The Aztecs built __________ which were
canals or pipes to carry fresh water across Lake Texcoco from the hills surrounding the lake. The Aztecs did not have a welldeveloped ______________ _________. ___________, or spoken language was more important. In the 1500s _______________
became Mexico City, which is the capital today of Mexico.