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47 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What are the 3 regions that the Mayan Empire was divided into?
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Northern Lowlands, Central Lowlands, Southern Highlands
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Describe the climate and geography of the Northern Lowlands.
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hot, dry, prone to drought (flat lands)
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Describe the climate and geography of the Central Lowlands.
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hot and humid (rainforests)
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Describe the climate and geography of the Southern Highlands.
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Cool, temperate (mountainous)
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Define: Codex
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a secret book of Mayan knowledge that told stories of daily life. Each city-state had their own.
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Define: Chac
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god of rain
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Yucatan Peninsula
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mostly located in Mexico, it extends into the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the Myan civilization lived on this peninsula.
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Stele
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and ancient upright stone carving that told the story of each Mayan city-state. The stele contained carvings of daily life, important dates & people.
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Popol Vuh
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The sacred Mayan book tha
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Popol Vuh
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the sacred Mayan book that explaines the creation of mankind.
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maize
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corn
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Cacao
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the bean from which cocoa is made.
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ItzamNa
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Head of the Mayan gods (created the world).
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When was the Classic Period?
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300-900 CE
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Describe the characteristics of the Classic Period.
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Cities began to develop during this time, religion developed, market places for trading began. Schools were established to preserve culture. Noble lords ruled city-states.
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Why did Mayans form a loose confederation?
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for the benefit of trade and exchange of ideas.
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What advances did the Mayan have?
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math, architecture, astronomy, writing, time and calendar.
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What brought about the end of the Classic Period?
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no one knows for sure, but possible reasons are fighting, drought, disease, famine.
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When did the Post Classic Period begin?
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900 CE
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What happened between the Classic Period and Post Classic Period?
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It was a time of unrecorded Mayan history.
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Describe the characteristics of the Post Classic Period?
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Most likely fighting amongst themselves.
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Describe the Mayan interaction with the Spanish.
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The spanish attempted to wipe out what was left of the Mayan civilizations when they arrived.
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Describe the city-state: Tulum
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most beautiful of the city-states; located directly on the Caribbean Sea; It was successful because it could acquire and trade goods from the sea. Other city-states could easily reach Tulum by boat.
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Describe the city-state:
Chichen Itza |
large well-preserved city. It grew to power & wealth due to its central location along trade routes. Huge pyramids were used during human sacrifice.
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Describe the city-state;
Uxmal |
close to trade in proximity to Chichen Itza. Detailed architecture with elaborate decorations & bright color adorn the city. Its Pyramid of the Magician has unusual rounded corners.
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Describe the city-state: Mayapan
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huge powerful walled city. Close to Chichen Itza & Uxmal. Strong military rule attempted to become the center of the Mayan Empire. It is thought that their military greed lead to their downfall.
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Describe the city-state: Tikal
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largest of the Mayan cities. Located in a dense jungle region. Its wealth was unsurpassed by any other.
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Describe the city-state: Palenque
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Eastern most city. Isolated from many other city-states. Close to a fresh water source allowed for stable living conditions.
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What did the Mayan believe they were made from?
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corn
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What other foods did the Mayan eat?
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Beans and Squash
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Why did the Mayan develop storage techniques?
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Farmers developed these techniques so they could have corn during time of poor core production.
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Why did the Mayan burn their crops?
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It would help to not only clear the land but to give nutrients to the soil for planting.
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When did the Mayans first settle in Mesoamerica?
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2000 BCE
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What modern day countries did they settle in?
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El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, Mexico, Guatemala
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What was the Mayan social system?
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ruling class, nobility, peasants, and slaves.
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What was the responsibilities of the Ruling Class.
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governed each of the Mayan cities. Kings performed the religious duties of priests.
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What was the responsibilies of the Nobility class?
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included scholars, architects, and merchants. They were educated & wealthy. Warriors were included in this class.
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What was the responsibilites of the Peasant class?
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peasants included farmers & laborers. They made up the vast majority of the population.
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What was the responsibilities of the Slaves?
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mostly criminals & people captured in war. Orphaned children sometimes became slaves and were required to do what ever was asked of them.
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Why was religion an important part of daily life for the Mayan?
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They worshiped more than 160 gods/goddesses. To get help from the gods, they prayed, fasted, & offered sacrifices. They expected their rulers to communicate to the gods on their behalf. They viewed the after life an an unhappy existence.
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Describe the Mayan Ball Game (Pok-a-tok), and it's importance.
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The ball game was played on a court using a 5 lb. rubber ball. Players had to compete as a team to hit the ball through a hoop 25 ft. in the air. Players could not use their hands. Winners were treated as heroes & given a banquet. Losers were sacraficed. It was an important religious ceremony because it honored Mayan heroes & sacrifice helped appease the gods & help with the harvest.
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Why were steles important?
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They told the history of each city-state.
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What was the Mayan matematical system?
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The Maya developed a mathematical system based on the number 20. They used a dot to represent 1 & a bar to represent 5. The Maya combined these symbols to show other numbers. The Maya were one of the first people to use the zero.
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How does the Mayan mathematical system differ from ours?
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They represented their numbers differently from ours.
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Identify Mayan advances in science, math, and astronomy.
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Astronomy: charted stars, predicted eclipses.
Used math to produce an accurate calendar system. Calendar used to keep precise records. Also, used calendar to determine th best time to plant seeds. (science) |
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List some similarities of the Mayan city-states.
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Each one contained palaces, steles, plazas, ball courts, & pyramids. They each contained a codex and worshiped the same gods. They relied on each other for trade and all used the same Mathematical system.
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List some differences between the Mayan city-states.
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climates varied among regions, each city-state had their own unique history, some city-states focused on art and architecture while others focused on military strength & strategy. Each city-state had unique items for trade.
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