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11 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is the location of Mesoamerica?
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- extends from the middle of present-day Mexico to the central part of Central America
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Describe the landscape of Mesoamerica.
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- rugged land of steep ridges & gorges
- deep narrow valleys - the landscape helped people grow crops such as maize, beans & squash |
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Describe the physical features of Mesoamerica.
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- mountains, plateaus & highlands
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What are cenotes?
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- natural, sacred wells on the Yucatan Peninsula that provided them with drinking water
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Discuss the Olmec culture.
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- 1st great civilization of Mesoamerica
- most Olmec were farmers-they raised corn, beans, squash & other crops - they hunted & fished - divided into social classes based on wealth and power - Olmec govt.was a theocracy (the leader & ruling classes are believed to represent the will of the gods - priest & govt.officials were most powerful -oftenc called the "Mother Culture or Mother Civilization" |
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Describe the Maya culture.
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- reached its peak about 250 A.D
- have many things in common with the Olmec - cenotes are sacred to the Maya - developed a form of writing - used calendars to record dates - believed the gods ruled Mayan life |
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Describe the Aztec culture.
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- the last great civilization of ancient Mesoamerica
- based their economy on farming - great stone builders - worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses - worshipped Quetzalcoatl (god of creation) - believed they needed to perform sacrifices - human heart was most precious gift |
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Why is the landscape in Mesoamerica interesting and beautiful?
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- Mesoamerica's landscaping includes jade and basalt which are beautiful.
- There is also a good combination of ridges, gorges, rugged land. |
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What were Mayan calendars used for?
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- to record birth dates, marriages and military victories of their leaders
- used to make sure they were honoring their gods on the right dates |
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How were the Olmec & Aztec civilizations alike & how were they different?
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Alike
- both were farmers - both worshipped gods - both were stone builders |
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Different
- Aztecs were ruled by an emperor - Olmecs govt was a theocracy Aztecs |
THE END
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