Maya Civilisation - BP

1. Many Maya temples and paintings feature jaguars. What is TRUE about jaguars in Maya culture?

• A. Jaguars ruled Maya cities.

• B. Jaguars were kept as pets.

• C. Jaguars were the reason why the Maya

  people left some cities.

• D. Jaguars were important symbols in Maya religion and culture.

2. Why were temples built on top of pyramids?

• A. to stay hidden from view

• B. to help with crop irrigation

• C. to be protected from rains

• D. to be closer to the heavens

3. What is one way the ancient Maya people settled arguments?

• A. By performing dances

• B. By playing a ball game

• C. By making jewelry together

• D. By trading jade and obsidian

4. Archaeologists study RUINS to learn how ancient people built their homes and cities. What are RUINS?

• A. the remains of ancient buildings

• B. the symbols of a written language

• C. the fossils of plants and animals

• D. the movement of the Sun and stars

5. During the 700s and 800s, many Maya ABANDONED the cities. What does ABANDON mean?

• A. to honor ancestors

• B. to trade with others

• C. to leave behind

• D. to grow bigger

6. Ancient Maya monuments had INSCRIPTIONS that honored leaders and shared stories about them. What is an INSCRIPTION?

• A. a ruler

• B. a temple

• C. a message

• D. a ceremony

7. Why would the Maya people leave the cities during a drought?

• A. because they could not grow food or get enough water

• B. because they could not honor their gods and ancestors

• C. because they could no longer track the heavenly bodies

• D. because they could no longer write down their stories

8. How do experts know that the Maya left some cities during the 700s and 800s?

• A. There are letters left behind by some of the people.

• B. There are no new writings or buildings from that time.

• C. There are writings on the temples about leaving the cities.

• D. There are maps that showed where the people moved.

9. Many Maya sculptures show different rulers dressed up like gods. What does this tell us about the Maya?

• A. The common people led the Maya cities.

• B. The Maya people disappeared completely.

• C. Religion played a small role in Maya culture.

• D. The Maya honored their rulers and their gods.

10. Which sentence is FALSE about where the ancient Maya people lived?

• A. Royalty lived in palaces inside the cities.

• B. Nobility lived in the center of the cities.

• C. Common people lived outside of the cities.

• D. Farmers lived in observatories near the cities.