3.1 Study Guide

The first Mesoamerican civilizations began

• soon after people crossed the Bering Land Bridge.

• when people learned to mine obsidian.

• once people learned how to farm in poor rain forest soils.

• with the rise of the Maya.

Why did Olmec farmers move their farms from time to time?

• As their families grew, people needed larger farms.

• Maya invaders took over their farmlands.

• Heavy rains flooded their fields and forced them to find new land.

• The soil would wear out and could no longer support farming.

Which of these groups introduced the mathematical concept of zero to the Americas?

• the Zapotec

• the Olmec

• the Spanish

• the Maya

Which of the following achievements BEST illustrates Maya knowledge of astronomy?

• They used slash-and-burn agriculture.

• They built temples and pyramids.

• They developed a complex calendar system.

• They developed a hieroglyphic writing system.

Maya pyramids were topped by

• observatories.

• temples.

• giant stone heads.

• tombs.

A farming method that used cutting and burning plants on a plot of land. The ash was then used to fertilize the soil.

• hunting and gathering

• Corns, beans, and squash

• Slash-and-burn agriculture

• irrigation

A colorful tropical bird, whose feathers were used in Mayan trading.

• quetzal

• parrot

• warbler

• robin

Which civilization developed the farming in Mesoamerica?

• The Olmec

• The Zapotec

• The Maya

• The Aztec