The Maya

On which geographic feature did the Maya civilization grow?

• Amazon River

• South America

• Atlantic Ocean

• Yucatán Peninsula

How did Maya farmers adapt to the mountainous terrain of Mesoamerica? Select the two correct answers.

• They only farmed in the lowlands.

• They cut flat terraces into the hillsides.

• They raised grazing animals like sheep.

• They developed ways to store rainwater.

• They grew more vegetables and less fruits.

What does this sculpture represent?

• a human sacrifice to the Maya’s gods

• the Maya story about the creation of humans

• the importance of the cacao bean to the Maya

• a Maya child’s initiation ceremony into adulthood

What is the game depicted in the image called?

• pok-ta-pok

• wall-by-wall

• slap-ne-slap

• hand-to-hand

What was the most dangerous part of the game?

• Players on the losing team were sometimes sacrificed to the gods.

• Players were not allowed to use their hands or feet to throw or kick the ball.

• Players were awarded points based on how much they hurt the other team.

• Players who performed poorly would be kicked out of Maya society for weakness.

According to Maya religious tradition, from what did the gods successfully make humans?

• fire

• clay

• corn

• wood

Historians know equinoxes were important to the Maya because of the pyramid at Chichén Itzá and its __ .

• decorations honoring the Maya gods of sunlight and darkness, which turn golden exactly at noon on the equinox

• decorative fountains, which turn crystal clear on the equinox and become cloudy before the sun sets again

• mountaintop location, which receives the light of the equinox before anywhere else in Mesoamerica

• statue of a snake, which casts a shadow that slithers down the pyramid steps only on the equinox

How were pyramids used in Maya culture?

• They were places of worship.

• They were marketplaces.

• They were burial sites.

• They were palaces.

What type of writing system did the Maya use?

• pictographs

• dots and dashes

• hieroglyphic symbols

• letters of the alphabet

Which conclusion about the ancient Maya is best shown by their calendar system?

• They created new styles of art.

• They designed cities to look the same.

• They had great understanding of geography.

• They had advanced knowledge of mathematics.