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Maya Test Bank

Total questions: 68

Worksheet time: 40mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Where did the Maya people come from?

a)

Asia

b)

South America

c)

No one knows for sure

d)

North America

2.

Identify all of the materials that the Maya used to make tools.

a)

stone

b)

bone

c)

metal

d)

c lay

3.

What type of relationship existed between the various city states of the Maya empire?

a)

They were ruled by one emperor who had absolute power over all the states.

b)

They were peaceful and cooperative with each other

c)

They often united to fight common enemies.

d)

They often fought each other.

4.

What caused the Maya to desert their cities?

a)

Invasion by stronger enemies.

b)

Hurricanes and earthquakes

c)

No one knows!

d)

Drought and forest fires

5.

What percentage of modern day Guatemalans can trace their ancestry to the ancient Mayans?

a)

10%

b)

20%

c)

40%

d)

60%

6.

The Mayans lived in the Valley of Mexico.

a)

True

b)

False

7.

The Mayans built large temples without using metal tools.

a)

True

b)

False

8.

The Maya had a single central leader of all the city states.

a)

True

b)

False

9.

Each noble family was seen as direct descendants of the Hero Twins. This meant the Maya saw their rulers as related to gods.

a)

True

b)

False

10.

In the Maya culture a woman could rule a city-state.

a)

True

b)

False

11.

Sometimes people who committed crimes would be punished by having their hair cut off.

a)

True

b)

False

12.

Before a married couple could have their own land, the woman had to

a)

prove she was a good housekeeper

b)

get her in-laws to give permission

c)

have a baby

d)

sew a new set of clothes for her husband

13.

If a married couple had daughters but no sons what would happen to their land when they died?

a)

It would be given by the community to someone outside the family who needed a home.

b)

The daughters would inherit it.

c)

One son-in-law would be chosen inherit it.

d)

It would be sold and the profits shared between all the daughters.

14.

Identify one job of the Maya Women.

a)

cooking

b)

farming

c)

hunting

d)

tool maker

15.

Who made up the majority of the population in the Maya society?

a)

Priests

b)

Warriors

c)

Craftsmen

d)

Farmers

16.

To please the gods, the Maya offered

a)

food & animals

b)

plants & precious objects

c)

human sacrifice

d)

all of the above

17.

Which proves the Maya were successful mathematicians and astronomers?

a)

They built a pyramid

b)

They played a complicated ball game

c)

They created a 365 day calendar

d)

all of the above

18.
The Maya were the first recorded civilization to feature the concept of ________ in their number system.
a)
1
b)
- 1
c)
0
d)
Infinity
19.

Which of these modern countries is in the area where Maya civilization developed and is home to large numbers of Maya today?

a)

Panama

b)

Venezuela

c)

Guatemala

d)

Costa Rica

20.

What made it possible for the Maya to create permanent settlements?

a)

Sailing

b)

Farming

c)

Metal Tools

d)

Farm Animals

21.

All of the Maya city-states shared which two of the following?

a)

army

b)

language

c)

government

d)

calendar

22.

When the Mayan cities collapsed, what took their place?

a)

desert

b)

jungle

c)

swamp

d)

grassland

23.

Which was the primary Maya food?

a)

corn

b)

beans

c)

squash

d)

chili peppers

24.

Who is at the top of the Mayan Social Class order?

a)

priests

b)

nobles

c)

artisans

d)

ruler

25.

Which group is at the bottom of the Mayan Social Class order?

a)

peasants

b)

merchants

c)

slaves

d)

women

26.

The Mayans were polytheistic. This means

a)

They respected nature

b)

they had social order

c)

they believed in more than one god

d)

they were successful at agriculture

27.

Which was not a role of Maya women?

a)

cared for small children

b)

cooked meals

c)

worked in fields or hunted

28.

___________________ was the predominant crop.

a)

cotton

b)

peppers

c)

corn

d)

sunflowers

29.

___________________was common because there were so many different groups and they raided each other for items and took each other’s land for power and territory.

a)

peace

b)

arguements

c)

friendships

d)

war

30.

The Maya were broken up into many ________, all run by different rulers.

a)

counties

b)

towns

c)

city-states

d)

countries

31.

_________ were central to Maya religious practices.

a)

praying

b)

fires

c)

pyramid temples

d)

stars

32.

______ was the center of their life.

a)

religion

b)

corn

c)

agriculture

d)

building

33.

Identify one job of the Maya men.

a)

tool maker

b)

clothes maker

c)

taking care of children

34.
Which of the following is NOT a reason why the Maya's writing system is such an achievement
a)
They were able to create a history for themselves
b)
It allowed them to communicate in multiple ways
c)
Europeans thought it was the language of the devil
d)
It was the first written language in the Americas
35.
The ancient Mayan ball game, sometimes called Ulama, is a combination of what modern sports?
a)
Basketball & Football
b)
Soccer & Baseball
c)
Soccer & Basketball
d)
Basketball & Baseball
36.
Why did the Maya sacrifice people?
a)
They were cannibals
b)
It was punishment for slaves
c)
They believed the heart had special powers
d)
It was an offering to their gods
37.

The Maya lived in what kind of environment?

a)

Desert

b)

Tundra

c)

Rainforest

d)

Arctic

38.

Early Native Americans crossed a land bridge called

a)

the Bering Strait

b)

Alaska

c)

Siberia

d)

Beringia

39.

As farming spread, people began to

a)

fight with one another.

b)

rely on hunting and gathering.

c)

settle in one place.

40.

_____________used animals for food, clothing, and shelter.

a)

Hunter-gatherers

b)

Isthmus

c)

Tierra del Fuego

41.

A land bridge to Alaska was made possible by which of the following?

a)

archaeologists

b)

last Ice Age

c)

prehistoric people

42.
Which of the following is an example of Maya architecture ?
a)
shinto shrine
b)
step pyramid
c)
castle
d)
ziggurat
43.
Why did Maya priest study astronomy?
a)
keep the king happy
b)
to determine the plans of the gods and know when to plant crops
c)
to understand the reason for suffering
d)
to know when to harvest the crops
44.
Maya economy was based on...
a)
theocracy
b)
religious rituals
c)
agriculture and trade
d)
Chichen Itza & Tikal
45.

Which modern-day countries were home to the Mayan people? (You can choose more than one!)

a)

Mexico

b)

Guatemala

c)

Honduras

d)

El Salvador

e)

Belize

46.

Which social class was responsible for offering sacrifices to the gods?

a)

Slaves

b)

Priests

c)

Artisans

d)

Nobles

47.

Which body part could you NOT use when playing the Mayan ball game (Pok-ta-Pok)?

a)

Knees

b)

Shoulders

c)

Hips

d)

Hands

48.

The Mayans would often sacrifice people to honor their gods.

a)

True

b)

False

49.

In Mayan society, this group of people made things for others.

a)

Nobles

b)

Slaves

c)

Artisans

d)

Merchants

50.

In the Mayan world, this group of people bought and sold things to others.

a)

Peasants

b)

Rulers

c)

Nobles

d)

Merchants

51.

In the Mayan world, this group of people helped the ruler make decisions, and worked for the government.

a)

Merchants

b)

Rulers

c)

Nobles

d)

Priests

52.

In the Mayan society, this group of people had very little or no rights, and were owned by others.

a)

Peasants

b)

Enslaved People

c)

Nobles

d)

Artisans

53.

Although the Mayans sometimes sacrificed people and animals, they mostly took part in bloodletting to please their gods.

a)

False

b)

True

54.
Choose the correct order of the Mayan Social Structure.
a)
slaves, ruler, peasants, merchants/artisans, nobles/priests
b)
nobles/priests, slaves, ruler, peasants, artisans/merchants
c)
Ruler, nobles/priests, merchants/artisans, commoners, slaves
d)
Rich dudes, poor dudes, average dudes
55.
One of the Mayans' many creations that we use today is
a)
365 day calendar
b)
Human Sacrifice
c)
The Wheel
d)
The Toe Nail Clipper
56.

The city-states of the Maya

a)

Got along and cooperated well

b)

Had zero interaction with each other

c)

Were united under one ruler

d)

Often fought and started wars with each other

57.

Which group was used for sacrifices in Maya society

a)

Kings

b)

Priests

c)

Farmers

d)

Slaves

58.

Lower class Maya paid their rulers

a)

by giving them goods such as cloth, salt, and part of their crop.

b)

by holding religious ceremonies to honor their gods.

59.

Which is the best description of Maya society?

a)

The lower classes provided food and labor and the upper class led religious ceremonies.

b)

The lower classes led religious ceremonies and the upper class controlled the economy.

60.

How did the roles of men and women differ in the Maya society?

a)

Men held religious ceremonies, farmed, and cooked; woman hunted, crafted tools, and cared for children.

b)

Men crafted tools, hunted, and farmed; woman cared for children, cooked, made yarn, and wove cloth.

61.

What did the Maya used as money? (trading coin)

a)

Cocoa Seeds

b)

Rice

c)

Gold

d)

Corn

62.

The Maya didn't have a writing system. True or False?

a)

False

b)

True

63.

The ballgame that Mayas watched for entertainment was also

a)

A sacred ritual

b)

A game everyone played

c)

a test of intellect

d)

the way new kings were picked

64.

Who made up the majority of the population in the Maya society?

a)

Priests

b)

Warriors

c)

Craftsmen

d)

Farmers

65.

The Maya came up with a very complex calendar by studying the _______________ and their movements.

a)

stars

b)

trees

c)

animals

d)

clouds

66.
The Ruler of the Mayans was seen as a...
a)
War-Leader
b)
God-King
c)
Weak-Man
d)
Priest
67.
They were among the first people with a symbol for which number?
a)
0
b)
5
c)
10
d)
100
68.

Which of the following shows that the Mayan ballgame, pok-a-tok was a part of their religious rituals?

a)

Winning players were heros

b)

The ball could not be kicked or thrown

c)

A team automatically won if they got the ball through the ring

d)

Losing players were sacrificed to the gods