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Mesoamerica Overview and Geography
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Mesoamerica Overview and Geography

Created by
@BrainiestDouglasFir

Questions and Answers

What is the location of Mesoamerica?

Mesoamerica is located from the central part of Mexico to the central part of Central America.

What are the major physical features of Mesoamerica?

The mountain ranges of Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental frame the Plateau of Mexico.

How did Mesoamericans use the natural resources of their environment?

They used the fertile soil for farming, obsidian for arrowheads and knives, and basalt to make statues.

Describe the influence of the climate and landscape on the peoples of Mesoamerica.

<p>The varied climates and landscapes helped Mesoamericans develop unique cultures.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why did it take centuries before archaeologists learned about the civilizations of Mesoamerica?

<p>Forests and trees hid the ruins of the ancient civilizations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What bodies of water surround Mesoamerica?

<p>Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, and Caribbean Sea.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How are cenotes created?

<p>Rainwater dissolves limestone, forming underground streams and caverns. The roofs of these streams collapse and create sinkholes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why were cenotes considered sacred?

<p>The land has very few rivers, so they were considered gifts from the gods.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What present-day countries are in Mesoamerica?

<p>Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why are the Olmec called the 'Mother Civilization'?

<p>They were the first great civilization of Mesoamerica and directly influenced all the other Mesoamerican civilizations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are two examples of ways the Olmec influenced later Mesoamerican cultures?

<p>Their gods and their form of writing. They also developed a number system that would form the basis for other civilizations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why were cenotes important to the Mayan people?

<p>They were some of the only sources of water in the region.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why are cenotes important to archaeologists?

<p>The bottoms of cenotes hold many artifacts.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did Mayan people get water to where they needed it?

<p>With aqueducts.</p> Signup and view all the answers

When did the Mayan civilization flourish?

<p>From 250 AD to 900 AD.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How was the Mayan civilization organized?

<p>City-states.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What types of calendars did Mayans use?

<p>Religious and everyday.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is it surprising that the Mayans were able to keep such accurate calendars?

<p>They did not have telescopes that allowed them to observe the passage of the stars.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What contributions did Mayans make to mathematics?

<p>They were the first to use the zero.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How were daily chores divided among Mayan families?

<p>Men farmed, hunted, and fished; women and older girls made clothing, supplied water, and watched the small children; small children learned about farming and chores but spent most of their time playing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How were the Aztecs similar to other Mesoamerican civilizations?

<p>Economy based on farming; grew corn and beans.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How were the Aztecs different from other Mesoamerican civilizations?

<p>They were great builders, astronomers, mathematicians; but they grew a great empire.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What were the Aztecs called before they became the Aztecs?

<p>Mexicas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where is Tenochtitlan?

<p>In Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Describe Tenochtitlan.

<p>It was built on an island, connected to the mainland by causeways, and surrounded by man-made islands called chinampas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How were chinampas formed?

<p>By anchoring wicker baskets to the bottom of the shallow lake and filling them with mud and plant cuttings until they broke the surface.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did Europeans call chinampas?

<p>&quot;Floating gardens&quot;.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What were chinampas ideal for?

<p>Farming.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why did the Aztecs build their city on a swampy island in the middle of a lake?

<p>The good land was already settled.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who was Moctezuma?

<p>Emperor of the Aztecs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How long did Moctezuma rule?

<p>29 years.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Mesoamerica Overview

  • Mesoamerica extends from central Mexico to central Central America.
  • Major physical features include the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental mountain ranges enveloping the Plateau of Mexico.
  • Natural resources were utilized for agriculture (fertile soil), tool-making (obsidian), and sculpture (basalt).

Environmental Influences

  • Varied climates and landscapes in Mesoamerica contributed to the development of diverse cultures.
  • Ancient ruins remained hidden due to dense forests, delaying archaeological findings.

Geographic Features

  • Surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, and Caribbean Sea.
  • Cenotes, formed by dissolved limestone and collapsed stream roofs, served as vital water sources and were viewed as sacred.

Cultural Significance of Cenotes

  • Considered sacred due to scarcity of rivers; regarded as divine gifts.
  • Important for archaeologists as cenote bottoms contain numerous artifacts.

Mayan Civilization

  • Flourished between 250 AD and 900 AD, organized into city-states.
  • Renowned for their use of religious and everyday calendars, despite lacking telescopes for astronomical observation.
  • Innovations in mathematics included being the first to utilize the concept of zero.

Daily Life in Mayan Society

  • Daily chores divided by gender: men engaged in farming, hunting, and fishing; women and older girls managed home duties; children learned through play.

Aztec Civilization

  • Economically similar to other Mesoamerican cultures, focusing on agriculture (corn and beans).
  • Distinct for their monumental building, astronomy, mathematics expertise, and rapid empire expansion.
  • Originally called Mexicas before adopting the name Aztecs.

Tenochtitlan

  • Located on an island in Lake Texcoco, connected to the mainland by causeways.
  • Notable for chinampas, man-made floating gardens built by filling anchored baskets with mud and plants, providing fertile farming area.
  • The site was chosen due to availability of good land already settled by others.

Leadership and Legacy

  • Moctezuma served as the emperor of the Aztecs for 29 years, overseeing the empire's expansion and administration.

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Description

Explore the diverse cultural and geographical landscape of Mesoamerica, which stretches from central Mexico to Central America. Discover the significance of natural resources, the environmental influences on ancient civilizations, and the cultural importance of cenotes. Engage with the rich history of the Mayan civilization and its surroundings.

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