The Maya civilisation (c. AD 900)

An ancient Central American civilisation famous for cities, writing, maths and astronomy

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1
In which part of the world did the Maya civilisation develop? A) Central America B) North Africa C) Eastern Europe D) South Asia
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2
What kind of large stone buildings are the Maya famous for building? A) Step pyramids B) Cathedrals C) Skyscrapers D) Castles
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3
True or false? The Maya had their own system of writing using picture-like symbols called hieroglyphs. A) True B) False
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4
Where was the heart of the Mayan civilisation? A) Central America B) Africa C) Europe D) Australia
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5
Which important number did the Maya use in their counting system? A) Zero B) One million C) Negative numbers D) Decimals
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6
True or false? The Maya were the same people as the Aztecs. A) True B) False
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7
The Maya were skilled at studying the stars and planets. What is this study called? A) Astronomy B) Geology C) Geography D) Biology
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8
When was the Maya civilisation at its peak (the Classical Period)? A) AD 250 to 900 B) AD 1500 to 1700 C) 1000 BC to AD 1 D) AD 1800 to 1900
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9
What happened to many large Maya cities around AD 900? A) They were abandoned and reclaimed by the rainforest B) They were destroyed by a single huge volcano C) They were captured by Roman armies D) They were rebuilt as European-style towns
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10
True or false? All Maya people died out completely after AD 900. A) True B) False
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Answer key

The Maya civilisation (c. AD 900) · for parents and teachers

1
Central America
The Maya lived in Central America, in what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and parts of Honduras.
2
Step pyramids
The Maya built tall step pyramids with temples on top. Famous examples are at Tikal, Chichen Itza and Palenque.
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True
The Maya developed one of the few full writing systems in the ancient Americas. Their hieroglyphs recorded history, dates and stories.
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Central America
The Maya lived in Central America, in what is now Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.
5
Zero
The Maya independently developed the concept of zero, which they used in their counting and calendar systems.
6
False
The Maya and Aztecs were different civilisations. The Maya peak was around AD 250 to 900, while the Aztec empire was much later, around 1300 to 1521.
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Astronomy
The Maya were excellent astronomers. They tracked the movements of the Sun, Moon and Venus and built temples aligned with the stars.
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AD 250 to 900
The Classical Maya period ran from about AD 250 to 900, the same time as the early Islamic Golden Age and Anglo-Saxon England.
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They were abandoned and reclaimed by the rainforest
Around AD 900 many southern Maya cities were abandoned. Historians believe causes included long droughts, war, overuse of land and political problems.
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False
Although many cities were abandoned, the Maya people did not disappear. Millions of Maya descendants still live in Central America today and speak Mayan languages.