The Maya

Worksheet: The Maya

Name:Class:

Answer the questions.

1. In which part of the world did the ancient Maya live?
   a) Central America and southern Mexicob) Central Asia and Mongoliac) Northern Europe and Icelandd) Southern Africa and Madagascar
2. Which type of land covered much of the Maya homeland?
   a) Cold snowy mountainsb) Dry sandy desertc) Frozen tundrad) Hot, wet rainforest
3. The ancient Maya lived in the cold Arctic.
   a) Trueb) False
4. What shape were the great Maya temples at cities like Tikal?
   a) Flat tentsb) Round domesc) Stepped pyramidsd) Tall glass towers
5. What did Maya priests and rulers often use the tops of the pyramids for?
   a) Farming maizeb) Fishingc) Storing winter snowd) Temples and ceremonies
6. Name one famous ancient Maya city.
7. What are the Maya picture-symbols used for writing called?
   a) Alphabetsb) Cuneiformc) Glyphsd) Runes
8. The Maya made a detailed calendar by watching the Sun, Moon and stars.
   a) Trueb) False
9. How many days are in the Maya solar calendar called the Haab?
   a) 100b) 260c) 365d) 400
10. Which crop was the most important food for the Maya?
    a) Maizeb) Potatoesc) Riced) Wheat
11. Name one other crop the Maya grew besides maize.
12. Which Maya crop was used to make a chocolate drink?
    a) Cacao beansb) Chilli leavesc) Maize husksd) Squash seeds
13. In the Maya number system, what did a dot stand for?
    a) Fiveb) Onec) Tend) Zero
14. In the Maya number system, a bar stood for which number?
15. The Maya had a symbol for zero, and one form of it looked like a shell.
    a) Trueb) False
16. The Maya number system was based on counting in groups of what number?
    a) Sixtyb) Tenc) Twelved) Twenty