Review

The Maya people began a great civilization. They lived in southern Mexico and northern Central America. They were very smart and skillful and had great math, astronomy, writing and art skills. They had an accurate calendar. The king ruled and priests led ceremonies. They built huge cities with pyramids, temples, and palaces. Each city had a ball court. There were good roads between cities. About 900 AD most of the Maya disappeared. Nobody knows where they went.

Aztecs came to Mesoamerica around 1200AD. They were nomads. They settled in present-day Mexico City. The area was swampy. They built a large beautiful city on a small island. The city was called Tenochtitlan. They used canoes to fish and hunt. They built floating gardens for growing food. The government was strong and the army was powerful. They took over nearby tribes. The Aztecs made each tribe that they conquered pay taxes or tribute. Taxes were paid with food. They sometimes had human sacrifices. Aztecs made books called codices.