Early American Civilizations

1. – An Inca recording device made of knotted strings.
4. – The civilization famous for building vast road systems through the Andes.
8. SACRIFICE – A ritual practice performed to appease the gods, most famously by the Aztecs.
9. – The European explorers and conquerors who arrived in the 1500s.
10. – Maya experts who studied the stars and planets to predict eclipses.
13. – The capital city of the Inca Empire.
14. – The civilization known for its advanced writing system and city-states like Tikal.
15. PIGS – Small animals raised for food in ancient Peru.
17. – The primary grain crop (corn) grown across all three civilizations.
19. – The primary pack animal used by the Inca in the mountains.
20. – The precious metal the Spanish sought, often called "the sweat of the sun" by the Inca.

2. – The religious belief in many different gods and goddesses.
3. – The peninsula in Mexico where the Maya civilization flourished.
5. – Floating gardens used by the Aztecs to grow crops on lake beds.
6. – The massive mountain range where the Inca civilization was located.
7. – The official language of the Inca Empire, still spoken today.
11. FARMING – A method of carving steps into hillsides to create flat land for crops.
12. PICCHU – The famous "lost city" of the Inca built high in the mountains.
14. – The name the Aztec people called themselves.
16. – The historical region including central Mexico through Central America.
18. – A complex system used by the Maya to track time and religious cycles.