Across
- 3. A farming method where steps are cut into hills or mountains to create flat land for growing crops.
- 8. Refers to the Inca Empire in South America, centered in the Andes Mountains, known for roads, engineering, and a strong central government.
- 9. The capital of the Aztec Empire, built on an island in a lake where Mexico City is today.
- 11. A long mountain range along the western edge of South America; it is the longest continental mountain range in the world.
- 12. A system used by the Inca consisting of knotted strings to keep records and communicate information (like numbers or data).
- 13. A narrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas and is surrounded by water on both sides (example: the Isthmus of Panama).
- 14. The traditional religion of Japan that focuses on nature spirits (kami) and rituals honoring them.
Down
- 1. A traditional Japanese gate that marks the entrance to a sacred Shinto shrine.
- 2. A tiered (multi-level) tower found at temples, often associated with Buddhism in Japan.
- 4. A powerful civilization in central Mexico that built a large empire and capital city, known for warfare, temples, and human sacrifices.
- 5. Refers to the Maya civilization, a group of advanced societies in Central America (especially present-day Mexico and Guatemala) known for writing, math, astronomy, and pyramids.
- 6. The capital city of the Inca Empire, located in modern-day Peru.
- 7. Artificial “floating gardens” built by the Aztecs on lakes to grow crops.
- 10. A belief system in which people think that spirits live in natural objects like animals, plants, rivers, mountains, and even weather.