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Background: Who's buried in the blue tomb? That's the mystery in this Amazing Travel Bureau cartoon. To solve it, you'll need to learn a bit about the Maya. They were a Native American people in Mexico and Central America. Their civilization flowered from A.D. 250 to 900. The Maya built great cities, temples, and palaces. They even had a system of writing.
Directions: Print out this page (or get a copy from your teacher). Then go online to solve a Maya mystery. As you investigate, complete the Explorer's Log below. Web Address: www.nationalgeographic.com/bureau/ |
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1. To reach this Maya temple in Guatemala, I climbed to the top of a ________ . 2. I came face-to-face with a stone _____. That large, wild cat was sacred to the Maya. 3. Inside the temple, I saw Maya writing. Instead of letters, the Maya used ______, or symbols. 4. One wall carving was a large portrait of a Maya ______ . 5. The guy in the picture wasn't wearing heavy ______ belts. So I doubt he was a Maya king. |
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6. I found a _____ made of stone. The Maya probably used it in religious ceremonies. 7. I also spotted a cup that once held chocolate. It's hard to believe the Maya put ______ ______ in it! 8. There's an amazing statue of a Maya athlete. I could even see the ______ that protected him. 9. I ran my hand over the smooth, stone surface of a ______ . Maya women used it to make tortillas. 10. ______ _____ lies in the stone coffin. |
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| Teachers and students may make copies of this page
to complete as a classroom assignment. © 2003 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved. |